So my dilemma was solved for me last night when Agnes asked to have her baby back. I was so happy to give little Jen back to his Mommy. Because she doesn't have a husband or friend to stay with her, I agreed to spend the night in the room with her and the baby.
All was going well and I went to bed around 9:30pm. It was silent and peaceful until 11pm. Then Jen woke up. And he wasn't happy. At all. And he screamed almost nonstop from 11pm until 5am when I decided I was going to get out of bed and start my day. Translation: I only got two hours of sleep last night.
I have absolutely no idea what that kid's problem was. Agnes tried to feed him all night long. We checked his diaper. The only thing that worked was when I held him upright. Except I didn't feel right doing that because of the sticky situation of Agnes not being sure if she was going to keep him or not. So I'd hold him for a few minutes until he calmed down and hand him back to her. About ten minutes later, he'd start to scream again.
Anyway, I was really frustrated with this kid and left the room to start my day. At that point, I was certain that I'd never ever ever have kids. It hurts to give birth to them and then they scream nonstop once they're born. Then they become teenagers. No thank you!
Still grumbling, I stomped over to the apartment and flipped open my Daily Light to the morning section for July 31. There, the topic proclaimed nice and boldly, "Endure Hardship like a Good Soldier in Christ Jesus."
I started to laugh.
Until now, I never would have thought of last night as a "hardship." You know, hardships are when you're put in prison for your faith, or when you don't have enough money to pay the bills, etc. I never thought of hardship as staying up all night supporting a mom and newborn.
This morning, God used my Daily Light as a 2x4 to smack some sense into me.
Hopefully I can get some rest this afternoon after I go to the mall and get some pictures printed for a mom and her baby.
Thanks everyone for your prayers!
Satisfied in Christ,
a Very Tired Danielle :-D
Monday, July 30, 2012
Angel in my Arms
As an update to my earlier post:
Deborah brought little Jen (Agnes' little boy) back over to Shiphrah since she needed to go somewhere. So now I've got him. His newborn exam isn't until 8 or 9pm so I've got him until at least then. Then I either need to take him to the orphanage (TLC) or keep him for the night.
What do I do?
There's no way I can bring him to the orphanage and leave him over there especially since there's already two newborns and lots of babies over there. He's just a few hours old and needs lots of love and attention!
But at the same time, I don't really know how to care all night for a newborn. Would I wake up when he cries? Would I remember when to feed him and change his diaper?
So I don't know what to do.
Knowing me, I'll probably keep him for the night. But I'm not sure.
Please pray for this little guy and for his Mommy who is grieving for him.
Anyway, he's snuggled in my arms fast asleep. Hopefully I can figure out this picture situation soon so y'all can see him.
Deborah brought little Jen (Agnes' little boy) back over to Shiphrah since she needed to go somewhere. So now I've got him. His newborn exam isn't until 8 or 9pm so I've got him until at least then. Then I either need to take him to the orphanage (TLC) or keep him for the night.
What do I do?
There's no way I can bring him to the orphanage and leave him over there especially since there's already two newborns and lots of babies over there. He's just a few hours old and needs lots of love and attention!
But at the same time, I don't really know how to care all night for a newborn. Would I wake up when he cries? Would I remember when to feed him and change his diaper?
So I don't know what to do.
Knowing me, I'll probably keep him for the night. But I'm not sure.
Please pray for this little guy and for his Mommy who is grieving for him.
Anyway, he's snuggled in my arms fast asleep. Hopefully I can figure out this picture situation soon so y'all can see him.
When Hello Means Goodbye
Today Agnes gave birth.
She came to Shiphrah last Monday, her due date, because she was going to surrender her baby after he's born and needed a place to stay. She lived in a small house behind the birth center and became a friendly, smiley daily presence. I liked her a lot.
Jeri told me the reason Agnes was probably going a week overdue was because while the baby is still inside her, it's Agnes' baby. We are by no means trying to pressure her to surrender her baby. It is Agnes' choice.
This morning, Ate Lyds smiled at me and said, "I think we've got another lady in labor."
"Oh?" I asked.
"Yes, Agnes."
We checked Agnes an hour later and found out she was fully dilated and the baby was -1 station (-1 station means it's above the pubic bone, 0 means it's at the pubic bone, then there's +1, +2, +3, and baby out).
There was much excitement since everyone knew and liked Agnes at that point. I was next up to catch and Ate Lyds was the midwife. Then, because Agnes doesn't have a husband, Ate Helen enthusiastically danced into the room laughing, "I'll be the tatay (father) and the osawa (spouse)!" (Normally the dad sits behind the mom and supports her while the baby's born, so that's what Ate Helen was offering to do. Except of course, this is Ate Helen we are talking about, so of course she had to have fun with it. :-D)
We waited for the baby to drop a little bit before she started pushing. When she did start pushing, her fingernails started turning blue, her hands started cramping, she started sweating profusely, and she clocked out on us. The midwives and Ate Helen started oxygen and massaged her hands. Because they were talking very fast in Tagalog, I wasn't able to understand what was going on, but Deborah, Jeri's daughter who is also a midwife, told me it was probably from emotions.
The baby was finally born after what felt like a while and I wasn't sure whether to hand him to Agnes or to hold him myself, because he was going to be surrendered. However, Ate Lyds told me to hand the baby to Agnes. Except, she didn't take the baby. So I put my hand on the baby's bum to keep him from falling between her legs again, while we waited for the placenta.
After the cord was clamped and cut, Deborah cleaned off the baby and dressed him. Then she brought him back to Agnes and asked if she wanted to breastfeed him.
She said no.
So Deborah took the baby out of the room and took him to her house where she fed him some formula.
Agnes seemed very calm on the outside during the whole thing, but when I went to check on her a few minutes ago, she was crying.
My heart is breaking for this mom and her newborn who will never know the love of his birth mom. I wish I could do something but there's nothing I can do but pray. And I have been praying.
Please keep Agnes and her baby in your prayers.
Thank you!
She came to Shiphrah last Monday, her due date, because she was going to surrender her baby after he's born and needed a place to stay. She lived in a small house behind the birth center and became a friendly, smiley daily presence. I liked her a lot.
Jeri told me the reason Agnes was probably going a week overdue was because while the baby is still inside her, it's Agnes' baby. We are by no means trying to pressure her to surrender her baby. It is Agnes' choice.
This morning, Ate Lyds smiled at me and said, "I think we've got another lady in labor."
"Oh?" I asked.
"Yes, Agnes."
We checked Agnes an hour later and found out she was fully dilated and the baby was -1 station (-1 station means it's above the pubic bone, 0 means it's at the pubic bone, then there's +1, +2, +3, and baby out).
There was much excitement since everyone knew and liked Agnes at that point. I was next up to catch and Ate Lyds was the midwife. Then, because Agnes doesn't have a husband, Ate Helen enthusiastically danced into the room laughing, "I'll be the tatay (father) and the osawa (spouse)!" (Normally the dad sits behind the mom and supports her while the baby's born, so that's what Ate Helen was offering to do. Except of course, this is Ate Helen we are talking about, so of course she had to have fun with it. :-D)
We waited for the baby to drop a little bit before she started pushing. When she did start pushing, her fingernails started turning blue, her hands started cramping, she started sweating profusely, and she clocked out on us. The midwives and Ate Helen started oxygen and massaged her hands. Because they were talking very fast in Tagalog, I wasn't able to understand what was going on, but Deborah, Jeri's daughter who is also a midwife, told me it was probably from emotions.
The baby was finally born after what felt like a while and I wasn't sure whether to hand him to Agnes or to hold him myself, because he was going to be surrendered. However, Ate Lyds told me to hand the baby to Agnes. Except, she didn't take the baby. So I put my hand on the baby's bum to keep him from falling between her legs again, while we waited for the placenta.
After the cord was clamped and cut, Deborah cleaned off the baby and dressed him. Then she brought him back to Agnes and asked if she wanted to breastfeed him.
She said no.
So Deborah took the baby out of the room and took him to her house where she fed him some formula.
Agnes seemed very calm on the outside during the whole thing, but when I went to check on her a few minutes ago, she was crying.
My heart is breaking for this mom and her newborn who will never know the love of his birth mom. I wish I could do something but there's nothing I can do but pray. And I have been praying.
Please keep Agnes and her baby in your prayers.
Thank you!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Stats
Since I've been here a month, I thought I should give y'all some numbers... :-D
Since arriving in the Philippines, I've attended 14 births. Two of those births were at Mercy Maternity Center in Davao City but the other 12 have been here at Shiphrah Birthing Home.
I have caught six babies and charted for six births. At Mercy, I observed two births (meaning I did absolutely nothing but watch).
Every Tues, Wed, and Thurs, I have helped with prenatals. I haven't counted how many prenatals I've done but I've done more than 50. And that's not counting how many blood pressures I've taken (more than 100...my ears aren't always happy with me at the end of a prenatal morning...).
I've only done 4-6 newborn exams, since the timing of those is tricky. Sometimes I'm here when they do it, and sometimes the midwives will do it without telling me. But that's ok.
For three-day postpartums, I've done between 6 and 10. I'm not totally sure how many...
Since coming here:
The longest time I've been with a mom is nine hours. The woman showed up at 1am and delivered around 10am.
The longest pushing stage I've seen is 4 hours. (I felt so bad for that poor mom when it was over!)
The shortest pushing stage I've seen is ten minutes, and she was even a first time mom!
All together, I think it's been a very productive month! Hopefully this second month is even more productive and I learn a ton!
Thank you all for supporting me through financial gifts and prayer!
Since arriving in the Philippines, I've attended 14 births. Two of those births were at Mercy Maternity Center in Davao City but the other 12 have been here at Shiphrah Birthing Home.
I have caught six babies and charted for six births. At Mercy, I observed two births (meaning I did absolutely nothing but watch).
Every Tues, Wed, and Thurs, I have helped with prenatals. I haven't counted how many prenatals I've done but I've done more than 50. And that's not counting how many blood pressures I've taken (more than 100...my ears aren't always happy with me at the end of a prenatal morning...).
I've only done 4-6 newborn exams, since the timing of those is tricky. Sometimes I'm here when they do it, and sometimes the midwives will do it without telling me. But that's ok.
For three-day postpartums, I've done between 6 and 10. I'm not totally sure how many...
Since coming here:
The longest time I've been with a mom is nine hours. The woman showed up at 1am and delivered around 10am.
The longest pushing stage I've seen is 4 hours. (I felt so bad for that poor mom when it was over!)
The shortest pushing stage I've seen is ten minutes, and she was even a first time mom!
All together, I think it's been a very productive month! Hopefully this second month is even more productive and I learn a ton!
Thank you all for supporting me through financial gifts and prayer!
One month
I've been here in the Philippines for one month.
It's crazy how fast this month has gone by. Sometimes it seems like each minute lasts an eternity, but other times, I blink and wonder where the day went.
Right now I'm studying blood. A woman's iron levels during pregnancy is incredibly important. Low iron means she's at a much higher risk of hemorrhaging after the baby's born. Around here, a lot of women are anemic (meaning her hemoglobin levels are below 11). A ton of foods out here are loaded in iron and they're very cheap, but a lot of poor people eat hot dogs because they're also cheap and easy to prepare. Jeri has a lot of fun explaining to everyone what's in a hot dog. Blech!
Another reason the women have very poor iron is because culture has taught them to diet while they're pregnant. They're taught that small babies are easy to birth but what they don't realize is that the baby does 60% of the work of labor. So if a woman is dieting, by the end of labor, both she and the baby are so exhausted that they're both exhausted. In extreme cases, the mom and baby die. There is a direct correlation between dieting and anemia, but the women don't stop. Sometimes, they can't stop. Neighbors, friends, family, and everyone else in the Philippines are telling her to diet. Sometimes they're even limiting the amount of food she can have so that she can have a small baby.
After getting a woman's blood results, the first thing we look at is her weight gain. Chances are, if she's anemic or border-line anemic, she hasn't gained much (if any) weight during the pregnancy. Today I saw a woman who looked very unhealthy and hadn't gained anything since when she started coming to Shiphrah two months ago. Some of that wasn't her fault, but a woman needs to gain weight during pregnancy. Unless she's very heavy, gaining a healthy amount of weight is a MUST!
Ok, I'll get off my soap box and go back to my point about why I'm studying blood... :-D
Jeri normally takes care of all that blood stuff during prenatals but she's leaving for the US next week for a month. So she wants me to take care of that while she's gone. This will be interesting as it involves critical thinking, counseling the mom, and knowledge of the language, as best as possible. This week I've been at the blood table during prenatals learning as much as I can. I think I know most of the phrases I'll need, but it's still an intimidating task, especially since Jeri does it so well. So please be praying that God will give me the courage and wisdom and ability to fulfill this task. I know I can do it, I'm just a little intimidated by the immensity of it.
Also, I've started taking on COCs (continuity of care). If there's a woman who comes in who's between 28 and 32 weeks (those numbers will be changing as I get closer to leaving), I can take her as a COC. What that means is I'll be the main midwife at her prenatals (and I have to do at least 4 prenatals on her) and I'll also be the primary at her birth. If I decide to become a CPM (after arriving here, I've discovered that the plans I had for the future are no longer going to work, so I'm not sure if I'm going to become a CPM or CNM. Right now I'm leaning more towards becoming a CNM because they're more widely recognized and I'd have the training to help more than just pregnant women.), NARM (National Registry of Midwives - the organization who certifies CPMs) says I need at least 4-5 continuities. Now, a continuity doesn't sound too hard to fulfill, but getting 4 prenatals in on a mom is actually harder than it sounds... Currently, I've got 25 COCs. The earliest ones are due in August, but most are due within two weeks time in September (Sept's going to be one crazy month for me!).
Anyway, last week, there was a pregnant girl (I'd guess between 16 and 18) who I saw and I instantly knew I wanted her as a COC. During the prenatal, every time we touched her belly (which is a lot), she'd start giggling because it tickled. And then when we started feeling for her baby's position, she absolutely lost it and had to stick a rag in her mouth to stop giggling. It was so funny!
She was back again today. I smiled when I saw her. She smiled back. And lo and behold, the moment I touched her tummy, she started giggling again.
I wonder what she will be like in labor... :-D
Ok, I've probably talked your ear off by now! Tootles! And ready for more pictures? Scroll down! :-D
Ooops! Blogger just told me that I've run out of free memory space for pictures...I'm not sure what I'm going to do in order to upload more pics...Gonna have to think about that one...Sorry about that and hopefully I'll get the problem fixed soon!
It's crazy how fast this month has gone by. Sometimes it seems like each minute lasts an eternity, but other times, I blink and wonder where the day went.
Right now I'm studying blood. A woman's iron levels during pregnancy is incredibly important. Low iron means she's at a much higher risk of hemorrhaging after the baby's born. Around here, a lot of women are anemic (meaning her hemoglobin levels are below 11). A ton of foods out here are loaded in iron and they're very cheap, but a lot of poor people eat hot dogs because they're also cheap and easy to prepare. Jeri has a lot of fun explaining to everyone what's in a hot dog. Blech!
Another reason the women have very poor iron is because culture has taught them to diet while they're pregnant. They're taught that small babies are easy to birth but what they don't realize is that the baby does 60% of the work of labor. So if a woman is dieting, by the end of labor, both she and the baby are so exhausted that they're both exhausted. In extreme cases, the mom and baby die. There is a direct correlation between dieting and anemia, but the women don't stop. Sometimes, they can't stop. Neighbors, friends, family, and everyone else in the Philippines are telling her to diet. Sometimes they're even limiting the amount of food she can have so that she can have a small baby.
After getting a woman's blood results, the first thing we look at is her weight gain. Chances are, if she's anemic or border-line anemic, she hasn't gained much (if any) weight during the pregnancy. Today I saw a woman who looked very unhealthy and hadn't gained anything since when she started coming to Shiphrah two months ago. Some of that wasn't her fault, but a woman needs to gain weight during pregnancy. Unless she's very heavy, gaining a healthy amount of weight is a MUST!
Ok, I'll get off my soap box and go back to my point about why I'm studying blood... :-D
Jeri normally takes care of all that blood stuff during prenatals but she's leaving for the US next week for a month. So she wants me to take care of that while she's gone. This will be interesting as it involves critical thinking, counseling the mom, and knowledge of the language, as best as possible. This week I've been at the blood table during prenatals learning as much as I can. I think I know most of the phrases I'll need, but it's still an intimidating task, especially since Jeri does it so well. So please be praying that God will give me the courage and wisdom and ability to fulfill this task. I know I can do it, I'm just a little intimidated by the immensity of it.
Also, I've started taking on COCs (continuity of care). If there's a woman who comes in who's between 28 and 32 weeks (those numbers will be changing as I get closer to leaving), I can take her as a COC. What that means is I'll be the main midwife at her prenatals (and I have to do at least 4 prenatals on her) and I'll also be the primary at her birth. If I decide to become a CPM (after arriving here, I've discovered that the plans I had for the future are no longer going to work, so I'm not sure if I'm going to become a CPM or CNM. Right now I'm leaning more towards becoming a CNM because they're more widely recognized and I'd have the training to help more than just pregnant women.), NARM (National Registry of Midwives - the organization who certifies CPMs) says I need at least 4-5 continuities. Now, a continuity doesn't sound too hard to fulfill, but getting 4 prenatals in on a mom is actually harder than it sounds... Currently, I've got 25 COCs. The earliest ones are due in August, but most are due within two weeks time in September (Sept's going to be one crazy month for me!).
Anyway, last week, there was a pregnant girl (I'd guess between 16 and 18) who I saw and I instantly knew I wanted her as a COC. During the prenatal, every time we touched her belly (which is a lot), she'd start giggling because it tickled. And then when we started feeling for her baby's position, she absolutely lost it and had to stick a rag in her mouth to stop giggling. It was so funny!
She was back again today. I smiled when I saw her. She smiled back. And lo and behold, the moment I touched her tummy, she started giggling again.
I wonder what she will be like in labor... :-D
Ok, I've probably talked your ear off by now! Tootles! And ready for more pictures? Scroll down! :-D
Ooops! Blogger just told me that I've run out of free memory space for pictures...I'm not sure what I'm going to do in order to upload more pics...Gonna have to think about that one...Sorry about that and hopefully I'll get the problem fixed soon!
A Fun Outing
Yesterday, Karissa and I went to Mega Mall, which takes 30-75 minutes to get to, depending on the traffic. It is an *amazing* mall. I know I definitely want to go back before I leave and buy more gifts for people (yes, I was gift shopping yesterday, but I'm not saying who I bought the gifts for or what they are...*evil cackle*). It had six floors full of clothing stores, fast food places (who knew you could find Taco Bell, Dairy Queen, Krispy Kreme, Pizza Hut, Dunkin Donuts, KFC, Wendys, and other American fastfood chains out here? And the ones I've tried so far taste like home - Taco Bell, Dairy Queen, and Pizza Hut), sit-down restaurants, a *huge* cinema, Imax, and more. It was crazy and I had so much fun wandering around and looking at everything. I think I probably drove Karissa crazy, especially at this one shop called Carolinas, which is like a mini JoAnn fabrics but with nicer stuff (I'll be returning to that store before I leave!).
After spending many hours at Mega Mall, Karissa and I went to visit one of her friends who is in the hospital recovering from Dungae fever (a bad illness which causes you to hemorrhage internally. It's spread through mosquitoes). In order to get to the hospital, we had to catch a train. However, we couldn't find the train station so we asked a security guard where it was. He pointed us in a direction and said, "That way."
We went that way until we couldn't go any farther and asked another security guard where it was. He pointed us in the opposite direction and said, "That way."
Eight security guards later, we *finally* found the train station. Except by that point, it was 6:30 in the evening so everyone was going home from work. The station and the trains were packed with people. I have never been so squished. Let's just say, if the train had gotten into an accident, no one would have gotten hurt because no one would have been able to move. It was that tight in there.
Then we had to catch a second train and talked to four more security guards in the process. This train was less crowded. Once we got off the train, we weren't sure where to catch a taxi to get to the hospital (a jeepney would have been too overwhelming at that point) so we talked to two more security guards. We didn't get to the hospital until sometime after 7:30 and spent about fifteen minutes there.
The hospital was a private hospital so it was one of the nicer ones in the Philippines. However, it was still nothing compared to hospitals in the US. For instance, there were four people per room. And there was no privacy. No sheets/curtains/dividers, nothing. Just four beds lined up along the wall with four patients in them. It was pretty sad and makes one very thankful for the privacy of American hospitals.
Going back to Mega Mall, we only talked to one security guard. But this time was the funniest. As we walked up to him, he got this big, proud smile on his face, and quickly glanced at his buddies to make sure they noticed that two white girls were walking up to him. Then, when Karissa asked to make sure we were on the right side of the tracks, he puffed up. I mean, he was very obviously pleased that we were asking him for help. He literally puffed up with importance right in front of us. The moment we turned away, we both burst out laughing. It was so hilarious! I wish I had gotten video of it for y'all to see.
Anyway, long story short, we didn't arrive back at our apartment until after 10pm...We left at 1:30 in the afternoon and were gone until 10. And we were walking most of the time. My feet and shoulders were so sore! But it was fun and I got to see a lot more of Manila. Now I'm ready to spend several more days at the birth center, hoping for more women to go into labor...There haven't been any for several days...Oh well.
After spending many hours at Mega Mall, Karissa and I went to visit one of her friends who is in the hospital recovering from Dungae fever (a bad illness which causes you to hemorrhage internally. It's spread through mosquitoes). In order to get to the hospital, we had to catch a train. However, we couldn't find the train station so we asked a security guard where it was. He pointed us in a direction and said, "That way."
We went that way until we couldn't go any farther and asked another security guard where it was. He pointed us in the opposite direction and said, "That way."
Eight security guards later, we *finally* found the train station. Except by that point, it was 6:30 in the evening so everyone was going home from work. The station and the trains were packed with people. I have never been so squished. Let's just say, if the train had gotten into an accident, no one would have gotten hurt because no one would have been able to move. It was that tight in there.
Then we had to catch a second train and talked to four more security guards in the process. This train was less crowded. Once we got off the train, we weren't sure where to catch a taxi to get to the hospital (a jeepney would have been too overwhelming at that point) so we talked to two more security guards. We didn't get to the hospital until sometime after 7:30 and spent about fifteen minutes there.
The hospital was a private hospital so it was one of the nicer ones in the Philippines. However, it was still nothing compared to hospitals in the US. For instance, there were four people per room. And there was no privacy. No sheets/curtains/dividers, nothing. Just four beds lined up along the wall with four patients in them. It was pretty sad and makes one very thankful for the privacy of American hospitals.
Going back to Mega Mall, we only talked to one security guard. But this time was the funniest. As we walked up to him, he got this big, proud smile on his face, and quickly glanced at his buddies to make sure they noticed that two white girls were walking up to him. Then, when Karissa asked to make sure we were on the right side of the tracks, he puffed up. I mean, he was very obviously pleased that we were asking him for help. He literally puffed up with importance right in front of us. The moment we turned away, we both burst out laughing. It was so hilarious! I wish I had gotten video of it for y'all to see.
Anyway, long story short, we didn't arrive back at our apartment until after 10pm...We left at 1:30 in the afternoon and were gone until 10. And we were walking most of the time. My feet and shoulders were so sore! But it was fun and I got to see a lot more of Manila. Now I'm ready to spend several more days at the birth center, hoping for more women to go into labor...There haven't been any for several days...Oh well.
Monday, July 23, 2012
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!
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 |
Friday, July 20, 2012
Cuteness overload
Hi everyone!
Yesterday was My-My day. :-D In other words, I got to take a ton of really cute pictures of her. She is the cutest baby in the PI. :-D
Also, I caught another baby yesterday. So far, I've attended 10-12 births since getting here (sorry, I need to check my notebook to figure out the exact amount...) and have caught (or at least, helped to catch) 5-7 of them (once again, I need to check the notebook...). I absolutely *love* catching babies and am so excited to complete my midwifery training (in several years) so I can do this for (hopefully) a really long time. :-D
It looks like the births are finally starting to pick up. When I showed up, Shiphrah was at its all-time low with only 1-2 births a week. However, there has been at least 1 birth a day. Today, for instance, there have been 3 births (possibly more...I only know of the 3) and there is one more woman in labor.
At the birth I charted at this morning, a few minutes after the baby was born, the midwife, Ate Lornie, handed the little girl to me and said, "Hold it for us while we work on the mom." So I was sitting there holding the newborn and continuing to chart.
After a minute or so, Ate Bhel (who is an *amazing* midwife - I absolutely love her!) peeked into the room quickly and started laughing. I looked up. "Oh, Danielle! For a minute I thought you were breastfeeding that baby! Hee hee hee!" Ate Bhel loves to laugh, which is one of the things I love about her. The other night when I was returning from the apartment to Shiphrah, she and several of the other midwives and their husbands were sitting outside, enjoying the cooler weather. As I approached, one of the husbands (I think he's Ate Grace's) asked, "Danielle, how tall are you?"
I replied, "six foot one."
Instantly Ate Bhel and Ate Grace were on their feet, screaming and giggling, "I told you so!" They were so funny to watch! I love them all.
Another funny Ate Bhel story I have is the other day when I was wearing a really long skirt because it was the only clean thing I had (yes, I'm terrible at laundry... :-S) and Ate Bhel started laughing. "You know, if I were wearing that, it would be a dress! And yet you're wearing it as a skirt!"
Yes, I love these ladies. :-D
Ok, as the title promised, here are some adorable pics of My-My!
Yesterday was My-My day. :-D In other words, I got to take a ton of really cute pictures of her. She is the cutest baby in the PI. :-D
Also, I caught another baby yesterday. So far, I've attended 10-12 births since getting here (sorry, I need to check my notebook to figure out the exact amount...) and have caught (or at least, helped to catch) 5-7 of them (once again, I need to check the notebook...). I absolutely *love* catching babies and am so excited to complete my midwifery training (in several years) so I can do this for (hopefully) a really long time. :-D
It looks like the births are finally starting to pick up. When I showed up, Shiphrah was at its all-time low with only 1-2 births a week. However, there has been at least 1 birth a day. Today, for instance, there have been 3 births (possibly more...I only know of the 3) and there is one more woman in labor.
At the birth I charted at this morning, a few minutes after the baby was born, the midwife, Ate Lornie, handed the little girl to me and said, "Hold it for us while we work on the mom." So I was sitting there holding the newborn and continuing to chart.
After a minute or so, Ate Bhel (who is an *amazing* midwife - I absolutely love her!) peeked into the room quickly and started laughing. I looked up. "Oh, Danielle! For a minute I thought you were breastfeeding that baby! Hee hee hee!" Ate Bhel loves to laugh, which is one of the things I love about her. The other night when I was returning from the apartment to Shiphrah, she and several of the other midwives and their husbands were sitting outside, enjoying the cooler weather. As I approached, one of the husbands (I think he's Ate Grace's) asked, "Danielle, how tall are you?"
I replied, "six foot one."
Instantly Ate Bhel and Ate Grace were on their feet, screaming and giggling, "I told you so!" They were so funny to watch! I love them all.
Another funny Ate Bhel story I have is the other day when I was wearing a really long skirt because it was the only clean thing I had (yes, I'm terrible at laundry... :-S) and Ate Bhel started laughing. "You know, if I were wearing that, it would be a dress! And yet you're wearing it as a skirt!"
Yes, I love these ladies. :-D
Ok, as the title promised, here are some adorable pics of My-My!
 |
| Jorge, Shiphrah's chauffer, playing with My-My |
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Operation Squeaky
Tuesday morning, Squeaky went missing. During prenatals, there have been several bad experiences of people kicking or throwing him for no reason so we decided to have him hang around outside the apartment. When prenatals were over, we went to bring him back over to Shiphrah. Except we couldn't find him.
All day long we kept an eye out for him but he never showed up. We started getting worried. Did someone steal him? Was he killed? What happened? Where is he?
Then, just as we were about to leave for Jeri's for dinner, Karissa texted me: "We may have found the kitten." I raced over, wondering what that meant. My mind instantly assumed the worst since her text was neither positive or negative. I was expecting to find a clump of white fur.
However, Karissa pointed to a high wall behind the apartment and said, "He's behind this wall. Listen. Do you hear him?"
Yes, Squeaky was indeed behind the wall. He kept mewing and crying for us to get him. Try as we might, we were unable to rescue him over the wall. I was starting to get worried that maybe we wouldn't be able to rescue our sweet kitten.
Then we called Ping, the landlord. He told us we could get Squeaky by going down the street and into the Methodist garden and coming to the wall that way. So that's what we did. And Squeaky was *so* overjoyed to see us.
Now we're wondering how he got over there. Ate Beth, who cleans our apartment, believes someone from the baby home tossed him over the wall. Poor Squeaky.
Operation Squeaky: Mission Successful! :-D
All day long we kept an eye out for him but he never showed up. We started getting worried. Did someone steal him? Was he killed? What happened? Where is he?
Then, just as we were about to leave for Jeri's for dinner, Karissa texted me: "We may have found the kitten." I raced over, wondering what that meant. My mind instantly assumed the worst since her text was neither positive or negative. I was expecting to find a clump of white fur.
However, Karissa pointed to a high wall behind the apartment and said, "He's behind this wall. Listen. Do you hear him?"
Yes, Squeaky was indeed behind the wall. He kept mewing and crying for us to get him. Try as we might, we were unable to rescue him over the wall. I was starting to get worried that maybe we wouldn't be able to rescue our sweet kitten.
Then we called Ping, the landlord. He told us we could get Squeaky by going down the street and into the Methodist garden and coming to the wall that way. So that's what we did. And Squeaky was *so* overjoyed to see us.
Now we're wondering how he got over there. Ate Beth, who cleans our apartment, believes someone from the baby home tossed him over the wall. Poor Squeaky.
Operation Squeaky: Mission Successful! :-D
 |
| me and a nursing student who was working here yesterday. She actually lives in Los Angeles but came to the PI for nursing school...I'm not sure why. America has much better nursing schools... |
 |
| isn't this little girl's hair adorable?! |
 |
| some funky fruit I saw at the supermarket. The midwives said they think it's called Dragon Apple. |
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Sticky Subject...
Ok, you can mostly disregard the title. I was just messing with you. ;-D But this post does have to deal with sticking someone.
Today, Jeri popped her head into the birth room where Karissa and I were and said, "Kari (who runs the blood work during prenatals) is willing to teach you both how to do blood work, if you're interested."
Ate Bhel, who was the midwife for the birth nodded to us, "Yah, you two have time."
The first part of blood work is drawing the blood. Karissa went first to draw mine. She stuck my finger but wasn't able to get much blood. So she stuck the finger next to it. And still wasn't able to get much blood. Kari was watching and had me switch hands for which one to poke. Then she grabbed the needle-thing and stuck me again. I was poked 3 times! Thankfully, the 3rd one gave enough blood after some coaxing and pinching. (My fingers are still sore...)
Then it was my turn *evil grin*. It took me a couple minutes to figure out what I was supposed to do, having only watched it be done before, but I eventually poked Karissa. I was planning on poking her twice but was able to get enough blood the first time.
Karissa knew I was planning on poking her twice so she said, "Well, you can pinch my finger as much as you need to get the blood, but don't poke me again. I think it hurts you less since you didn't react when I poked you."
...Right....
Jennifer was taking pictures of the ordeal and I posted the pics on Picasa. You can see them here (click on the picture):
Today, Jeri popped her head into the birth room where Karissa and I were and said, "Kari (who runs the blood work during prenatals) is willing to teach you both how to do blood work, if you're interested."
Ate Bhel, who was the midwife for the birth nodded to us, "Yah, you two have time."
The first part of blood work is drawing the blood. Karissa went first to draw mine. She stuck my finger but wasn't able to get much blood. So she stuck the finger next to it. And still wasn't able to get much blood. Kari was watching and had me switch hands for which one to poke. Then she grabbed the needle-thing and stuck me again. I was poked 3 times! Thankfully, the 3rd one gave enough blood after some coaxing and pinching. (My fingers are still sore...)
Then it was my turn *evil grin*. It took me a couple minutes to figure out what I was supposed to do, having only watched it be done before, but I eventually poked Karissa. I was planning on poking her twice but was able to get enough blood the first time.
Karissa knew I was planning on poking her twice so she said, "Well, you can pinch my finger as much as you need to get the blood, but don't poke me again. I think it hurts you less since you didn't react when I poked you."
...Right....
Jennifer was taking pictures of the ordeal and I posted the pics on Picasa. You can see them here (click on the picture):
Sunday, July 15, 2012
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
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. |
.jpg) |
| banana roasted on a stick rolled in sugar...It. Was. AMAZING! |
.jpg) |
| 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. |
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
.jpg)
New Occupant at Shiphrah
Yesterday, Ate Beth, Shiphrah's housekeeper, found a kitten who kept wanting to come inside and get attention. Fed up with the unwelcome visitor, she took him outside a little ways and let him go. Just then, I walked up and heard the word, "kitten." So of course I went to see it. And it was adorable. And it was small. And it wanted attention.
So I picked it up. And it was happy. And I was left wondering, "now what do I do with it?" I took it to the apartment to show Karissa and we played with it and fed it on the kitchen floor. It fell asleep on me. *sigh* It was so cute!
Anyway, we brought it to Shiphrah and Ate Helen fed it rice and fish. It is obviously a Filipino cat since it preferred the rice to the bread Karissa and I fed it. :-D
After that, the kitten decided it liked it here. So he's set up residence in the birth home. He's so adorable! :-D
This morning, when I walked in, Jennifer was playing with him. We decided to call him Shasta, after the person in Lewis' Horse and his Boy. However, the name didn't really seem to fit him. So this afternoon, I renamed him: Squeaky, a perfect description of his mew. We're guessing he's about 6-8 weeks old.
Here's some pics I've taken of our newest occupant:
So I picked it up. And it was happy. And I was left wondering, "now what do I do with it?" I took it to the apartment to show Karissa and we played with it and fed it on the kitchen floor. It fell asleep on me. *sigh* It was so cute!
Anyway, we brought it to Shiphrah and Ate Helen fed it rice and fish. It is obviously a Filipino cat since it preferred the rice to the bread Karissa and I fed it. :-D
After that, the kitten decided it liked it here. So he's set up residence in the birth home. He's so adorable! :-D
This morning, when I walked in, Jennifer was playing with him. We decided to call him Shasta, after the person in Lewis' Horse and his Boy. However, the name didn't really seem to fit him. So this afternoon, I renamed him: Squeaky, a perfect description of his mew. We're guessing he's about 6-8 weeks old.
Here's some pics I've taken of our newest occupant:
 |
| Hi there! Will you please pick me up?! |
Monday, July 9, 2012
Things I've Learned in the Philippines...
Here are just a couple things I've noted about the Philippines (people, food, culture, etc) that I thought some people would be interested in reading:
- if you order fish or shrimp, it will have its head and eyes on...
- raising your eyebrows means "yes" or "hi" so when that cute Filippino guy smiles and raises his eyebrows at you, he's just saying "hi," nothing else - usually.
- you can't get away from ants...Ever...or bug bites for that matter
- if there's a line for the bathroom, the moment you open the door of the stall to step out, the next person starts pushing her way in, never mind that you're attempting to exit...
- jeepney rides are fun - especially when the driver slams on his brakes going down hill so everyone piles on top of each other. :-D
- Filippinos like to laugh
- there is no predictable price expectancy for things. For instance, a Starbucks coffee was 200PHP ($4USD) while Pizza Hut was 115PHP ($3USD) and a 3D movie ticket was 250PHP ($5USD). I have noticed that you can never predict the price of something compared to how much you paid for something else...
- leave the animals alone. Unless someone tells you an animal is tame/ok to pet, don't go near it. The animals out here are ferral and haven't been treated well by humans and there is an outbreak of rabies right now...
- avoid conflict at all costs. This breeds bitterness in relationships.
- cameras make you instantly popular :-D
- the kids are unbelievably adorable out here! ;-D
- the bread is amazingly delicious
- chickens run around everywhere (even into the birth center!)
...and that's all that I can think of at the moment!
 |
| Karissa took this picture of me and Jeri talking... :-D |
 |
| adorable kitten I found. Needless to say, he didn't love me back... :-D |
 |
| Mommy, Mommy! May I keep it? |
 |
| Little My-My, Ate Helen's baby |
 |
| I think she is one of the cutest things that has ever walked the earth :-D |
 |
| see what I mean?! |
 |
| Martin thinks he owns this place. |
 |
| Jennifer took this picture of me and one of my assists |
 |
| I caught this little guy yesterday. And trust me, he was little - 4.6lb. In fact, he was easy to catch because he fit easily in my two hands. |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)