Mangua was laying on the dirty floor, writhing, screaming and crying. I guessed she was 8 or 9 centimeters dilated by the little grunt at the peak of each contraction. (although I always keep in the back of my mind that some labors just don't follow the rules and can look like that at 5 cm.) Her lips were dry and I offered her water. I wiped her sweat beaded face with a cool cloth and started fanning her. It is very hot and humid here and there are no fans or AC in the maternity ward.
Her contractions were one on top of the other as I held her hand and rubbed her back. She calmed down considerably.
Meanwhile I looked up at the wall and had to smile at the sign I read. Translated, it said, "To all mamas: please take your placentas home with you and bury them. We are tired of finding them tossed in the road and under the bushes. Thank you!"
Then I witnessed what I think of as "the last hurrah." I've seen it over and over again in births that have not been altered with medications. It is when there is a 3-4 minute unbearable contraction and then peace. It seems to be the last bit of dilation and then the mama experiences what midwives call the "rest and be thankful stage." There is such a change in demeanor at the end of that last long contraction. The contractions sometimes do continue, but they are different. Has anyone else seen this?
After about 20 more minutes she said, "the baby is coming!" and I supported her as we wobbled down the hall to the delivery room.
Meanwhile Leali, I had been supporting, but who was coping much more quietly, passed us in the hall with her hand between her legs. She too was on her way to the "haus bilong karim" (the room where they are supposed to push out their babies).
Mangua and Leali both got up on delivery tables with about 12 inches between them and Mangua's water broke. It was very stained by meconium. A very thin, and very pale baby emerged as I fanned and encouraged her. A boy.
Leili delivered a healthy and very vocal little girl. It soon became apparent that Mangua's baby was not okay and needed help with breathing. About this time, Leali began to hemorrhage. She was weak and unable to hold her baby on the narrow table. So my job at that point was to hold and comfort the tiny and very opinionated little newborn. I sang to her and walked the halls while I prayed for the other baby that it would breath. And for her mama that she would stop bleeding.
My prayers were answered. When I left both mom's and both babies were doing great. There was another lady yesterday too, but I'll leave her story for another day.
Saturday, 26 April 2014
Friday, 18 April 2014
First Day...No Babies
I'm in! I finally have permission to work here in this new town as a volunteer doula.
It is in a somewhat rural health center instead of in a busy town hospital. They do serve a large area though, and most women here have between 6 and 12 babies, as the prominent religion does
not allow birth control.
Today there were no births or seriously laboring women. I spent the morning there, learning the ropes, helping stock medicine cabinets, and getting to know the midwives. I spent a couple of hours chatting with a lady in early labor, but she seemed like she could be days away still from holding her baby. They told me it is usually much busier, I'll let you know if that turns out to be the case! If
Meanwhile, I'm happy to be in the door. If a couple of weeks prove that this is just not a busy enough place, I may look into driving a little further to a larger hospital. One would be enough each time, but honestly, doula-ing isn't that awesome with no laboring moms!
It is in a somewhat rural health center instead of in a busy town hospital. They do serve a large area though, and most women here have between 6 and 12 babies, as the prominent religion does
not allow birth control.
Today there were no births or seriously laboring women. I spent the morning there, learning the ropes, helping stock medicine cabinets, and getting to know the midwives. I spent a couple of hours chatting with a lady in early labor, but she seemed like she could be days away still from holding her baby. They told me it is usually much busier, I'll let you know if that turns out to be the case! If
Meanwhile, I'm happy to be in the door. If a couple of weeks prove that this is just not a busy enough place, I may look into driving a little further to a larger hospital. One would be enough each time, but honestly, doula-ing isn't that awesome with no laboring moms!
Saturday, 5 April 2014
Not going to give up...
Well, I moved to another town within the same country. I've been settling in, focusing on my children and family, and pursuing certification as a childbirth educator and Breastfeeding counselor.
Another friend of mine died last week in childbirth. She died and her baby died. She died in the bush with no medical help available and the when the news got to me, I decided to get active in my doula-ing again.
It is a pain to get these things going. I would like to volunteer as a doula here like I did in the last place that I lived. So many hoops to jump through, letters to write, and people to meet with. Trying to explain what a doula is and trying to convince them to let me help. Hopefully it will pan out soon. Until then I am just having to persevere and not give up. I went through all of this at the last place too, and was able to leave an open door for other doulas when I left. Hopefully soon!
Another friend of mine died last week in childbirth. She died and her baby died. She died in the bush with no medical help available and the when the news got to me, I decided to get active in my doula-ing again.
It is a pain to get these things going. I would like to volunteer as a doula here like I did in the last place that I lived. So many hoops to jump through, letters to write, and people to meet with. Trying to explain what a doula is and trying to convince them to let me help. Hopefully it will pan out soon. Until then I am just having to persevere and not give up. I went through all of this at the last place too, and was able to leave an open door for other doulas when I left. Hopefully soon!
Thursday, 28 November 2013
Transitions
I am moving to another town about 6 hours away from here. I have been working to leave behind 2 well trained doulas and 5 half trained doulas. The well trained ones will continue to train the newer ones. They are continuing a full fledged volunteer doula program here when I go...I am pretty excited about that. I know they will do a great job.
I am hoping to do the same thing in my new area, but we will see how it goes.
Meanwhile, I have seen some wild births, and some sweet births. I'll write about those later...
I am hoping to do the same thing in my new area, but we will see how it goes.
Meanwhile, I have seen some wild births, and some sweet births. I'll write about those later...
 |
| Me and a mama in transition |
Monday, 11 November 2013
Why Volunteer as a Doula?
1. It
is a way to show love.
2. In many places the women are alone in a scary place (the hospital isn't exactly a friendly place) at a vulnerable time
3. A
woman with doula care is:
50% less likely to have a cesarean birth
41% less likely to need forceps or vacuum extraction
41% less likely to need forceps or vacuum extraction
When you are at the local hospital here, the these things could possibly
kill you due to infections that often come with them, I believe that being a doula
can actually reduce the maternal mortality rate.
4. In an understaffed environment like where I work with women, An extra pair of hands and eyes can make a difference of life or death. So many times I have been the one who noticed a woman hemorrhaging or a baby struggling to breathe,
It's not for everyone, but I sure do love it!
Monday, 14 October 2013
Doula-ing with a Language Barrier
Okay. If you
ever find yourself trying to support a woman in labor when you do not speak
their language, here are some ideas for you.
Tips
for supporting women during Stage 1 of labor:
If there is any way
to watch a woman be supported by another woman in her own culture, that is the
best way to learn.
Are there any
bilingual (English and the language where you are) people that you can
interview? Ask them how to support a woman. Also, come up with a list of
things you would like to be able to say and then get a translation.
Memorize those phrases.
Smile, love her, be
with her, touch her, hug her. Be there to hold her weight
so she can achieve whatever positions feel best to her.
Use counter
pressure and massage if this seems appropriate and is well received.
Follow her hands, she
will often rub her own back where it feels good to her.
Sing softly,
this says... I am calm, there is no emergency, what is happening to you is
normal.
Offer water or
other liquids to keep her hydrated
Mostly just be with
her
When
Labor is Slow:
Consider the position
of the baby. If the baby is sitting off-center on the pelvis, the
head may not be able to put enough pressure on the cervix for
dilation. Changing positions and moving the pelvis every 20 minutes
or so may help to change the baby's position.
Some suggested
positions would be:
· Lunges with one foot
up on a chair or something
· Hands and
knees or standing next to the bed while swaying the hips
· Walking
Tips for supporting in Stage 2
When they are pushing, remember that
asking them to squat enlarges the pelvis and unsticks stuck
babies. Most women are hot when pushing, they often like being
fanned and a cold, wet cloth on their foreheads. They are usually thirsty
too.
Tips for supporting in Stage 3
Fill up a water bottle with hot water
(not too hot) and wrap it in a towel, and put it next to her. Most
mamas end up cold and shaky after birth. Smile at her, she will be able
to see that you are proud of her and that you think her baby is beautiful.
I hope this is helpful to somebody!
Wednesday, 9 October 2013
I am the Ambulance
I'm hoping for a phone call.
My friend Jana is due with her second baby and hopes to deliver a 15 minute drive from here at the hospital. She has been selling bananas so that she can afford to do so. (My family will be eating A LOT of bananas in the near future as I have been buying them.)
The thing is, that only the very rich here own cars. (We do not own one but we can rent one) There is public transportation....but not between 6pm and 7am. So if a woman goes into labor during the night and things progress quickly...she has no way to give birth under the supervision of a skilled birth attendant.
That is why I am expecting a call from Jana. She plans to call and have us drive her to the hospital if she goes into labor during the night.
Unfortunately for most the women in this country, transportation is not even the issue. For most, there is no access to skilled birth attendants unless they hike for a couple days to find one.
I'm excited to be a part of her birth.
My friend Jana is due with her second baby and hopes to deliver a 15 minute drive from here at the hospital. She has been selling bananas so that she can afford to do so. (My family will be eating A LOT of bananas in the near future as I have been buying them.)
The thing is, that only the very rich here own cars. (We do not own one but we can rent one) There is public transportation....but not between 6pm and 7am. So if a woman goes into labor during the night and things progress quickly...she has no way to give birth under the supervision of a skilled birth attendant.
That is why I am expecting a call from Jana. She plans to call and have us drive her to the hospital if she goes into labor during the night.
Unfortunately for most the women in this country, transportation is not even the issue. For most, there is no access to skilled birth attendants unless they hike for a couple days to find one.
I'm excited to be a part of her birth.
Saturday, 5 October 2013
Classy Doulas and Lifeless Babies
Today I stepped in a pile of poop and then tracked it all the way around the hospital bed before I realized it. It was really very classy.
With in minutes of arriving, my doula friend and I each stopped to talk to a couple of laboring women. With in a few more minutes, there were 2 baby heads emerging. (from 2 different women, not the same one - in case you were worried.) The race was on! Two first time moms yelling, "It's coming!" The foot of their beds had only about 10 feet between them.
Anya's baby was coming, but slowly. She was pushing well and just wanted a hand to hold and someone to give her sips of water. She had been completely alone for many hours.
Julie was HIV positive and her bag of waters was still intact. Her baby was coming very quickly! Before I knew it, the baby's head, inside the water bag was completely out. It was soon followed by the rest of the baby girl. She splashed into this world as she slipped onto the bed and her water cushion broke simultaneously. What a blessing that she was protected from the vaginal fluids on her way out. I didn't get to hear if she was born HIV positive or not.
Meanwhile, Anya kept pushing. She gently delivered a baby girl about 10 minutes later. No tears, even thought the baby was delivered with a fist by her cheek. It was a very peaceful birth.
The entire rest of the day was spent with Mikal. She was also there to meet her first child. She dilated quickly, but once she hit 10 centimeters, she grinned at us and basically fell asleep for three hours. For awhile we encouraged her into a position that would move the second stage of labor along, but she was just not into it, so we let her sleep. Eventually she awoke, crawled down off the bed, and squatted noisily. The grunts became screams and I guessed that she was crowning. Sure enough a peek proved my suspicions were true. Within the next few minutes, a tiny,. white, lifeless little baby boy emerged.
After about 20 minutes of prayer, oxygen, and CPR, he was breathing, struggling...but breathing. At that point we all breathed a sigh of relief. I'm glad he wasn't one of the majority of babies in the county who are born out in the jungle and left for dead if they do not breathe immediately on their own. The midwives did a great job on that one.
In the end, everybody was doing great...and we headed home after another awesome day of loving the women God loves.
With in minutes of arriving, my doula friend and I each stopped to talk to a couple of laboring women. With in a few more minutes, there were 2 baby heads emerging. (from 2 different women, not the same one - in case you were worried.) The race was on! Two first time moms yelling, "It's coming!" The foot of their beds had only about 10 feet between them.
Anya's baby was coming, but slowly. She was pushing well and just wanted a hand to hold and someone to give her sips of water. She had been completely alone for many hours.
Julie was HIV positive and her bag of waters was still intact. Her baby was coming very quickly! Before I knew it, the baby's head, inside the water bag was completely out. It was soon followed by the rest of the baby girl. She splashed into this world as she slipped onto the bed and her water cushion broke simultaneously. What a blessing that she was protected from the vaginal fluids on her way out. I didn't get to hear if she was born HIV positive or not.
Meanwhile, Anya kept pushing. She gently delivered a baby girl about 10 minutes later. No tears, even thought the baby was delivered with a fist by her cheek. It was a very peaceful birth.
The entire rest of the day was spent with Mikal. She was also there to meet her first child. She dilated quickly, but once she hit 10 centimeters, she grinned at us and basically fell asleep for three hours. For awhile we encouraged her into a position that would move the second stage of labor along, but she was just not into it, so we let her sleep. Eventually she awoke, crawled down off the bed, and squatted noisily. The grunts became screams and I guessed that she was crowning. Sure enough a peek proved my suspicions were true. Within the next few minutes, a tiny,. white, lifeless little baby boy emerged.
After about 20 minutes of prayer, oxygen, and CPR, he was breathing, struggling...but breathing. At that point we all breathed a sigh of relief. I'm glad he wasn't one of the majority of babies in the county who are born out in the jungle and left for dead if they do not breathe immediately on their own. The midwives did a great job on that one.
In the end, everybody was doing great...and we headed home after another awesome day of loving the women God loves.
Tuesday, 1 October 2013
Tribal Midwives and Jungle Waterbirths
Question: What do you get when you stick 13 laboring women, 6 tribal birth attendants receiving medical training, some hospital staff and a couple of American doulas all in the L&D room all day?
Answer: A very fun Saturday.
I learned a lot, for example....
1. Don't try and play around with recently donated hospital beds that no one knows how to use. (It ended up stuck in the head down position.) Oops.
2. Leave your pants on if you think your baby might just fall out while you stand around visiting. That way the baby is stuck in your pants instead of falling on the floor. (This had happened to a lady the night before)
3. One of the tribal birth attendants had a water birth. She just got in a dammed up part of the river and sat there since the pain was better that way. Eventually she delivered her own baby in the water.
4. The TBAs were from many different tribes and it was so fun to hear about each of their birthing traditions. A couple of them tied ropes around trees and let the woman hold on in a dangle/squat position while pushing. Others mostly just squatted.
5. They have a lot of beliefs about unity and the baby not wanting to come until everyone is at peace. So when a woman is having a prolonged labor or birth, they bring in the father or other family to talk to the baby and tell it that it can come.
6. The Tribal Birth Attendants had a very good understanding of birth on an emotional level...and were full of a lot of wisdom that way.
7. Once again, I saw the squat position save the day when a woman was pushing for a long long time with out much progress.
8. These tribal midwives open up their homes to laboring woman and help so many. They are exposed to many diseases and are never paid. They do it because they feel it is right to help their sisters. It was a challenge to me to hear them talk about it.
It was a calm and beautiful day there with many babies being born gently and being cared for well. It was different to have so many people there caring for the moms.
Saturday, 21 September 2013
Going Overseas? Read This First!
This blog gets a lot of traffic from midwives and doulas who hope to go get some practical experience overseas. This can be a good thing...but not always.
Lets learn some things by examining the mistakes of a couple of North American nurses that came here to help in the labor and delivery ward last week.
They walked in eager for an experience, and a great story to tell. They did not speak the language and are only here for a week. They boasted that they were so excited to be here because they were allowed to do stuff that would be unlawful for them to do in their own country.
They had never worked with laboring mothers, ever, and wanted to waltz in and deliver a "cute little brown baby." One proceeded ..no kidding... to SLAP and SCREAM at a pushing woman I had been gently coaching for 6 hours already. Not only was this white lady being rude and demeaning, she was screaming in English....which was not comprehended by anyone but me. This laboring mother who had been doing awesome, was terrified and scared and shut down...her contractions came to a complete stop. This volunteer then yelled at her for "giving up."
Next, this educated white nurse went on to try to sneak in a baby delivery by not alerting the midwife that the baby was crowning, but just getting ready to do it herself. When I realized after a minute that this nurse had NO IDEA what she was doing, (I was having to tell her what to do...) I alerted the midwife myself, who came and delivered the baby. This adventure seeker was willing to put a mother and baby's lives in danger simply to be able to say she had delivered a baby. At least that is how I see it.
This nurse then kept correcting and pushing the very experienced national midwife out of the way, because "she wasn't doing it right." These midwives are so experienced, (about 1000 births a year for 20 years or more) and could put most western midwives to shame, let alone an ER nurse who had never even seen a birth other than of her own.
You know what? This woman probably is very proud of herself for "helping" these "poor people." She probably feels like she is making a difference! And she is. Just not a good difference.
Here are some the problems I saw in these nurses:
1. Arrogance
2. A focus on the "experience" for themselves instead of serving the people
3. A failure to see these woman as intelligent and amazing people who are worthy of respect.
4. An excitement to do things "they aren't allowed to do" elsewhere.
5. A lack of respect for the culture and experiences of people different than themselves.
Instead, if you are going to volunteer in a country that is not your own:
1. Go in humility, with the heart of a learner and a willingness to lay down "your ways."
2. Do not go to "get your numbers" or to "have an awesome story to tell." Go to serve. Go to learn.
3. See these beautiful women of another land as strong and someone you can learn from.
4. Know your limits. Do not do what you are not trained to do.
5. Study their language and culture. Respect who they are and how they do things.
6. Be kind and treat people the way you would want to be treated.
None of us will be perfect, but let love be the focus of what you do and I'm sure things will go a lot better.
*I've changed the continent of origin of the offending parties.
Lets learn some things by examining the mistakes of a couple of North American nurses that came here to help in the labor and delivery ward last week.
They walked in eager for an experience, and a great story to tell. They did not speak the language and are only here for a week. They boasted that they were so excited to be here because they were allowed to do stuff that would be unlawful for them to do in their own country.
They had never worked with laboring mothers, ever, and wanted to waltz in and deliver a "cute little brown baby." One proceeded ..no kidding... to SLAP and SCREAM at a pushing woman I had been gently coaching for 6 hours already. Not only was this white lady being rude and demeaning, she was screaming in English....which was not comprehended by anyone but me. This laboring mother who had been doing awesome, was terrified and scared and shut down...her contractions came to a complete stop. This volunteer then yelled at her for "giving up."
Next, this educated white nurse went on to try to sneak in a baby delivery by not alerting the midwife that the baby was crowning, but just getting ready to do it herself. When I realized after a minute that this nurse had NO IDEA what she was doing, (I was having to tell her what to do...) I alerted the midwife myself, who came and delivered the baby. This adventure seeker was willing to put a mother and baby's lives in danger simply to be able to say she had delivered a baby. At least that is how I see it.
This nurse then kept correcting and pushing the very experienced national midwife out of the way, because "she wasn't doing it right." These midwives are so experienced, (about 1000 births a year for 20 years or more) and could put most western midwives to shame, let alone an ER nurse who had never even seen a birth other than of her own.
You know what? This woman probably is very proud of herself for "helping" these "poor people." She probably feels like she is making a difference! And she is. Just not a good difference.
Here are some the problems I saw in these nurses:
1. Arrogance
2. A focus on the "experience" for themselves instead of serving the people
3. A failure to see these woman as intelligent and amazing people who are worthy of respect.
4. An excitement to do things "they aren't allowed to do" elsewhere.
5. A lack of respect for the culture and experiences of people different than themselves.
Instead, if you are going to volunteer in a country that is not your own:
1. Go in humility, with the heart of a learner and a willingness to lay down "your ways."
2. Do not go to "get your numbers" or to "have an awesome story to tell." Go to serve. Go to learn.
3. See these beautiful women of another land as strong and someone you can learn from.
4. Know your limits. Do not do what you are not trained to do.
5. Study their language and culture. Respect who they are and how they do things.
6. Be kind and treat people the way you would want to be treated.
None of us will be perfect, but let love be the focus of what you do and I'm sure things will go a lot better.
*I've changed the continent of origin of the offending parties.
Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Buried Alive
I have been thinking a lot about the HIV positive lady that I helped through labor. I called her Kahlia on this blog. I heard stories today of two other HIV positive ladies who lived in my town here. One woman, when her family discovered her HIV status, they forced her into a coffin and nailed it shut. Then they buried her alive. Another they tied up and kept in a pit until she died a month later. There is such fear and such a stigma here when it comes to HIV! It makes me really sad.
Sunday, 15 September 2013
Seeing them grow up and almost 70!
Today we celebrated this country's independence. During the festivities I had three ladies that I had doula-d for approach me with their babies in tow! It was so fun to see them again and to hold the little ones. Volunteering as a doula has been so very rewarding. I've been a part of almost 70 births now!
Friday, 13 September 2013
Life's Not Fair with HIV
* Names and details were changed...but the story is true
When I first saw Khalia, she was sitting with her mom on the hard wooden benches outside. Her mother made me promise to take care of her girl. There were tears in her eyes as she pleaded with me. Mom's aren't allowed past the heavy, paint chipped door of the labor and delivery ward. I told her I would be her daughter's "watch mama."
The nurses took Khalia back to take a cold bucket bath in the filthy shower stall. Her mother then pulled a very used Coca Cola bottle full of water out of her colorful string bag. She whispered to me that I needed to take this to her daughter to drink. It was from Khalia's village where she had grown up. All the women had "outed" their "heavies" (issues, grudges ect.) and blessed the water. Now if the laboring mother drinks it, it shows that they are all at peace. They believed it would make the labor go quickly and easily. The wrinkled little mother was thrilled that I understood and was familiar with the beliefs from my years in the bush. I gave it to Khalia, explained what her mom had said, and Khalia drank it up quickly.
Khalia is 17 years old. Last year her husband bought her for about $3000. She then went to live in his village as his fourth wife. She spends her days tending the large gardens and cooking food. Probably caring for the kids of the older wives too. Her new husband gave her HIV on her wedding night. She is now HIV positive and has TB and herpes to go with it.
Now, here she was delivering her first baby. The medical staff was standoffish about her medical conditions. (The herpes had done some awful looking things to her) They warned me not to be around her. I did consider just helping the other 8 ladies in labor but I felt that God would have me to love on Khalia. It was the right thing to do. It is what Jesus would do. I spent the next 8 hours with her. (and I did take precautions with fluids) She is a sweet and beautiful girl who labored very well.
She begged me not to leave, even for a minute. I held her, massaged her, prayed with her, and encouraged her.
Once she was ready to push, she pushed for almost 4 hours. They never checked the babies heart tones.
She got so exhausted. Her babies head had been slightly in view for two hours. No amount of squatting or position change was helping. I finally was able to convince someone to come help us. I was shocked at how she "helped." She grabbed a razor blade and cut Khalia four times. Four large episiotomies on her herpes enveloped skin. A beautiful baby girl emerged over the HIV infected blood.
Khalia had more love in her eyes as she looked at her new daughter than most of the mom's I see here. The baby latched on a nursed just fine. It was hard to say goodbye to her. I am privileged to have been able to be with her on that day.
When I first saw Khalia, she was sitting with her mom on the hard wooden benches outside. Her mother made me promise to take care of her girl. There were tears in her eyes as she pleaded with me. Mom's aren't allowed past the heavy, paint chipped door of the labor and delivery ward. I told her I would be her daughter's "watch mama."
The nurses took Khalia back to take a cold bucket bath in the filthy shower stall. Her mother then pulled a very used Coca Cola bottle full of water out of her colorful string bag. She whispered to me that I needed to take this to her daughter to drink. It was from Khalia's village where she had grown up. All the women had "outed" their "heavies" (issues, grudges ect.) and blessed the water. Now if the laboring mother drinks it, it shows that they are all at peace. They believed it would make the labor go quickly and easily. The wrinkled little mother was thrilled that I understood and was familiar with the beliefs from my years in the bush. I gave it to Khalia, explained what her mom had said, and Khalia drank it up quickly.
Khalia is 17 years old. Last year her husband bought her for about $3000. She then went to live in his village as his fourth wife. She spends her days tending the large gardens and cooking food. Probably caring for the kids of the older wives too. Her new husband gave her HIV on her wedding night. She is now HIV positive and has TB and herpes to go with it.
Now, here she was delivering her first baby. The medical staff was standoffish about her medical conditions. (The herpes had done some awful looking things to her) They warned me not to be around her. I did consider just helping the other 8 ladies in labor but I felt that God would have me to love on Khalia. It was the right thing to do. It is what Jesus would do. I spent the next 8 hours with her. (and I did take precautions with fluids) She is a sweet and beautiful girl who labored very well.
She begged me not to leave, even for a minute. I held her, massaged her, prayed with her, and encouraged her.
Once she was ready to push, she pushed for almost 4 hours. They never checked the babies heart tones.
She got so exhausted. Her babies head had been slightly in view for two hours. No amount of squatting or position change was helping. I finally was able to convince someone to come help us. I was shocked at how she "helped." She grabbed a razor blade and cut Khalia four times. Four large episiotomies on her herpes enveloped skin. A beautiful baby girl emerged over the HIV infected blood.
Khalia had more love in her eyes as she looked at her new daughter than most of the mom's I see here. The baby latched on a nursed just fine. It was hard to say goodbye to her. I am privileged to have been able to be with her on that day.
Do You See What I See?
My last doula adventure was a crazy one. I have seen a lot since I last updated you all.
1. I have seen two new doulas (that I have had the privilege of training) spread their wings and do very well.
2. I have seen a baby born right on the dirty hospital floor. Both mom and baby were fine.
3. I have seen a woman punched repeatedly while her baby was crowning.
4. I have seen God answer my prayers over and over again when a mom is having a very hard time or when a baby is not breathing.
5. I have seen an HIV positive mom shunned and shamed.
6. I have seen serious hemorrhages and babies that took a long time to breathe.
7. I've seen the midwives be very kind and show great skill in order to save a mom and baby.
8. I've seen the midwives share their own things and go the extra mile to be kind to a patient.
9. I've seen a movie on maternal death in childbirth put on for the laboring women to watch.
10. I've seen the squatting position spare many women from c sections and vacuum extractions.
1. I have seen two new doulas (that I have had the privilege of training) spread their wings and do very well.
2. I have seen a baby born right on the dirty hospital floor. Both mom and baby were fine.
3. I have seen a woman punched repeatedly while her baby was crowning.
4. I have seen God answer my prayers over and over again when a mom is having a very hard time or when a baby is not breathing.
5. I have seen an HIV positive mom shunned and shamed.
6. I have seen serious hemorrhages and babies that took a long time to breathe.
7. I've seen the midwives be very kind and show great skill in order to save a mom and baby.
8. I've seen the midwives share their own things and go the extra mile to be kind to a patient.
9. I've seen a movie on maternal death in childbirth put on for the laboring women to watch.
10. I've seen the squatting position spare many women from c sections and vacuum extractions.
Child Mortality in the News
FACTBOX: Fighting child mortality around the world
A woman feeds her malnourished child at a paediatric ward in Banadir hospital in Somalia's capital Mogadishu August 7, 2011. REUTERS/Omar Faruk
NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Eastern and southern Africa are reducing child mortality faster than any other regions in the world, the United Nations children’s fund (Unicef) said in a report on Friday, but more than 18,000 children die needlessly every day.
The report, 'Committing to Child Survival: A Promise Renewed’, highlights the extent of child mortality globally and discusses what steps need to be taken to prevent babies and young children from dying.
Below are some facts and figures from the report:
The report, 'Committing to Child Survival: A Promise Renewed’, highlights the extent of child mortality globally and discusses what steps need to be taken to prevent babies and young children from dying.
Below are some facts and figures from the report:
- 216 million children died before the age of 5 between 1990 and 2012 – more than the total population of Brazil, the fifth most populous country in the world.
- Half of all under-five deaths occur in just five countries: India (22 per cent), Nigeria (13 per cent), Pakistan, Democratic Republic of Congo (both 6 per cent) and China (4 per cent).
- In sub-Saharan Africa, one in every 10 children dies before their fifth birthday, nearly 16 times the average rate in high-income countries.
- Globally, the leading causes of deaths among children under five include pneumonia (18 per cent), pre-term birth complications (15 per cent), birth-related complications (10 per cent), diarrhoea (9 per cent) and malaria (7 per cent).
- Immunisation is among the most successful and most cost-effective health interventions, saving two to three million lives globally every year.
- The 24 hours around the time of childbirth carry the greatest risk. Each year, more than 1 million babies die on the day they are born.
- If a mother is under 18, the risk of her infant dying in its first year of life is 60 percent greater than an infant born to a mother older than 19.
- To end preventable child deaths, women must be provided with good quality maternal care and nutrition and newborns need a safe delivery. Insecticide-treated mosquito nets, vaccines, proper breastfeeding, nutritional supplements, rehydration treatment for diarrhoea, safe water and sanitation are also important.
- In Rwanda, community health workers are using SMS to track pregnancies, report on danger signs during pregnancy and to send alerts to health services to ensure women can access emergency obstetric care quickly.
Friday, 16 August 2013
New Doulas!
I haven't written in awhile! Life's been busy. Two wonderful women have decided to join me in my "doula-ing" efforts. We did this countries first official "doula training." It was fun and I'm excited. Last time I was at the hospital I brought one of the new doulas with me. She is a natural. We rejoiced in being able to help a young woman narrowly escape a vacuum extraction. Squatting is AWESOME during pushing when things are just taking a long long time. More updates to come!
Sunday, 21 July 2013
Saturday, 13 July 2013
Baby Heads and Doula Smiles
I smiled a lot yesterday while I was with all the laboring moms.
I smiled when Rosa pushed out a baby boy with ease.
I smiled when Rosa dressed him up super cute and I could tell she was in love with her new little bundle. She had her tubes tied a few years ago, so he was quite a surprise.
I smiled when Helley gave me a skeptical look when I told her that her baby was coming soon and she was going to be okay. It was a look that said "you are insane, I know I am going to die."
I smiled when Helley came back from the bathroom a few minutes later and lifted her skirt to show me what was going on. I could see quite a bit of baby head. She was holding a baby boy just a few minutes later. Now she had a look on her face that said she was quite pleased with herself for having delivered her first child.
I smiled when Toola and I finally worked out a system to get her calmly through her contractions without going screaming and rolling around in panic and terror. I had never seen a woman quite so active and creative with her laboring postitions.
I smiled when Toola's baby girl finally emerged. It took awhile and the little one arrived with a short cord 3x around her neck. I smiled because she was okay despite that. I was so glad the midwife had arrived on that one, her head was halfway out before the midwife came.
I smiled when Toolah made it safely through a post partum hemmorage and when her baby girl finally latched on and nursed.
I smiled when Mallinah delivered her ten and a half pound baby boy (most babies here are between 5-7lb). She was 44 weeks pregnant. Yes, I meant to write 44. She measured 44 weeks, and her dates said 44 weeks. She had been completely dilated for hours, but the head was too high and not engaged. She walked, she lunged, she sat on the toilet. We had no birthball, that would have been helpful. She was so drained and still the babe was high. Her water finally broke and eventually she felt like pushing. After 2 more hours I finally convinced her to squat and push. She did and within 15 minutes there was a baby head. The midwife was there just in time to see the rest of it's body slide out.
There were five births and 7 moms and it was just really fun as well as really amazing. I'm getting more comfortable in my role as a doula and in trusting the mom's own instincts. I am also amazed at what a woman can birth if she squats instead of laying on her back!
I smiled when Rosa pushed out a baby boy with ease.
I smiled when Rosa dressed him up super cute and I could tell she was in love with her new little bundle. She had her tubes tied a few years ago, so he was quite a surprise.
I smiled when Helley gave me a skeptical look when I told her that her baby was coming soon and she was going to be okay. It was a look that said "you are insane, I know I am going to die."
I smiled when Helley came back from the bathroom a few minutes later and lifted her skirt to show me what was going on. I could see quite a bit of baby head. She was holding a baby boy just a few minutes later. Now she had a look on her face that said she was quite pleased with herself for having delivered her first child.
I smiled when Toola and I finally worked out a system to get her calmly through her contractions without going screaming and rolling around in panic and terror. I had never seen a woman quite so active and creative with her laboring postitions.
I smiled when Toola's baby girl finally emerged. It took awhile and the little one arrived with a short cord 3x around her neck. I smiled because she was okay despite that. I was so glad the midwife had arrived on that one, her head was halfway out before the midwife came.
I smiled when Toolah made it safely through a post partum hemmorage and when her baby girl finally latched on and nursed.
I smiled when Mallinah delivered her ten and a half pound baby boy (most babies here are between 5-7lb). She was 44 weeks pregnant. Yes, I meant to write 44. She measured 44 weeks, and her dates said 44 weeks. She had been completely dilated for hours, but the head was too high and not engaged. She walked, she lunged, she sat on the toilet. We had no birthball, that would have been helpful. She was so drained and still the babe was high. Her water finally broke and eventually she felt like pushing. After 2 more hours I finally convinced her to squat and push. She did and within 15 minutes there was a baby head. The midwife was there just in time to see the rest of it's body slide out.
There were five births and 7 moms and it was just really fun as well as really amazing. I'm getting more comfortable in my role as a doula and in trusting the mom's own instincts. I am also amazed at what a woman can birth if she squats instead of laying on her back!
Monday, 8 July 2013
Double Doula-ing
I have been mastering the art of double doula-ing. No, I am not talking about mom's having twins. I'm talking about two moms moving into one space so that I can support them both at once. I would never ask them to do this, it's their idea.
It is much easier if their contractions are opposite of each other in timing. Then I can support through the pains one at a time. Unfortunately this is not usually the case, which leaves me trying to massage/focus on two women at once. It reminds me of trying to pat my head and rub my stomach at the same time.
I feel rather silly looking, rubbing two backs at once, but I'm glad to be there for them. I think it is time to train some more doulas to come along with me.
It is much easier if their contractions are opposite of each other in timing. Then I can support through the pains one at a time. Unfortunately this is not usually the case, which leaves me trying to massage/focus on two women at once. It reminds me of trying to pat my head and rub my stomach at the same time.
I feel rather silly looking, rubbing two backs at once, but I'm glad to be there for them. I think it is time to train some more doulas to come along with me.
Sunday, 7 July 2013
Is He Dead?
I thought he was dead, but I prayed and prayed that he would be okay.
I had been attending his mother as her labor support person for many hours. There was no sign that there would be a problem, but when he was born, he was grey, limp, and he did not start breathing or crying on his own. There was a cord around his neck that was not removed by the student that was delivering him. Maybe that was the problem, I don't know.
After a couple of minutes, the student realized that this baby needed more than a little stimulation. I had run and gotten the ambu bag thingy for them just in case. Sure enough, they started to try and resuscitate him and after what seemed like a very long time he started to cry. Soon he was nursing.
I thanked God for another little one that lived. It was the 2nd close call in one day.
In the tribe I lived with for years, they do not stimulate a baby after it is born. They just watch and wait to see if it is alive or not. They never pick it up or touch it unless it cries. So many of their babies were "stillborn." In reality though I wonder if they could have lived if they were helped along a bit to take that first breathe.
Whatever the case, I hate that 50% of children there never have the chance to grow up. I want to help see that change.
I had been attending his mother as her labor support person for many hours. There was no sign that there would be a problem, but when he was born, he was grey, limp, and he did not start breathing or crying on his own. There was a cord around his neck that was not removed by the student that was delivering him. Maybe that was the problem, I don't know.
After a couple of minutes, the student realized that this baby needed more than a little stimulation. I had run and gotten the ambu bag thingy for them just in case. Sure enough, they started to try and resuscitate him and after what seemed like a very long time he started to cry. Soon he was nursing.
I thanked God for another little one that lived. It was the 2nd close call in one day.
In the tribe I lived with for years, they do not stimulate a baby after it is born. They just watch and wait to see if it is alive or not. They never pick it up or touch it unless it cries. So many of their babies were "stillborn." In reality though I wonder if they could have lived if they were helped along a bit to take that first breathe.
Whatever the case, I hate that 50% of children there never have the chance to grow up. I want to help see that change.
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