They Always Come Out!

Oh my word! What a weekend!!! I had two continuities (A continuity of care, a person who I will do prenatals on, deliver her baby, and do her baby checks. The midwives build relationships with these girls, and most of the time, they need a little more help than the average woman at mercy)... I had two continuities that were due at about the same time. But I wasn't worried.


One was on her second baby, and they usually go early... the other was on her first, and they usually go late... It was all planned out... But that is not how it went down this time... I got a text from Mimi (the one with one baby already) in the middle of the night saying she felt like her labor was starting. We texted back and fort for most of the night (I got about 4 hours of sleep that night, and I had just worked swing shift (2pm-4pm) the night before). At about 6:30 she texted me again and said the pains were now about 3 minutes apart, and what should she do? So I told her to come in to Mercy, and we would check her, and she could have her baby.... so she came. and she did. In 35 minutes. So on Sunday, Feb. 17 at 7:20 Prixy Mae was born.

Before it was even an hour after the baby was born, my other continuity, Haide, texted me, and said she was having pains every 10 minutes... oh boy... So I told her not to come yet, and to keep observing, and to text me if he "pains" came every 5 minutes. And I finished up with Mimi, and went home to study.

So the day went on, and she (Haide) texted a couple times. I was working night, so I expected to see her then. And I did. She came in at 10:10, but was only 2cm (cervical dilation... the cervix starts closed and opens during labor to let the baby out. It is measured in cm. 1-10. it must reach 10 before the baby will come. 0-4 is considered early labor). So I sent her home, and I was sort of disappointed, because I was hoping she would deliver on my shift... It was a pretty busy shift, so I didn't get to sleep much, less than 2 hours. So she came back in the AM at 5:25 or something, and was still in early labor 4cm now. And the supervisor decided to admit her.

So I was with her all of day shift, 6-2, after working night shift 10-6, AND running off 6 hours of sleep in 2 days, yikes! So, we checked her again before 12pm and she was 5cm... the swing shift came on a little while later, and the supervisor wanted to send her home. I was so tired... I was talking to another midwife and I just burst into inconsolable tears... right in the middle of the birthroom... where everyone and their little brother was congregating at that very moment (oh how lucky I am!). And just when I thought it couldn't get ANY worse, Haide and her husband walked in and saw me sitting there sobbing... oh fabulous! :-) So I sent her home. And I went home, and I slept from 3pm until 4am when they called me. Only waking up to eat dinner at about 6 (I ate with such gusto, you may have thought I hadn't eaten in days... which, I hadn't really, Sunday night I ate a can of tuna before work, and monday, I had a bowl of dry cherios... ). She was back, and she was 6cm. I was SO disappointed. She had gone 17 hours since her last check, and only 1 cm... progress, but SLOW progress... she was coping really well, and the supervisor on day shift gave her some serious deadlines. but we checked, and she was only 7 cm at 10 o'clock... oh man... So we broke her water, and thats when the party really started. In 1 hour she went from 7 cm to 10 cm!!! Yay Haide! She had some crazy intense contractions. And finally... after 54 hours of labor... she had a boy!!! an 8lb 13 oz big old boy, who they named Gabriel Joshua. And I have never, in the Philippines, seen a couple so madly in love with their baby. Oh, and he was born on my shift... just not the one I was thinking...

I am SO grateful to my supervisors for letting her stay so long. There were some problems at the birth, the baby didn't need too much help (but a bit of suctioning), and everyone was ok. about 5 hours later, the baby developed some respiratory distress, so we put him on oxygen, and had him breastfeed, and he got a bit better, but then worse again. So we brought him to the hospital, where he is now, and doing really well, just still on oxygen.

Praise the Lord for these lives!! And for the strength for me and these mamas who worked SO hard to bring their babies into the world.

I have some pictures of Gabriel, but they are on another girl's camera, so those will be up later!