Two Bbies, Two Minutes of Sleep

Two births, two beautiful babies, two cups of Milo, two days without sleep, I survived! Monday at 10pm Kim and I threw on some scrubs and went to Melba's house, she was at 8cm and doing so great. After hours of labor and two cups of Milo (chocolate drink) and Mayonnaise sandwiches served by her mother, the baby girl was born at 3:06am. I Mostly charted this birth, however I did get to do delivery of placenta, I did about ten minutes of cord traction before it came then after I examined the placenta for tears. So fun! By five we were back at the clinic and ready for bed when Kim started getting horrible pain in her abdomen, we ended spending the remainder of the morning in the hospital.... kinda ironic, birth at home then the Midwives go to the hospital. After returning home from the hospital Mia (other roomie) got a call to go to another birth, it was wonderful, but I was so tired. I guess the life of a midwife involves no sleep, oh well. By 11pm I finally was able to go to bed, ah sleep at last. Oh and Kim is back home all better. Today has been a day of relaxing before we go out and do postpartum checks on the last couple births. That’s all for now. These are pictures from one of the houses that we had a birth at, and some of the proud brothers and sisters.

Pictures from my new home away from home

The kids and I playing on photo booth, they loved it.

Happy Birthday to Us

Yesterday was my birthday and the girls and I had a blast! We spent the day at this little spa inside of our mall here in Quazon City, where for a day we felt back at home in North America. After coming home and realizing that we still live with rats, the cockroaches are still amongst us, and the ants had multiplied, we were gently brought back to reality. Later that night Mia and I were called out on our first homebirth!!! It was so amazing, I felt so honored to share my birthday with this beautiful little baby boy. I started cleaning him up and I got to wish him a very happy birthday and let him now that he was born on the coolest day ever. Happy birthday to us.

A Day in History

Today was a day in history; we received wireless Internet at the house, which for me means I can stop caulking the bathroom, and for you a little more recent updates on my blog. About the caulking comment, I have found a new outlet of frustration in caulking, weird I know but it works and it keeps my housemates happy and the ants out of the tile. It’s sad I know, but you get a lot done, try it, I know you will love it.

Fabella

Today was our first day at Fabella, the largest maternity hospital in Asia. This hospital caters to the poorest of the poor in the Philippines. Bravery is the theme that I see in this hospital. These women deliver in a room where maybe 6 other women are also in the same room delivering. The women are given a chance at this hospital to deliver in a safe, sterile environment (not on the streets or back allies where most devastatingly poor women choose to deliver), however in order to average 80 births a day, each woman is not able to get the care that a typical north American women would receive. These women deliver with no husband by their side or a pillow to rest their head. Privacy is something that is rarely seen. Julie Anne was an 18 year old that delivered today, she was a first time mom, I stood back and observed as the Doctor cut a full episiotomy and told her to push, in my head my first thought was an observational thought, then realized that the young woman on the other side was terrified, I rushed around and grabbed onto her hand that was clutching a white plastic rosary, I looked at her and a the look of panic was in her face. The delivery went on and she had a beautiful baby boy. After that birth I remembered why I felt called to be a midwife in the first place, to defend and support young teen women who need it most desperately.