One of the biggest cultural surprises when I first moved to India is how involved mothers and mother-in-laws are in making decisions around their daughters' pregnancy. It is these soon-to-be grandmothers who make the majority of decisions regarding whether to deliver at home or in an institution, the frequency of antenatal visits, and other decisions regarding pregnancy. She is the one who is present during delivery -- often I've seen husbands called by their mothers to come to the hospital only after the delivery has taken place.
If husbands are much less involved in pregnancy and child-rearing, so much more so are grandfathers. So it was particularly endearing to see this grandfather bring his grand-daughter to receive her vaccinations at our hospital. He was absolutely beaming with pride, showing off his first grandchild to me. She lay bundled and nestled in his lap... incredibly adorable!
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