Whatever you do...

At a birth this morning, as the baby's head started to emerge, the dad quickly looked down and turned green. He noticed his wife about to look down too since she wanted to see the baby's head, but he, still slightly green, jerked her head up and shouted, "Nooo! Whatever you do, DON'T LOOK DOWN!!!!" 

LOL! 

Perhaps Someday...

When I return home, my goal is to become a Certified Nurse Midwife. Once that is completed, I want to open a birth center in North Carolina. Everyone says that third world countries need expert maternity care but America needs it badly too. I want to start a birth center because many times, women want a home birth but are too scared. For them, a birth center is a middle-ground between a hospital and a home. However, I hope to also have the option for a woman to decide between the birth center or her home when she goes into labor. I don't know if that's even possible, but that's my dream. It's at least what they do in (parts of) Europe.

I'd like to locate the birth center near Wake Med Cary, since that's a fairly friendly hospital toward natural birth. Also, that would make it a decent ways away from the birth center in Chapel Hill. I would prefer my birthing home to be in a more residential area so it's more like a home but in a location where I can get a woman to the hospital in about five minutes in case of an emergency.

My birth center would look like a house and be furnished like one.

The downstairs would contain a living room, kitchen, prenatal room, all-purpose room, and probably more rooms which I can't think of right now...

Upstairs would contain four bedroom/birth rooms, each with their own bathroom. In each birthroom would be a king or queen-sized bed in the corner, a tall desk/dresser for birth supplies, and a birthing pool. Aside from the bathroom and birth pool, each room would look like a normal bedroom, as if the couple is at home. Also upstairs would be a room for the on-call midwives and (possibly) their families. Everything would have a relaxed, home-like atmosphere.

Outside would be a beautiful garden with a path for people to walk around. There would also be a large play-fort for any kids waiting for their moms to finish with prenatals. Behind the house there might also be a swimming pool for prenatal aerobics and occasional prenatal parties during the summer.

I would love to open up the downstairs to be a birthing community, renting out hte living room for child birth education classes, meet-the-doula nights, pregnancy and birth-related movie nights, and other birth-related functions.

If his dream gets to happen, birth in North Carolina would change. :-D

Crazy Day - part 2

Karissa and I finally got an night of uninterrupted sleep last night. It was simply splendid - except for some reason I was suddenly wide awake... Oh well.

When I woke up this morning, I discovered that one of Karissa's COCs was in labor so we vacated the room for her. I charted for the birth and one really interesting thing was that the mom sang. She sang during contractions, in between contractions, and even when the baby was being born. She was singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" as the baby slipped into the world. It was beautiful.

By that time, another mom had walked in and was ready to push. I gloved up and Ate Lyds and I caught the baby. It was a big baby - 3.2kg (normally, babies are 2-something kg.)

Then, just as I was heading for the apartment to re-fill my waterbottle, I noticed a car stop right outside the birth center and two men and a woman, very obviously in labor, got out and so I quickly led them inside. They were at church when the mom's labor started and they came straight from church so she didn't have her chart. Her husband raced to their home to find her chart while the second man, who turned out to be their pastor, stayed behind with the mom.

I didn't realize it was the pastor who had stayed behind so figured it was the husband. As I was trying to gather information on who this mom was, while she was in the bathroom, I asked the man what her name was. Except, I asked him what his wife's name was.

He gave me a very blank stare.

So I asked him in Tagalog, as best as I could.

His stare became even more blank.

I was starting to think, "ok, what language does this man speak then?" when Karissa laughed and said, "that's the pastor not the husband."

Oops... *hide under the rug in shame*

Anyway, the mom was fully dilated and started pushing. The pastor acted as her support through most of it, until her *real* husband returned. Then her baby girl slipped easily into my arms. The actual birth was unique (well, all births are unique,) because there was both a cord around the baby's neck and a compound presentation, where the kid's hand is trying to come out at the same time as the head.

All was well with all three moms and I attended a total of 3 births in five hours.

Also, I went through my records and have attended a grand total of 33 births and have caught 20 babies since getting to Shiphrah. Counting my births in the States as well, I have attended 49 births and have caught 21 babies.

Tomorrow a new intern comes. That should be interesting. :-D

this is Mangosteen - a very sweet fruit. It looks like garlic cloves, but is soft and squishy and extremely sweet. However, it's really good for you and is supposedly really expensive to purchase in the States. It's fairly cheap out here.

Crazy Night

A few days ago, I posted about the crazy morning we had (if you haven't read about it yet, click here). Well last night was just as crazy.

Karissa and I haven't really had a full night's rest in at least a week, possibly two, so we are both exhausted. However, because lots of women have started showing up in active labor at night, we've started spending the night at the birth center so as not to miss any births.

Well, last night was the bomb.

In the late afternoon, I caught a baby and then did postpartum checks until 9:45pm. Then I went to bed but decided since it was Friday night to watch a short movie on my iPod. Bad idea because I didn't fall asleep until 10:30.

Then at 1:30am, there was a knock on the door and Ate Grace said there was a woman fully dilated in room one. Since Karissa was next up, I was relieved to stay in bed and went back to sleep. The lady delivered a little while later and Karissa had postpartum checks until 3:45am.

Then there was more furious knocking on the door at 3:30am and Ate Bhel announced, "there's a labor!"

Since both beds in room 1 were full, this woman came into room 2. She was 5-6 cm but seemed to be progressing quickly.

Within ten minutes, another woman walked in, 3-4 cm.

Both women were in room 2 and Ate Bhel and I were monitoring both of them. Karissa was sacked out on the couch.

Everything was going just smashingly (though a little tiredly) when suddenly both moms were 10 cm and +2 to +3 station at the same time. In other words, both of them were about to have their babies right then.

Ate Bhel sent me scurrying out of the room to wake Ate Lornie and tell her we needed her. I got back into the room and caught the baby of the first lady. Then Karissa was called to assist with the birth of the second baby because Bhel and I were still busy with the second lady.

So within 12 hours, a total of four babies were born here. I've never seen all four labor beds full like that before. 

Now I'm really tired. Hopefully I can take a nap after lunch. :-D

Too Beautiful for Words

This morning I caught a baby. It was the parents' first and she was very-much wanted and hoped for. When I handed the baby to her mom, the mom eagerly grasped for her child. Then she held that newborn in her arms and just stared at it in wonder. Her face was so full of emotion and expression as she took in her baby. Behind her, the woman's husband began to sniff and dab at his eyes. It was so beautiful and I was so honored to be able to sit there and witness the meeting.

I just wanted to sit there and join in the emotion, but no, there was a placenta coming that needed my attention...

Someone needs to invent a camera that attaches to your glasses but is pretty much invisible so that all you have to do is blink and it will record an image of what you see. *sigh of exasperation* I really wanted a camera this morning. I've never seen anything so beautiful as that new family sitting there, drinking each other in with the newness of life.

In most of the births I have attended up to now, the mom will disinterestedly hold her baby while the husband looks out the window or texts someone on his cell phone, hardly paying attention to the new bundle in his wife/girlfriend's arms. There is no celebration and emotion with meeting the baby. It usually makes me sad but today's greeting made up for it.

Oh, how I wish I could have captured that image to share with everyone! It was so amazing!

And, as always, pictures!

one of my catches. 

Ate Lyds bathing a newborn

Angry Birds juice! I want some! (jk)

Jennifer took this photo of Karissa and I at Pizza Hut yesterday Notice the creeper in the background. She was like that the whole entire stinkin' meal!!! :-D

Update

Hi Everyone!

This morning, Mom reminded me I need to update my blog. My first reaction was that I have nothing to post. Not much has been going on and I haven't taken many pictures...For the most part, I've been in front of my laptop, studying midwifery, listening to music, working on a story, updating my doula information, etc. There haven't been many births and the prenatals only last the morning. Jeri and the midwives say there'll be a flood of births soon where we'll be begging for them to stop. :-D We'll see what happens...

My favorite part of birth (out here at least) is when the head is coming. I love feeling it be pushed into my hands. Then, I love reaching around and touching the little fat cheeks as they sit on the perineum. Or the ear. At that point, the midwife next to me will usually grab the head and pull down a little to free the shoulders. I'm not sure I like that, since the mom could probably get it out by herself, but a moment later, the baby is the world's newest member. It's like magic. I feel honored to be here and help.

The main drawback about being in the PI is that I can't connect with the women. In the States, I'm used to connecting with the mom and being able to actually help her and become her friend while she gives birth (hopefully I'm able to make that relationship before-hand, but there were twice we met while she was in labor). Out here, it's hard having that communication barrier. She doesn't understand my questions or comments. I don't understand her questions. The only thing I can do is smile and catch her baby. While that is helpful, I enjoy the special relationship that normally develops.

Yesterday was the first time I've connected slightly with a mom out here. It was beautiful. She spoke very good English and was happy and cheerful. At 1 in the morning, a smiling and bubbly mom in labor is not what you want to see. Translation: it's going to be a long night.

Ate Grace told the mom to lay down and try to sleep told me to lay down on the other bed in the delivery room. The mom stayed up all night talking on her cell phone with her husband. She was pretty wound up and excited. I tried to sleep. Every two hours, I checked heart tones. Everything was going smoothly.

Around 5am, her husband came and they ate breakfast. Contractions didn't pick-up at all until she started walking around outside around 9am. Then, all her smiles and bubbly-ness disappeared. Instead, she was grumpy and in a lot of pain. Whenever I see that, I always feel bad for the mom but happy knowing that birth will be soon.

Two hours later, her baby (well, everything except the shoulders. Ate Grace pulled those out) was born into my hands. He was the biggest baby I've caught so far - 3.2 kg.

There were two Filipina midwifery students from a local college observing at the birth. The moment the baby was born, they started dancing around the room, snapping pictures of everything, never mind the fact that the mom was totally exposed...They were so excited and wouldn't settle down. It was kind of funny but when the placenta came out and I examined it and needed one of them to write down the information, like she was supposed to...

Anyway, it was a beautiful birth and all is going well! :-D

the baby I just talked about

isn't he cute?

...dinner one evening...and yes, they still had their heads and eyes on...

he thinks he owns this place.

banana roasted on a stick rolled in sugar...It. Was. AMAZING!

this is Squeaky

prenatal moms dancing with Ate Helen

chocolate peanut butter - spread this on toast and it's the best breakfast EVER!

I'm so fierce, I'm attacking the velcro on your computer!

a missionary kid who is the only little kid to actually like Squeaky

Leechees!

Ate Dina's little kid. He's not so sure he likes me.

Birth! :-D

WARNING: you might just want to skim part of this post if you are the squeamish type around body parts and birth. However, if you really don't care or want to read about it, you may proceed. :-D

So this afternoon while I was studying, a laboring woman walked into Shiphrah at 9cm. Karissa and I were up next, especially since Jennifer was at the mall, so we went into the birth room with her. Since I was the one assisting, Ate Larnie asked if I wanted to do the vaginal exam to check for dilation.

I gulped. Um...No? I've never done one before...

However, once the woman was situated on the birth stool, Ate Larnie gave me some sterile gloves and said, "stick your fingers in, you'll feel the head."

*Gulp* Yikes!

So I did. And I felt the head. And I was amazed at what it felt like.

Over the next hour, we sat and watched and felt the baby's head come closer and closer to the opening. The mom was strong and worked really hard.

As the head was finally starting to show, I was able to do something I've always wanted to do: reach out and touch the baby's hair as it is crowning (I think I've wanted to do that since the first birth I attended almost 2 years ago). Then, Ate Larnie showed me where to put my hands to slow the baby's head so as to protect the mother's perineum. It was amazing feeling that little soft head gradually be pushed into my hands. Its cheeks were so chubby as its face sat smushed as if there were a turtleneck around its chin! :-D

Then Ate Larnie took the head and pulled down and out to free the shoulders and the baby slid free.

It would have been totally beautiful, except I had been crouched on my knees in a hot room for the last 10-20 minutes. The last time I did that, I passed out. After the baby was out, I stood up since I felt like I was passing out. Then, in the flutter of activity after a birth, I quickly excused myself from the room. I made it into the study area before starting to black out in a chair. Thankfully, Jennifer had shown up by that point and she saw me and got me some water. I don't think I actually passed out, but it was close.

The whole time I was blacking out, I was thinking, "how do I explain to Ate Larnie that I'm not passing out because of the birth?!"

Anyway, they understood.

And in case you're wondering, I'm feeling better. :-D

And here's some pictures taken from today. Enjoy!

Karissa took this picture of me teaching Johannah how to crochet 

right inside Shiphrah 

outside Shiphrah 

outside our apartment 

please leave your shoes outside the door as we are now entering the apartment. :-D

inside the apartment. 

the room Karissa and I share 

outside Shiphrah, where prenatal classes are taught

the man on the far right saw me standing with a camera and suddenly shouted to the kids, "picture!"

random dog resting in the prenatal teaching area

adorable little girl playing outside

laundry

Martin

Karissa; people have asked her if she's a Catholic nun or Amish. The answer: neither. But it is kind of funny watching people's reactions to her. She's super respected out here. :-D

inside a birth room

popular mode of transportation out here

laundry hanging to "dry". Wet things take FOREVER to dry out here!

My little friend Johannah (on the left) and one of her friends