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. 

Praises and Prayer Requests

Hi Everyone!

I thought I'd share some personal praises and prayer requests I've got right now...

Praises (some of these are going to sound really lame or non-significant, but for a girl away from home, they are huge and show me that God really does care for the little things!):

• the weather is no where near as bad as I've expected. I've been able to cope and adjust to it pretty well. :-D
• the birth center has Skype so I've been able to chat with my family once every day
• I've attended several births in the past two weeks and have been thrown in the thick of it!
• I got to feel a baby head born into my hands, something I've always imagined about and it was as wonderful as I've always imagined :-D
• the other interns and I get along really well. In fact, Karissa, who I share a room with, and I have found we have a LOT in common which is really good (large, conservative families, deaf siblings, messy rooms [LOL], doulas and midwifery apprentices back in our respective homes, first births we've attended being within a month of each other's, etc)
• someone from home might be flying home with me from Chicago to RDU and bringing me a jacket for when I land in the dead of winter :-D (even if it doesn't ultimately work out, it's fun and encouraging to think about)
• this is going to sound unimportant, but it was a huge blessing hearing several Gettys songs at church today. It made me feel at home and that God is really watching out for me. :-D
• God has put encouraging people on line, via Facebook, to chat with right when I most need it even if it sometimes means He prompts them to wake up and go check Facebook at 4am their time...  *wink, wink, Mrs. Fuller* :-D
• that there is American food available whenever I "need" it. :-D For instance, today I was really needing something "from home" so I had McDonald's pancakes for breakfast (which someone actually paid for for me, thank You, Lord!) and Pizza Hut for lunch... *sigh* those foods have never tasted so good!
• that the midwives are incredibly gracious and willing to teach
• Ate Grace gave me my first continuity yesterday who seems VERY friendly and sweet. She's due September 25, so chances are, she'll fulfill the requirements, even if I don't end up going that route. (For the NARM certification, each prospective midwife needs 4 continuities. A continuity is when you do four prenatals and are the primary at the woman's birth.)
• I'm sure there's much more, but I can't think of any at the moment. :-D

Prayer Requests:

• that I'd finish getting over jet-lag
• that God would ease my homesickness. It really hurts at times.
• that I'd figure out the language quickly. I feel like I can't connect with anyone really well because they speak a totally different language that I have no concept of.
• that I would learn midwifery skills quickly so I can start actually helping the midwives
• that I won't end up having any problems with finances. Several things have ended up costing more than I expected
• that I will remember to stand tall these next five months even though I'm so much taller than everyone. It's really easy for me to slouch, especially around short people, but I don't want to hurt my posture or my back...
• that I won't waste my downtime, which seems to be plentiful...way more plentiful than I was expecting, or hoping.
• that the births will pick up. The midwives say the birth center has been unusually quiet these past two weeks...I don't want to have come all this way for just a few births... 
• that I will be content with my circumstances. I never realized how good I had it in America until I came out here. For instance, it's a luxury to be able to throw your used toilet paper in the toilet instead of the trash can out here...and also, I'm pining for paper towels that don't shred all over you when you dry your hands...and have I mentioned that it would be nice if the laundry actually dried?
• my plans for the future (as in, past November...) have been "shaken" which is *very* annoying for me, since I'm like my mom in that I *need* to "know" my plans. And now I'm not so sure about what I'll be doing next year for midwifery training. Please pray specifically that God will show me His plan for my future *soon*, since I have two very different options I'm considering at the moment. Actually, maybe you can pray that God will give me patience as He unfurls His will for my life...But I don't want to develop patience, because that means He'll try it in order to grow it...Humph! Life can be so hard at times. :-D

Alright, I think that's about it at the moment. :-D

Thanks everyone for praying for me! God always answers prayers, even if they're not how we expected/wanted, but it's always for our good. :-D

And, as usual, more pictures!

the ceiling of the church I attended today. I thought it was pretty neat. :-D 

some of the scarves, shawls, and hats that the midwives made and are now selling at the market

amazing hand-made jewelry. If you see any pieces you like, you can ask me to check out the price for you and bring some home for you. I also hope to get some as gifts. I especially liked the rings in the bottom right corner, they were 250PHP, about 5USD

I think these would make some pretty awesome gifts also. Especially since they're 4 for 100PHP (about 2USD)!

...the second time in my life I have ever felt short... :-D The first time was when I passed a 6"8 guy in the grocery store a few years ago

this was a hojicha frappuchino I bought at Starbucks today with earl gray jelly. You can only get it in the Philippines....these people put jello in the oddest things. I'm not normally bothered by texture, but I would shudder and gag whenever I'd slurp jello up the straw and then swallow it. Needless to say, the drink went into the trash can only half gone... But it was fun trying something really weird. :-D

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

Bugs

As one might expect, there are a lot of bugs out here. Flies and gnats and mosquitoes are EVERYWHERE! However, I've found a couple bugs I haven't quite expected.

For instance, there's Stinky Pete in the bathroom. We have tried killing him multiple times but he escapes and hides for another couple days. He's a cockroach who likes to camp out near the toilet. Not a very comforting sight in the middle of the night... :-D

Then there is the spider Karissa, my roommate, and I found. He was 3-4 inches in diameter, no kidding. I told Karissa she could have the honor of killing him. Haha... That idea went far. Not. :-D The spider escaped back out the door. We found out that the door has a space where bugs can come in and out. Nice.

Another thing out here is the animals. There are cats, dogs, and chickens everywhere. However, Filippinos don't consider animals to be "man's best friend," so they're usually mistreated and sad-looking. A lot of them look hungry and have diseases. And they aren't friendly. I've gotten used to ignoring the animals, but I find it really sad, especially since I'm such an animal lover.

However, seeing the chickens wander everywhere is absolutely hilarious. :-D they wander all around, even into the birth center. Jennifer said one even wandered into the birth room during a birth.

Anyway, I've only attended one birth out here. Supposedly, it gets quiet whenever a new intern shows up and since Karissa and I showed up around the same time, it got especially quiet. There was a mom two nights ago whose baby I was supposed to catch but around 9pm she decided she wanted to go to the hospital. I'm not 100% sure why (and it didn't have anything to do with me, she didn't know I was the one going to catch the baby). I was a little disappointed, but oh well. Hopefully someone will come in soon (like, today...).

I've been taking some pictures lately with my iPod. I'm sorry that the pictures aren't great quality, but it's better than nothing.

Enjoy!

this little girl's mommy was getting a prenatal but I thought she was adorable. :-D 

this is Halo-Halo, which means "mix-mix." It has ube ice cream, ice shavings, unflavored gelatin, corn flakes, candied fruit, red beans, and whatever else they might have to go in it...Go figure. 

chickens wander absolutely everywhere out here. Here, they're racing around our yard. I've even seen them wander into the birth center a couple times. :-D

one of the midwives knitting a shawl. There's a lady who comes out and buys scarves and shawls from the midwives and sells them in several markets for about $60 USD

they have rather interesting ice cream flavors out here. For instance, this is ube and cheese ice cream. I wanted to buy it but it cost about $8 USD for 1.5 L. I don't need that much and I definitely don't want to pay that much! :-D

cheese ice cream. I'm really curious to try some of these flavors. :-D

our 4th of July celebration at Jeri's house. Even the hot dog buns were grilled! :-D 

candle to keep away the bugs

a S'more. This one belonged to Jennifer, one of the interns. She likes sweets so we like to tease her about it. :-D

Martin, the birth center's cat. He's very photogenic. :-D

Ate Grace checking her scarf

Last sunrise in Davao

Buntis (pregnant women), waiting in line to get their blood pressure taken

this is Ate Helen's baby,  My-My. She's absolutely adorable. :-D

Jennifer taking blood pressure. We take turns doing different skills so the day before, I was the blood pressure lady.

Jeri doing lab work. A lot of women out here have anemia so it's important to check their iron levels regularly during pregnancy.

Shiphrah!

Hi Everyone!

I am in Manila and am currently sitting in the kitchen/waiting room at Shiphrah, enjoying the fans, breeze through the open windows, and conversation with Jeri and one of the other interns. I got here yesterday afternoon and got "settled" in the apartment and met the other interns. This morning, there were prenatals and my "official' job was to take blood pressure. I took the blood pressure of about 30 women. By the end of it, my ears hurt from the stethoscope...But it was fun. :-D

Then I got the chance to help with the actual prenatal. I helped one of the midwives measure the fundal height (how many centimeters it is from the woman's pubic bone to the top of her uterus), feel for the baby's position (if she's far enough along), and listen to the heart beat. The dopplers out here are pretty old and I found them difficult at times to hear the heart tones.

During prenatals, the other two interns were at a birth. I'm next up. Hopefully a mom will come in soon...The last intern to arrive had to wait a week before a woman had a baby. That means that Shiphrah will probably have a lot of women all at once. That would be nice. :-D

I admit, I feel a little overwhelmed here since I have to provide for everything with regard to myself. For instance, I have to purchase my own water (since we can't drink the tap), toilet paper, laundry detergent, etc. I'm also responsible to make sure my laundry's done. I've never been responsible for that before. For someone still feeling slightly jetlagged, it's been incredibly overwhelming. Supposedly, there's a shopping trip planned for this afternoon to show me where everything is and how to get it. We'll see...

I think it would be fun to close this post with the story of an interesting birth I attended at Mercy Maternity Center:

The mom walked into the waiting room, leaned against a metal locker, and gave a deep, guttural grunted. The student midwife asked, "Can you walk to the delivery room?"

In response, she grunted again.

The waiting room quickly turned into a flurry of activity as they prepared for a baby to be born in the waiting room. Then the midwife preceptor appeared. She did not want the baby born in the waiting room. So she had the midwives half-carry the mom to a bed where the woman laid down on her side and screamed with the next push. By this time, the laboring woman's mom had come in and she was standing right next to her.In the Philippines, it's very embarrassing to everyone if there's any sort of commotion, so this older woman leaned over and closed her daughter's lips to silence her. I'd never seen anything like it.

Anyway, within two minutes, the baby was out. He was pretty limp and white so he got oxygen. However, he pinked up within a few minutes.

When he was weighed, he turned out to be 4lb 6oz. He was so small and so cute! I was privileged to have been at that birth. :-D

Introducing little Jay-Mike!