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.

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.

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.