Tales of a Missionary Midwife

Pictures...

2009-02-04T06:36:00.000-05:00

So... I feel terrible, because I try to take pictures of my babies... the problem is just that there is some manner of "short" in my new camera that will not allow the power from the batteries to actually reach the important parts... so, I rely on the cameras of others, which is absolutely fine, because there about 1,000,000 girls here, and most are more than willing to let any of the others borrow anything from her. The problem is just that... sometimes I forget to get the pictures, and then, my sweet patients ask for the pictures, and I cannot for the life of me figure out what I did with them... oh dear. So here I am again, in the same pickle. A very sweet little lady asked me when she could pick up the pictures of her baby... oh dear. Where are they? The sad fact of it is... when my camera wasn't broken... I had the same problem... I need to maneuver some sort of system... I just need to think of one and implement it... That will be my next goal... that and more frequent blogging... sigh....

Ethan Choy

2008-12-25T23:11:00.003-05:00

My great friend, and supervisor, Ate Estef had her baby tuesday afternoon! He was born by cesarean section. Both mama and baby Ethan are doing well!! They are scheduled for discharge this afternoon! Some stats:

December 23, 2008
4:17 pm
2.8 kgs

Christmas time!!!

2008-12-03T20:45:00.004-05:00

I got a Christmas box!!! I have had reports of several little somethings being sent my way... but the first to arrive was probably the last to be sent! My mom sent this Christmas box on November 26... exactly 7 days before it arrived in the Philippines!!! But it was GREAT!!! In this box were all my favorite treats!! and... a "Christmas tree in a box" which I think might just be the best thing ever!!! It is a little box with a paper doll Christmas tree, that me and Holly put together right after dinner! It is complete with little paper ornaments that we have already decided to use as earrings for the Christmas party!!

Also, Christmas angel season is in full swing! I have gotten some pretty amazing stuff from mine so far, this year!! She is crazy thoughtful, and SO encouraging!! She has me hooked on the Filipino treat... "Hello" bars!! I don't like a lot of chocolate stuff... but I do like this! :-) Thanks Angel!!

Here are some pictures of the Christmas box celebration!!!

New Christmas Undies!

Holly With the Christmas tree!!!

Me and Hol with the mugs from London!! Complete with one of Holly's favorite teas!!

Holly laying under the Christmas tree... looking up at the lights!??! :-)

November

2008-11-28T20:10:00.003-05:00

well... it's november... My month has been rather slow... but crazy.... There have been a lot of busy busy shifts at the birth room... but... I haven't caught any babies... well.... 3. But compared to last month when I caught 10 babies... 3 doesn't seem like a whole lot. I haven't caught a baby since the 7th of November!! But, my two amazing continuities gave birth this month. The second, Twinkie Mae, my 15 year old... she just had her birthday, she's 16 now... She named her sweet baby girl Sarah Fate! :-) She had the most amazing birth, and she was such a amazing laborer... she took directions well, and did just amazingly. Here are some pictures of that baby...

So... my camera has some sort of short in it so... I don't have many pictures from the last ... long time... but, I cut my hair off... and you can see in those pictures. I'm not sure what made me do it... but... yeah, there it is. It's already growing back nicely. :-)

The clinic has been bustling as usual. And we have just started our "Secret Angel" season again. Secret angel is a name draw where we write encouraging notes (etc.) for a person we have selected... I'm excited, it's a really fun time. Not to many Filipina participants this year though... A few only :-(. It will still be fun. Christmas in the Philippines is a very exciting time of year! It starts in Septem"ber" and lasts through all the "ber" months!! So we have been in full Christmas swing since I got back from vacation! I was just at the mall yesterday and there was a Christmas parade!! Wow! :-) Anyway, it's time to get back to the homework!! I hope you are all well, and had a wonderful thanksgiving! God is SO faithful to us and never stops giving us more and more reasons to be thankful!

~Sarah

A note from the worst blogger ever....

2008-11-07T01:26:00.003-05:00

I'm not at home anymore... I actually haven't been at home for a very long time... the pace at which life passes me by is overwhelming, at times. God is always faithful. Since I've been back, I've done 3 assignments (in the middle of the fourth), caught 16 babies, 9 boys and 7 girls... The latest of which is mere hours old as I type. 3 continuities have given birth to beautiful healthy babies (Ricardo Clyde, Diana Riaza, and most recently Sarah Fate last night at 10:26pm). My picture collection is sadly.... non-existent... my camera is not doing so well. I didn't get any pictures of my sweet continuities.... but here is one of baby Ricardo Clyde, on his birthday... he is now19 days old. This is super short... but, my assignment calls... and my cooking duties as well.... More is coming.... Thank you for being faithful readers, and prodding my slow blogging-ness into action!

~Sarah

I'm Home!!

2008-08-06T09:23:00.004-05:00

I'm home for my break! It's been a crazy year of learning, and growing, and stretching, and... stuff. :-) But now I am back for a month, and I am looking through some pictures, and here are some highlights from the year (in no particular order)!!

I love these girls!

On a motorbike... on samal :-)

...He he he...

Will she get all the little piggies on there? Chances are, probably not...

We were a killer prenatal team!

The rare occasion I go out of my normal study spot...

Diligent Holly.... studying... (before her computer died)

~Coming and going~

2008-07-29T23:51:00.002-05:00

So about a year ago I was just arriving in Davao, and I remember riding over in the plane from Manilla to Davao looking out the window to try and catch a glimpse of my new home... I was looking for a "big orange house" which is where i knew I would live, if only I knew then what I know now... there are TONS of "big orange" structures around davao city, it seems to be quite the popular color for house painting...

I was staring out the window thinking, oh my goodness, what is this place? It looks so beautiful from the sky... What will God have for me here....

Today I brought a classmate to the airport, and these memories came flooding back. I saw the place where I stepped out of the airport and saw the MMC crowd waiting and cheering for us... and I remember walking down the "red carpet" and meeting them all... Oh my goodness. I was so overwhelmed, and tired, and excited... And now it's normal. It's just life. It's just here. So much can change in a year. The 8 strangers who met in Oregon, would meet the rest of their class and become an amazing team of women... I tell you, it's been such a short year, but so much has happened... it's hard to imagine that it's only been a year...

P.S. Sorry about the lack of pictures in the last couple of posts, the internet+blogger=no pictures... :-(

...In my infinite wisdom...

2008-07-29T18:26:00.004-05:00

Well, my mom and sisters went on a cruise.... and they came back tanner.... and I was suddenly worried that after almost a year living on a tropical island in the middle of the sea I would be whiter than them.... Which is a definite possibility considering I don't really go out very much, most of my activities involve studying (inside) and work (definitely inside)... So.... I am still white. I decided that in my efforts to become tan, I would go to the pool every day, for at least... well, a while. Also, I got a new bathing suit just last weekend... My old one was a million years old, and you could actually see through some parts of it, which, is not good. It works out ok, cause ALWAYS wear board shorts over it, and sometimes a shirt... So while I had an ok base tan (thanks to that boat trip... ok ok, it was a burn, but after it peeled off, I was definitely darker...) anyway, so my old speedo had crazy a lot of coverage... And this new bathing suit... not as
much...

There should be a picture of my old bathing suit here...
but it refused to load...

New Bathing suit!!

Day 1: 11:30 am..... I go to the pool, I put a minute amount of sunscreen on my shoulders and face.... I get in the pool, I swim around until I am cold then I sit in the sun to get warm, and read... 1 pm, leave...

Result.... burned shoulders and arms... but not too bad, it mostly faded by the next morning

Day 2: 11:30am.... I go to the pool, I have worked night shift, AND initial prenatals, sleeping a mere 4 hours all spread out... I jump in the pool, swim around, get out sit in the sun to dry off, have my book, but get tired, sit on the steps of the pool, fall asleep (oh dear....), wake up 1 hour later feeling really hot... Leave at 1 pm....
Result.... Burned beyond recognizable condition.... sigh....

So, the result of this whole experience is, I am not going to the pool anymore before I leave, and I have a really nice tan where my old bathing suit tan was, and in the places that this new bathing suit does not cover... oh heavens, I am red, not just red, but also swollen... and it's been 2-3 days since this brilliant experience... So, instead of having a beautiful tan when I get home, i will probably be in some stage of peeling, because it usually takes me forever to get there, and then a LONG time to finish the peeling thing... sigh... Holly made the comment that I look like I am wearing a white tankini and a red speedo at the same time... sigh...

~Grill Saturday~

2008-07-15T07:27:00.003-05:00

So, after a year of living here, we bought a grill!! It's so exciting! Holly and I, as well as Jes and Michelle have instituted "Grill Saturday." Grill Saturday is going to (hopefully) become a weekly event when we grill some manner of meat. Last weekend it was hamburgers and hotdogs, which, let me tell you is a treat. Typical hotdogs here are of a sweeter variety than your typical american hotdog.... So we invested (he he he) in the 1.50 hotdogs, and grilled those puppies up! Here are some pictures of our little grill, and lunch (which also included french fries, that I slaved over (-: while everyone else got to be outside with the grill) yummy!!

The Hamburgers on our shiny new grill!!!

Our Grill Chef, Jes!

Assistant Holly

The Finished feast!!

MG came over from work to eat!
Yay for great supervisors who let us go home and eat!

No Survivors

Empty Bed?

2008-06-23T03:32:00.003-05:00

So last week I told you about the little boy that was missing from mercy... So here's an update. The mother came back on tuesday to check and see if we had found anything, and she was talking to the guard and he turned around for a second, and she started laughing... So we didn't really know what to think about that. And she said she would come back again, and she never did... So we do not really know what happened. But the more people who we talked to, the more mixed up the story got. She was number 6, and her boy would have been there the whole time, I got there at 7:30 and saw a little boy there, wearing a white shirt and dark pants black/navy blue. And that was the description of the little boy. So I thought, oh, that was him. I came down later, and saw that same little boy sitting there waiting for his mama. Then prenatals started, and another midwife over half way through prenatals saw the same kid down there, and the little boy had already been reported missing... and he said he was "just here" and his mom was upstairs. There was only one little boy that age down there that morning... and nobody saw him. Not other patients, not midwives, not other companions, not the guard. So, we are not sure what to think. The story she has told goes back and twists around a lot. We aren't sure what the deal is, and we aren't sure why she hasn't come back. And we are praying that she found him, and he is home safely with his family, but the truth is we don't know.

Growing Up

2008-06-18T05:45:00.003-05:00

Natalie

So, I deliver babies. And I see these babies (and feel, before they come out) from about 17ish weeks of pregnancy until about 6 weeks after birth. I very rarely see these babes after the 6 week check. Well this last week I did! And it was CRAZY. First I got a text from one of my moms asking if I would come and be a godmother at her son’s (Noah) dedication. So I of course agreed. It is kind of more of a symbolic thing in the Philippines…. So later I find out that Noah’s mom is the sister-in-law of Cindy (Natalie’s mom). So… it was a very mixed up story, but it turns out Noah and Natalie (I am godmother to both) are sort of cousins (through marriage). The point of this very confusing relationship maze is that: I went to the party and Natalie and Cindy were there!! Great! I haven’t seen them since Natalie’s christening, months ago (at the beginning of the year…)! She is SO big, and she still has crazy a lot of hair! Here are some pictures of Natalie with her midwife. Then, and now. :-)

Natalie now!!

Mimi, Pil, Prixie, and her Lola (grandma)

I also got a text last week from another continuity, Mimi. She was concerned about something, but I tried to be reassuring, and “solve” her problem… we’ll see. Anyway, I told her to come in and bring Prixie Mae, because they live very close. So she did! And I got to see 4 month old Prixie. She is beautiful and funny. She has a great personality! So, Mimi and I chatted for a while, and she brought me some fruit!! Yum! And I got to see her and Prixie. Here are some pictures of Prixie then and now!!

Mimi, Prixie, and I, now!!

So I spent a while praying for all the baby boys and girls that I have assisted into the world, and that God would just show these kids HIS Glory, and make them into men and women who will live for Him. And that God will continue to provide for them and for their families, and show His face in a way that is undeniable for them, so they will grow up to know Him!

An Empty Bed...

2008-06-16T10:43:00.003-05:00

I can't sleep tonight. I am tired, but my mind is going too fast. I worked monday prenatals today. That is initial prenatal day, all the girls coming to mercy for the first time. It is NOT a coveted shift. I found myself marching over, doppler in hand this morning at 7:30, picking my way through the crowds of pregnant women, their husbands, and little children. It is not unusual for companions to come to monday prenatals. Usually little kids and their dads line the hall waiting for their wives/mothers to come downstairs. It's not unusual for older little kids (4 and above) to be sitting downstairs on the bench by themselves while their mom is upstairs. No kids or husbands allowed upstairs. Today was no exception. There was a little boy downstairs today, his mother was number 6. They got there early, so that she could try to have her baby at mercy. When she finished her business upstairs she came down expecting to find her 5 year old boy waiting for her, where she had left him. But he was not there. And he wasn't outside the gate either, and he wasn't anywhere on the street. She came back and asked the guard if he had seen him... but in the commotion the quiet little boy was missed. They looked up and down the street, asking people, but nobody knew. Where is this guy? What happened to him? It would be crazy easy for him to have wandered off, getting lost in the big city when he lives about 1 hour away. He's never been here before. It would have been easy for him to follow the wrong "mama" home. It would have been easy for someone to have come in and taken him to do who knows what with. It would be easy for him to be overlooked, lost wandering the streets, with all the street kids around. I'm praying for him tonight, he's probably scared. But I am praying he is safe, in a warm bed, somewhere with someone who is looking after him, and who will bring him back to Mercy tomorrow to his worried mama. I'm praying for his mother, who has been back and forth today looking for her son. Who is at home now, an incomplete home, staring at his empty bed...

Suturing class

2008-05-23T21:21:00.003-05:00

My finished chicken!

We just had suturing class a few days ago, and it was great!! Much more fun than IV class!! There was no crying, and lots of laughing (but not that nervous laughing!!)! :-) Our subjects: Chicken breasts. The stitches, deep interrupted, blanket, continuous, and continuous mattress! It was great fun!! And our chickens looked beautiful! The teams were me and Janelle, and Holly and Serena. We were stars. Here our some pictures from the day!!

Injecting my chicken... with... water...

Holly and Serena

My finished chicken! and Janelle~

Wheat thins and Goldfish!

2008-05-15T04:56:00.004-05:00

Mom!
Thanks for the wheat thins and the Goldfish... we loved them. The ladies of the porch (Holly and I) shared the wheat thins with the ladies of the hallway (MG, Jes, and Janelle). We all loved them! We just want you to know, you brought cheer to our night, it was like a little porch/hallway party!

Love,
Sarah, Holly, Michelle, Jes, Janelle!

Holly and the whole bag!

Michelle (in the front) and Jes with their wheat thins!
(Janelle was... somewhere...)

Pictures!!

2008-05-13T06:31:00.007-05:00

Back Row L-R: Naomi, Michelle, Bethany, Medea, Holly, Jes, Jordan
Front Row L-R: Janelle, Jenn, Stephanie, Serena, Me~

So... The all of the girls in my year went for a picture a couple of weeks ago... And, while we are a fine looking bunch, we are not THIS fine... They photoshopped our blemishes, they photoshopped our hair, they photoshopped our teeth, they photoshopped shine onto our lips, they photoshopped the freckles right off Holly! So, we went to get our picture taken, and we were in this little tiny studio... think, hmm, a large handicapped bathroom. And 12 girls, plus 1 photographer, 1 weird guy looking on, and 1 creepy guy hiding behind a curtain and we didn't even know he was there until we wanted to change... Anyway, so at one point, for a pose we were doing some laying on the floor, and we hear this banging noise, and we see this big background screen falling toward us! yikes!! SO we screamed, and there was some rolling out of the way... and it was pretty much hilarious. It didn't end up falling, and we were all ok, but it scared us a bit! Anyway, so we got to pick 7 out of the... lots... that he took, and it was really fun! My favorite is the "supported squat" picture... leave it to us to have a professional supported squat picture, and then to pay money to have it printed! Ha! I hope you enjoy our pictures!! We certainly enjoyed having them taken!

Supported Squat!

And apparently we all didn't get the same... "make a funny face" memo... oh well :-)

IV class... results...

2008-05-01T06:24:00.003-05:00

Oh boy! well, it's over! We all did it! It was an emotion-filled afternoon... Apparently we were much more emotional than our predecessors.... HA HA HA... so I started off the crying party... but anyway... Just to give you an idea of my level of apprehension; before class started my pulse was 60, normal for me... when it was time for me to poke my partner, Jenn (who is SO gracious)... my pulse was 120... which is nothing compared to hers, which was 140. We were both a bit nervous, apparently. I was SO nervous to poke her, that I burst into tears, at which point everyone started laughing and taking pictures. BUT, they laughed too soon, because before too long, they were all crying too! There was crying, laughing, fainting, almost fainting... it was quite the adventure! But, in the end, we all got our IVs in, and running! Yay for us! Here are some pictures from the excitement! The picture of Holly pretty much says it all. :-) Have a great day, everyone!

Me trying to make a nervous face while I was sobbing... oh boy...

After I stopped crying, in the 10 minutes I stood there trying to get up the nerve to poke her... meanwhile, her hand turns black....

I got it in, but I was SOOO nervous to let her drop her hand, for fear that the thing might stop running and I would have to do it all again.

A lovely face I was making during my second poke... that one really hurt... :-)

IVs....

2008-04-28T10:12:00.002-05:00

So I knew this day would come... tomorrow, actually... sigh... It's IV class... the one where I have to start an IV in a poor unsuspecting classmate... The problem is... when it's a medical emergency (or whatever....) I don't feel like I would have a problem... but these are my friends... I like them... they are fine. They don't need me to stab them with a honking needle, and stick a tiny tube into their body... ish... why do we have to practice these things on each other... can we just go back to the catheterizing class and the pelvimitry one.... sigh... The thing I am most nervous about is, most of the girls have already done it... just me... and I think one other haven't... sigh. I'll let you know how it goes.

Tan-Ton comes to Mercy...

2008-04-18T01:27:00.003-05:00

It all started on a very dead shift... :-) MG and I were diligently doing our homework... and before we know it the supervisors decide it is time for massages... :-) There is this sweet place here called tan-ton and it is a Thai massage place that gives really great massages for 5 dollars/hour. And after a busy shift, leaning over beds, holding up women, supporting... Midwives appreciate good massages. And so many of the Mercy midwives (white and Filipina both) frequent this place. I have only been twice, but I can easily recognize the massage when I see it :-). So one of the supervisors who was not on duty was chatting with the Filipinas on shift... and decided to "Tan-Ton" Ate Ermie! Here are some pictures from that... Also, the one at the top is a picture of me and MG back in the day on our VERY FIRST birth room shift!!! Crazy to think that it has only been a few months! Thank you guys for all your prayers. I have been really struggling. But God is faithful, as He always is. I know God brought me here for a reason, and I will be faithful to complete the task He has called me to. Right now I am in the middle of a MASSIVE assignment. It's going well. I am on cooking again next week (I was last week too! yikes!). This assignment is due... Wednesday. And it's pretty much crazy as usual at MMC. there were surprise twins born at the clinic. We do not normally deliver twins at Mercy because of different protocols and complications and whatnot, but this lady came in and had her baby and then surprise! another!! :-) So these two little (famous) girls are staying with one of the lactating midwives while their mother is in the hospital. Very exciting!! Anyway, back to work!! Enjoy the "tan-ton" pictures!!!

Oh Boy...

2008-03-18T20:23:00.004-05:00

This has been a very hard week and a half for me... God has been really using a lot of circumstances to make me look more like Him. It has been hard. It is still hard. But God is faithful.

Psalm 57

Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me,
for my soul takes refuge in you;
and in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by
I will cry to God Most High,
to God who accomplishes all things for me.
He will send from heaven and save me;
He reproaches him who tramples upon me.
God will send forth His loving kindness and His truth.
.....
Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
Let Your glory be above all the earth
....
My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!
Awake, my glory!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your loving kindness is great to the heavens
and Your truth to the clouds.
Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
Let Your glory be above all the earth!!

Lecture, semester exam, 6 baby checks, cooking, etc.

2008-03-06T06:03:00.004-05:00

So this week is a bit different. We are having a series of lectures by a local doctor. They are all about how to do physical examinations on all the systems of the body. It's pretty interesting despite the fact that I keep yawning through the whole thing... We have turned in to hotter season... maybe? Anyway, it's been hotter this week, and my asthma has been giving me a little bit of trouble...

We also took a big exam covering the whole semester of learning... so the past 6 months... yikes. It was good. I did well, and so did Holly! Yay! Today was prenatals and I had 6 baby checks!! Yikes. I had 4 that were 3 weeks old, and 1 that was 1 week, and one that was 6 weeks. Basically, it was all the babies I have caught in the past 6 weeks! ;-) They were mostly older because I haven't caught any babies recently... only one since the 19th of February. So... they all came today, and they were mostly on time... and it was fun to have a baby check party. All the girls were comparing babies, and weights, I brought 4 of them to the scale at the same time, and recorded all their weights, and they were so cute about comparing how big their babies were... One said, wow, yours is big, how often do you breastfeed!?!?! Ha ha ha, it was pretty much hilarious..

Also... this week I'm on the cooking team. With my fellow house mates Jenna and Jes. And we are having a grand old time cooking for the girls of the orange house. Our dinner menu this week consisted of:
Monday: Meatloaf, rice, and mixed greens (cooked)
Tuesday: Meatball subs (and something else probably, I was working)
Wednesday: Chicken and rice and cabbage and cucumber salad (it was a GREAT meal!!) and for dessert... that white chocolate stuff with the dark chocolate sauce (auntie Angel, if you are reading this... it was a HUGE hit!!)
Thursday: we had Jenna's moms pasta dish with squash and garlic bread
Friday: we are going to have breakfast for dinner.

Yum yum! So that was our menu for this week in the orange house... in case you were wondering what we eat. some weeks we eat more traditional food from the Philippines, a lot of curries, and most of the girls have traveled a lot, so we get tastes from all over the world! It's really grand!!

So... to wrap up this totally random blog... tomorrow I will go to the market early... it will be great! And then we will have veggies and fruits!! yay! Have a great weekend, everyone!!

~S

Gabby!

2008-02-28T06:23:00.004-05:00

Baby Gabby is home!! After 1 week in the hospital, getting antibiotics, and being on oxygen (for part of the time) he finally went home! I went to the hospital to visit several times, and me and Haide had some really good chats. And every time I went she pointed out to me all the mercy girls who were there with their babies. There were 5 mercy girls in the room at one point. yikes!

Since then, I have turned in my breastfeeding assignment, taken that exam... taken the semester exam (just today), and now... we have a between semester break. Hallelujah! It is just a long weekend, but its going to be great! Holly and I are going to get baby Loyd Jhon Tender from the orphanage, and keep him for the weekend! yay, that will be crazy fun! And I don't know what else is going on. But it's going to be good, whatever it is!

Have an excellent weekend, everyone, and enjoy some pictures of Gabby, and his parents, and me and Gabby and Prixy mae!

They Always Come Out!

2008-02-19T21:48:00.003-05:00

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!

Denver

2008-02-07T02:32:00.000-05:00

Being a midwife, I am learning is full of Joy and miracles and happy stories and life!! The baby comes slithering out and lets out a lusty cry and so begins another life. That is the way it's supposed to be... right? Well... sometimes, I guess. But sometimes not quite, and sometimes not at all... Yesterday was one of those not at all times for me... I will start at the beginning, I suppose...

I got to the clinic for day shift at 5:45, nice and early just in case someone was pushing, a dayshift person could catch the baby so the night people wouldn't have to stay forever... and there was someone pushing this time. I, however, was not first up... And I wasn't sure, because it was kind of frantic and it seemed like they were getting ready to transport. They were. She had high blood pressure. So they started an IV, and were preparing for her to be rushed to the hospital. She was also preterm (35 weeks and 6 days, term is 40 weeks). So another reason to be transported. But then I hear, "SOMEONE GET A BIRTH CART!!!" So, I jumped up, and ran in pushing a birth cart in front of me. They were pleasantly surprised to see me there, and offered me the catch. I said, oh sure, no problem. Pulled on my special blue (latex free) gloves, that are always in my pockets at work and assumed the position... Ate Ana was like, it's a hard one, Sarah. So I said, catch it then, I will just take over and do all the checks and everything, you don't need to worry about it. Because I knew they were going to transport... but I only knew the high BP part... not the preterm part. So the head is just slipping out, and I was waiting for the bulk of the head to come. It kept coming and coming, and I thought, this baby has some serious swelling, we haven't even gotten to the actual "head" of the head. But then I looked down, and there was his little face. Oh... Head out... "Oh man!" I said, "this baby is SMALL!" everyone looked and gasped a little... The rest of his body slid out easily enough, and he made a little crying/grunting noise. And that was all. He did not pink, he did not cry, he did not move. It went down from there. Nothing, no more grunting, no more anything, and he was all squished up, his legs were up by his head, and he just sat like that. We started (and by we I mean Ate Ana and Rose, while I tried to push myself as far into the wall as possible, so I wouldn't be in the way) doing CPR breathing for him, and trying to get his heart to pick up the slack a little bit. His APGAR scores (a scoring system used for newborns assessing their wellbeing at certain intervals after birth, 10 is the highest, zero is... dead) were 1 at one minute and 1 at five minutes. NOT good. I was praying as they were resuscitating him, and finally a weak little cry came out. Praise the Lord!! They got the board, and put him on it, continued to help him breathe, and rushed to the hospital. They all rushed out... leaving me, the lowly first year, alone... And I got really scared. Because, at this point, I didn't know the lady was preterm. I only knew what I saw: big woman (kinda chubby), and tiny baby... Oh my goodness, as they were rushing out the door, I called out, are you sure it's only one??? And they were like, we think so... And I was there with her alone. I had visions of another baby that small, needing that much help, coming out. Or hemorrhage and me by myself, not really knowing what to do... And then I heard it... Krys' voice. I have never been so happy to hear someone... The day shift supervisor had arrived. It wasn't twins, there was no excess blood, no problems at all, except this new mommy was here without her baby. It was then, when Krys got there, that I learned the baby was only 35 weeks... that made a lot more sense...

So we went along, business as usual, being extra supportive for the mom cause her baby wasn't there... and she had no other companions... She told me they were going to name the baby Denver.I was chatting with her. Our conversation was somewhat limited, due to the language thing... but it was going ok. And she said to me, loosely translated: "My baby was small, huh?" And I was like"yeah, really small." She said, "Why Ate Sarah, my belly was so big?" And I told her that the baby wasn't ready to come out yet, but it did, and that is why it is so small. But she shouldn't worry, because there are good doctors at DMC (hoping...) and God is the one holding her baby right now, and He is the best doctor. And she (probably only understanding half of that) smiled at me and nodded...

The baby was born at 5:50am and then at 8:30 am her husband came running in with food and a bag. She started to eat it, and was just hanging out. Her husband told us they were running tests on the baby, but didn't tell his wife. At 9 o'clock he came running in, followed by a woman carrying a bundle of baby. I was like... wait a second, what is that baby doing here??? At the hospital they had run some tests on the baby and found that he did not have an anus, his lungs and heart were smashed up too high, and his intestines were up in his chest cavity, and all mangled up. They told the father and aunt that he would not live longer than a day, and he could stay at the hospital if they wanted, or they could take him home. So Denver had come back to Mercy to see his mother for the first, and probably last time. We got him dressed, because he was still naked from birth, wrapped in the blanket we sent him in, although now with bandages all over his little body. We dressed him, and re-wrapped him and put him next to his sobbing mother. She wouldn't look at him. Finally, I got her to hold him, and she held him and cried and cried. And he died in her arms at 9:45. We were holding him together. I was sitting on the bed, holding both of them, my left hand under Denver and my right hand supporting his mom. She didn't realize he had died. But I knew. I just let her hold on to him for a while longer, oblivious to the fact that her baby son had died. The supervisor came in and asked if he was still breathing, and I said no. and she handed me the stethoscope. I listened long and hard, all over his tiny little chest, lest I miss something. But there was nothing to miss. I shook my head, but she still didn't realize. I looked at her, and she looked at me, and she asked me how his heart beat was. And I told her no more. And she cried and held him tightly, tighter than she had before. And I cried with her, and we just sat there for a while.

The funeral... or viewing, or wake... or something, where they have the dead person out and they stay there with them, for a week... I am going to go tomorrow, I think.

I'm sorry this post isn't more upbeat... I promise more exciting nice stories soon.

Happy Birthday to me!!! Baby number 10!!

2008-01-20T21:07:00.001-05:00

Hey Everyone!!
I just wanted to tell you about my super swell birthday celebration!!! I had a wonderful morning, I got 3 package slips!!! SO I went over to the post office and picked them all up!!! What a wonderful surprise! Packages on my birthday!!! They were supposed to be for Christmas, but they came right on my birthday, which makes it a whole bunch cooler!!! They were filled with candy, and baby stuff, CD's, and a whole bunch of other really great stuff!!! So if you were a part of that birthday (/Christmas) extravaganza... thanks so much! It really made my day!!!

Then at 2 I had to work, so I reported in for duty, I was first up... and waited... and waited... and waited... and nothing happened.... all night... I got a labor... but she was moving pretty slowly, and she was about to have her baby at shift change... but then she didn't... for a long time... so, yeah, no birthday babies for me, but here was a baby born on my birthday... His name is Arvic. :-)

It was a great shift, and in the middle of it, all the girls from the house came over and brought dinner! And we all had a party!!! It was SO much fun, just what I wanted to do!!

Last night I worked a shift with Holly. It was really great, I have gotten to see her deliver 2 babies, but she hasn't seen me catch any. So I was really hoping this would be the shift. We got there, and there were two labors! Perfect! I was first up, so I got the first one and Holly was second up, so she got the other. My girl had a bit of a difficult story. She had her first baby when she was 13. She was raped at 12 and delivered at 13.... she kept that baby for a few months and put it up for adoption. Then this baby. 4 years later... and she didn't feel like she could keep it either, for various reasons. So we talked about what she wanted to do when the baby came out, if she wanted to hold it or feed it, or whatever. And she said she did. So then, at 2:49p she delivered a little boy. So perfect, very cute, and very healthy. A while later Holly's girl delivered, as well as Tiffany's (another girl on shift with us).... and then we did the birth certificate, and got her all ready to go, and we went to the orphanage together. It was really hard for me, because of my Africa experiences... And after quite a few tears, all from the baby and me we dropped him off, and it went ok, and one of the Mercy girls is going to take the baby out for a while until he gets a bit older, a couple months, i think. Please pray for that little boy, if you think about it, and his mother too, who now has two children that she has put up for adoption.

So, she decided to name her son Loyd Jhon Tender.... Tender is not the last name... it's the third name... they were very excited about his little name... :-) even though the spelling and the "tender" are a bit... funny... not as funny as this... Holly's patient named her baby... ready for this? "Princess Holly" he he he, it really added some humor to my not so fun shift. :-)

Now I am off to work on my assignment some more! But here is a picture of little Loyd, my 10th baby (in a pink towel...), and one of me and Loyd and Holly and... princess Holly! ;-)

Christmas, New Year, and Such...

2008-01-06T19:30:00.000-05:00

Happy late.... everything.... oh man, what a crazy couple of weeks!!! I picked up a couple of shifts for some girls in my class, and I was scheduled a bunch, and I worked almost every day of the Christmas break! It was insane, I was exhausted. But it was good. Here are some pictures of random things from the past few weeks! Real blogging coming soon, I promise! :-)

Ricky Jr. Pepito
December 19, 2007

Anjilie and Dioson
I worked swing shift (from 2-10) and then went home to sleep, only to get a text from my continuity that she was in labor! I slept for about 3 hours, and was back at the birth room. I had 2 babies in 7 hours!! AND then went over to Natalie's baptism! Yikes! Anjilie, the little girl born on swing is on the left, and Dioson, Jemma's second little boy, born at 3:29am~ and one tired midwife!

Later that morning at Cindy's... obviously more than a little tired! :-)

Christmas Gaisano style! In the middle of the mall, there is this HUGE christmas shop... this isn't even half of it! :-) It's seriously insane!!

At the Christmas party we played a game with red tissue paper and cotton balls... which team could make the best santa! Our team won! The santas are (from L-R) Ate An An, Josie, Me, Medea.

Rose at the Christmas party!!

Me and Hol at the Christmas party!