Counselor Diary Excerpt: Dede Suprihatin & Suwaibah

Some people may be wondering, what is the implementation of Family Education Counseling for Stunting Prevention during the 1000 HPK period? What is the work of a family education counselor like? This excerpt provides a glimpse into the day-to-day activities of counselors on duty.

Tuesday, October 6, 2020.

Today, we returned to our family counseling visit. The target location was Bendungan Village, Ciawi District. At exactly 10:30 a.m., we started our motorcycles and departed from the preschool to the location. The weather was sunny, as if illuminating our eager hearts. The journey to the client’s house was relatively smooth, although it turned out our motorcycle couldn’t fit through the narrow alley leading to the client’s house. “Ah, no problem,” we thought. After leaving the motorcycle in another resident’s yard, we continued our walk.

Around 11:00 a.m., we arrived at the location. The door opened, and a teenager was carrying a baby. We were stunned. “Is this the client?” we wondered. No wonder, this client was so young. She should have been busy chatting with her friends about her Korean idols, not fussing over diapers. Her tired face and wistful gaze clearly revealed the burden on her heart. After getting acquainted, we opened the conversation by explaining the purpose of the visit, namely providing stunting prevention counseling for the first 1000 days of life.

As we opened the module, we began explaining the 1000 HPK (First Thousand Days) and stunting. Our client was only 16 years old, holding an 18-day-old baby. “This is such a little kid, it’s like talking to your own child,” we muttered to ourselves. The baby happened to be sleeping soundly. From the ensuing conversation, we learned that the client had become pregnant while dating. Eventually, she married, and fortunately, the baby was born safely, weighing 2.9 kg and measuring 48 cm long. The client answered subsequent questions shyly, hesitantly, in a low, half-whispering voice. Occasionally, she would shout in Sundanese, “Mamaaaah, ku Mamah we jawabna. [Mom, just answer]” until finally the client’s mother joined in.

When asked about stunting, the client admitted to having heard of it but not fully understanding its meaning. The conversation then turned to the challenges she faced in her daily life, both in caring for her baby and in her own life as a breastfeeding mother. As if complaining, the client’s mother immediately snapped, “I’m so lazy, Ma’am. You haven’t even showered or eaten at this hour. And the baby hasn’t been taken outside either.” We smiled, even though we were shaking our heads. We tried to empathize, perhaps as a new mother she was still adjusting. She might also have been embarrassed, uncomfortable, and not yet accepted the situation. But at the end of the session, we encouraged the client to shower more frequently and to pay attention to the recommended eating and drinking patterns for breastfeeding mothers.

Around 12 noon, we said our goodbyes and gave her the 1000 HPK calendar to hang and read at home. The young mother smiled and thanked her.

Wednesday, 21 October 2020.

Today the weather looked cloudy, and then it even started to rain. However, we weren’t discouraged from our second counseling visit. We arrived at the location around 11 a.m. This time, the client seemed more open to talking to us.

During this meeting, we explained the importance of nutrition for breastfeeding mothers, as that’s where breast milk nutrition comes from. In addition to nutrition for growth, babies need stimulation for their development. All parents hope their children will grow up healthy, intelligent, and pious, but these hopes don’t happen automatically. The mother agreed, listing several efforts she had made: breastfeeding and immunizations.

When asked about nutrition for breastfeeding mothers, the mother admitted that she usually eats rice with meatballs or other simple side dishes. The client shyly admitted that she doesn’t like vegetables. “Why?” we tried to probe. “Alim ah, alim we [Ah, I don’t want to, because I don’t want to],” she replied adamantly. We didn’t force her.

The conversation continued on to other issues the client faced in caring for and nurturing the first 1,000 days of life. The client admitted to often feeling lazy, sleepy, and weak. We concluded that her biggest problem was more personal, namely motivation. However, at least she had recognized her problem, and this was the first step towards self-improvement.

Today’s meeting was the final counseling session. Over the course of two short visits, we established a commitment with the client to learn to like vegetables, drink plenty of fluids, take a morning bath regularly, expose her baby to the morning sun, and take her to the Integrated Health Post (Posyandu). This young mother was intelligent; she remembered all the information we had conveyed about stunting prevention and the first 1,000 days of life and was able to repeat it without difficulty. She still had a long future ahead of her. However, being a teenage mother is not easy, especially in this day and age. Before saying goodbye, we reminded her to read and practice the 1,000 days of life calendar. The client agreed, thanking her for the new knowledge she had gained. We left feeling a little better.