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Sohini Banjare, a Mitanin Trainer in Ambargarh Chowki block, Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh has been advocating regular consumption of Iron Folic Acid (IFA) tablets by pregnant women for years. \u201cThe side-effects of the iron supplement and the stigma related to having any medicine during pregnancy has been a big barrier to my work,\u201d<\/strong> shared Sohini.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She recalls one particular case from 2017 to demonstrate this. \u201cSangeeta Mandavi belonged to a loving and supportive family in Thetwar Lanjhiya and was expecting her first child. When I came to know about Sangeeta’s pregnancy, I visited Sangeeta\u2019s house,\u201d<\/strong> recalled Sohini.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A Mitanin\u2019s visit to a pregnant woman typically involves counselling the woman about her health, update her on the government schemes and entitlements and remind her of the check-ups she must get. These visits are also meant to keep a check if everything is alright in this delicate stage; ensure she is getting adequate rest and optimum diet but most importantly, to ensure she is consuming the IFA tablet regularly, which goes a long way in ensuring the health of the mother and her child.<\/p>\n Sangeeta\u2019s husband and in-laws were very supportive and assured that they would take good care of her and Sangeeta herself assured Sohini that she\u2019s taking the IFA tablets regularly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOne tends to think that it’s easy to pop a pill which ensures good health for the mother and child. However, women often discontinue it due to the side effects such as vomiting which accompany it in the initial days until the body gets used to it,\u201d<\/strong> shared Sohini.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCloser to her baby\u2019s delivery, a neighbour\u2019s child playing in Sangeeta\u2019s room was seen with some tablets. Soon her family discovered a heap of IFA tablets discarded under her bed,\u201d<\/strong> shared Sohini. \u201cIt turned out that Sangeeta had been throwing away the tablets under her bed as she could not bear the side effects when she initially started taking the tablets,\u201d<\/strong> she added. Sangeeta had hidden this from her family fearing that they may insist on her having the medicine. A week later, Sangeeta delivered a low birth weight baby (2 Kgs) and faced a lot of weakness herself.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n