Had Her First Baby In Argentina

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30951, 6 January 1966, Page 2

Had Her First Baby In Argentina

A New Zealand mother received some surprises when she had her first baby —a daughter—in Argentina last year and she also gave a few shocks to the nurses who attended her.

Mrs Yvonne Chetwin, the wife of a Christchurch engineer, Mr David Chetwin, and their year-old daughter, Kate, recently arrived in Christchurch on leave after two years at Tucuman, in northern Argentina.

Mr Chetwin was superintendent of a dam construction which was part of a large hydro-electric and irrigation project. Kate was born in a clinic and the nurses wanted to shave her head and pierce her ears. “I shocked them by refusing and they were further Shocked because I didn’t have a large bottle of cologne to splash over Kate,” said Mrs Chetwin.

Argentinian mothers always shave the heads of their daughters for the first three months after they ere bora. They believe this makes the hair thick and glossy. “Certainly, the women, even the poorest, all have beautiful thick glossy hair. I wondered afterwards if it would have been worth while to follow the custom,” said Mrs Chetwin. Kate has shining fine blonde hair. Ears Pierced Mrs Chetwin said the ears of girl babies were pierced so that it was easy to tell if a baby was a boy or a girl. She stayed in the clinic only three days after Kate’s birth. Many Argentinian mothers went home almost immediately after the birth of their children. This was because of the strong and close family ties. The family was a permanent unit comprising several generations and there were always plenty of women to help look after a new mother and her child. The same held good for the aged. “No Argentinian would dream of sending Ms parents to an old peoples’ home, even if there were any,” said Mrs Chetwin. However, leaving the clinic so soon after Katie’s birth presented no difficulties as Mrs Chetwin had a maid who did everything except the cook* tag. Relied On Book

Since there was no Ptanket scheme to help her over the first few months, Mrs Chetwin relied on Dr. Spock. “I had one of his books and I read it like a bible. Fortunately Kate has always been healthy.” Mrs Chetwin was unable to

buy baby foods such as Farex and tinned meat and vegetables. “I asked my doctor what I should do and he said to give Kate cornflakes.” Under Argentinian law, Kate is an Argentinian as well as a New Zealander. “It’s just as well she wasn’t a boy as if she had been and returned as an adult she would have to do national service,” said Mrs Chetwin. The family found that the cost of living was high. Mrs Oheitwin said it cost between £l2 and £l5 a week for food for themselves and the maid. Since they lived 25 miles away from the nearest town, San Miguel de Tucuman, Mrs Chetwin did not do much shopping. “A driver came round for my list and he did the marketing for the families on the site.” Bought Materials

Clothes were another expensive item. There was little that could be bought off the peg and clothes were either very cheap and not very good or very expensive. Mrs Chetwin followed the usual custom of buying materials and giving them to a dressmaker to make up. As far as Argentinians are concerned beef is meat, and they do not eat much mutton. For the first year, Mrs Chetwin used to buy a four pound piece of filet of beef for about £l. The second year the Government cut down on beef consumption and she was able to buy a little mutton.

Having a maid meant that Mrs Chetwin had a lot of time on her hands. She trained as a teacher in Dunedin and she taught the English children at the project until shortly before Kate’s birth and for a few months after until a teacher was brought from Buenos Aires. Asked about the status of women, Mrs Chetwin said it was not as advanced as in New Zealand. Girls married young and seemed to fade from the scene. Those who did go to university—and the numbers were increasing—seemed to have to sacrifice marriage for a cereer as the men did not appear to wish to marry women in the middle twenties. "Against Church” Although Argentina is a Roman Catholic country, Mrs Chetwin found .that women were demanding contraceptives. The pill is available, but the doctor has to write a letter to the priest stating the medical reasons. However, women from the better families are starting to feel that they should not

go on having children if they cannot afford them. One of Mrs Chetwin’s friends told her that if this was against the Church then it would have to be against the Church.

Many doctors, including Mrs Chetwin’s gynaecologist, were in favour of making contraceptives available. “One of his reasons is that he feels women should be allowed to choose the number of children they have. He also wants to see a decrease in the number of abortions because of their harmful effects on women.

‘The doctor did not quote the abortion figures, but many women, especially the poor, do have them and it is very damaging because they use such primitive methods and live in unsanitary conditions.”

The Chetwins will leave New Zealand at the end of February for England where they expect to spend a year. Mrs Chetwin said living in Argentina was a marvellous experience and one she would not like to have missed.

T would like to go back again and I hope Kate can see the place where she was born,” said Mrs Chetwin.