the funny ways people endure injections.

Yesterday I had prenatal clinic...we each have our own cubicle and our patients sit in the waiting area until they are called. Because we have 5-6 midwives working on our team, we just pick the chart off the top of the pile, call the name of the patient, and carry out the prenatal. I picked up a rather large file yesterday and realized I would be seeing not one, but two patients because of it.

The filipino people have a community within the country called the "Bajaos"...even I can tell, just by seeing someone, if they are Bajao or not. It's hard to explain...they just have a certain look about them, are usually much darker than the average filipino, with different hair also. These people are also extremely uneducated, they do not know how to read or write, when we admit them in labor, instead of signing their name we take their thumb print. They do not know how old they are, or how many times they've been pregnant, etc. That being said - they are thE kindest, swEEtest people you'll ever meet.

I didn't know this, but our clinic just has one big file for the entire community of Bajaos...not that we see a lot of them, home births with a hilot (traditional birth attendent) are popular among them. I saw these 2 particular girls during the health teaching, but it didn't click until I found myself calling 2 single names into my cubicle. YIKES! Truthfully, I was scared at first...it's very hard to communicate with them and not only because I haven't yet mastered the language.

I almost pawned them off onto my supervisor, but really had the desire to work through the prenatal as much as I was able...I took measurements and made sure their babies were doing ok. Then, my supervisor came in to finish the communication and direct me through the rest of the prenatal.

I needed to give them both tetanus toxoid injections...and when I went to give the younger one hers (oh my goodness, she was already sO stinkin' cUTE!) and she saw the needle and immediately threw her hand over her eyes, where she kept it until the shot had been given. I wanted to cry...hahah, it was sO cUTE! After the prenatal we pray over the mom and her baby...the Bajaos are cool because when you start praying, thEY start praying!! (and usually clap after the prayer - It's amazing!). My heart is stILL smiling from the encounter. I wish I had my camera to take a picture of these 2 beautiful women.

and this is just a funny advertisement.. like ANYone would get away with thAT in north america!