An Afghan's Guide to America

  Dear sisters, now I would like to talk to you about depression.  Specificall, I mean the depression that women face after child delivery. After giving birth to a baby, having a little depression is a normal issue. This happens because of chemical changes in the body. It is caused by a decrease and increase in hormones in the body.  Depression among women after delivery is common and will stay with them for some time-- even possibly up to a year. It is important to treat this illness. Sometimes this depression increases due to other issues in the family. Women need to know that depression is not due to a problem or weakness in their brains. Depression is a normal illness like other physical illnesses we may get.   Depression after delivery is common. This depression has many causes. For instance, if the woman had depression in her previous delivery, depression after the new delivery can also occur. Getting pregnant at an early age or having a baby crying every ...

Hello dear sisters. I am Rabia your host. Breast milk is the best food for the baby. Breastfeeding prevents many diseases. Some of these diseases show up during infancy while others arise later in life. What are these diseases? They are as follows: Bloating, obesity, diabetes, and the baby's sudden death while sleeping. Breastfeeding is also useful for mothers. It helps mothers not to get diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, female cancers and other diseases.  Our religion also says that the mother needs to breastfeed her baby for two years. In the United States, physicians say that babies need to get their mother's milk at least for a year. In some cases, the mother cannot feed the baby due to health issues and depression. She needs to talk to a specialist, and the specialist will help her resolve the issue.  Then the mother can breastfeed her baby.  A mother needs to get enough liquids, eat good food, and take care of her health while breastfeeding the baby. If ...

Hello dear sisters. I am Rabia your host. Sometimes in pregnancy, miscarriage occurs. No one is to be blamed for this. The reason for this is not clear. Miscarriage could be the cause of chemical problems and being misshapen, according to some scientists. Normally, miscarriage happens in the first three months of pregnancy. Sometimes, women don’t even know that they are pregnant. Still birth means that an infant is delivered within 20 weeks. Mostly the cause is that there are deficiency in the mother body. Women need to know that miscarriage in something from the God.  The woman is not to be blamed. Women can’t change this. How would a mother know there is miscarriage? The symptoms are severe bleeding and pain in the abdomen. Women need to see a doctor to do some tests like ultrasound. Depression after each miscarriage is normal. A mother is awaiting the baby. She expects the baby and prepare for it. It is good that the mother talk about her feelings and emotions with others, inclu...

Searching for a Job When you first arrive in America, you may feel that you have to take any job that is available.  However, you may have choices, and there are websites that will let you do research on a prospective employer. Look online at a company’s website for the section on their mission and values. Local social service agencies are assigned to help Afghan immigrants to look for job openings…  You can find a job on your own if you wish.  However, agencies (such as Catholic Charities) try to work with employers to find ways around language barriers and transportation problems.  One way they do this is by forming teams of Afghan workers, with a team leader who knows English. Another typical job hunting strategy in America is to attend job fairs where employers who need workers are on site and can interview people.   However, for some new immigrants job fairs can feel stressful and intimidating. Some jobs are easier to find than others.   Food d...

Dear sisters. Hello. My name is Rabia. Today,  I will talk to you about pregnancy. A normal pregnancy is 40 weeks, which is 9 months. These nine months are divided into three phases: first, second, and third trimesters. In the first trimester women normally have problems. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, dislike of food smells, urinating more often, and mood changes.  Sometimes the woman is happy, and sometimes she is sad.  During these three months, doctors recommend not eating a lot of food at one time but instead eating small amountse several times of a day. This will prevent loading the stomach and will prevent nausea. Getting turmeric tea will help prevent nausea and vomiting early in the morning. Drink a little water several times a day can be helpful.  Eat a little food several times so that there is always food in your stomach.  In the first trimester, doctors use ultrasound methods to check the baby. Mothers and fathers see the h...

  Dear sisters, I will be talking to you about having babies at an early age plus having several children and their impact on your life and health. This is your internal decision about when to have babies and when not to and how many. It is solely a private decision to make. But, this will have a serious impact on their lives and your health. When a woman gets pregnant at an early age, it has negative consequences. This is because she is still considered a child. Anyone getting pregnant before the age of 20, causes issues. Back home, we live together. Parents, brothers, sisters and other members of families live together. If we have many kids, we don't have all the burden on our shoulders because there are others who will take care of them; but here in the United States, things are different. There is individualism. You are responsible for your family. Even if you live with your family.   The United States is very big. Your parents will live far from you. So, you need to ...