Filipinas "Faith" - my homebirth patient

And THIS is how my very first attempt at a homebirth went- eventual cesarean section in the hospital the next day! haha huhu...maybe i won't recount the tale for all to hear on this. It could've been worse...bUT, just know that it was tried. and relationships were formed that won't ever be forgotten!
Here we (a budding midwife, Joan and myself) with Faith and the first ever addition to their family, Alexandra! She's a doLL!

It's ALmost Christmassssss!! The amazing giRLS of the OC have decorated with lighTS- which makes me super excited. WHenever I see a Christmas tree I literally cry at the thought of seeing the one in my own family room in Canada this year... can'T wait. but can, at the same time.

This weekend has been jammed pACKed fuLL of activities and emotions- scuba, beach, continuities, being called in for deliveries in the middle of night, shifts, sleepless nights, people packing, people leaving, immigration, blahhhh. One more week... and then what?!...

A new hobby...

mmm.. eating sushi. this japanese restaurant could quite possibly be my favourite place to eat in aLL of Davao- sayanG Joan and I just found it with onLY a few short weeks left of my time here!

AGDAO Prenatals...

YES! Agdao prenatals are still in fuLL swing! Every thursday myself along with 2 or 3 (sometimes 4) others serve the impoverished people of Agdao with free prenatal and baby check-ups. This also gives the women, who would otherwise deliver at home or in the less-than-desirable public hospital, a chance to deliver their babies at Mercy Maternity Center! I think we've had about 6 women since August deliver at Mercy! We're planning yet another "buntis party" (party for the preggies) this coming Dec.18 - my very last opportunity to see these women, as i'll be flying home Dec.23rd. It's sad, but past and present patients have all been invited for a last hurrah. The exciting part is that Agdao Clinic will not fade away after I leave. The new girLs that have been helping me out since September are willing to continue overseeing it!! Which puts my heart at ease, the women of Agdao will be left in very capable hands.

Here are a few shots of the clinic, the first Beth is helping the patient to hear her baby's heartbeat through the fetoscope, and the second shows Bethany playing with the children- who are pretending to be pregnant!!

in and amidst the hEAT, the business of liFE as a midwife, stressors of homework (for bk), we were able to take a break, rest, and relax in aircon at the Marco Polo Hotel for a night, in honour of Janelle's belated birthday. We captured her, gagged and bound her and took her blinded to the 4th floor of the hotel where we proceeded to push her in the pool! She loved it. It was great... love ya girls! In this pic we're just sitting down to enjoy breakfast on the 17th floor =)

Becoming a midwife (round 2)..

This is BK's 2ND catch! On a first day check up. These filipino babies are just so small and easy to hold - i like holding them in such a way that it makes mothers gawk and then laugh at how comfortable we are with handling little ones.

and THis is her 4TH handle... such a fun (and FAST!) birth, but BK was there, ready to catch the baby flying out of the mother of 4 now. Although, the shoulders were a little tight still inside, and a little downward traction was needed to help the baby out. BK is becoming more and more comfortable pulling'em out! and i LOVE it!

May I direct your attention to the 2 letters behind my name... RM, registered midwife ;p SLight fabrication but, hapit na!!

SCUBA

WE went SCUBA DIVING this sunday/monday...such a good time, i haven't been in over a year and a half...which is WAY too long when it's so available here. Hopefully there'll be time to do it more often before Dec.
Alison, Tami, me, our scuba instructor (Edward), and BK with all our gear.
And, a little instruction for the new ones the night before...as you can see, pictured here, this is bk's first time to breath underwater!!
There was, of course, time to jump off the second floor of our bEACh house for sunday night!! WEEE. We took a private boat to this amazing house on stilts, a secluded little getaway, loaded with pool table, aircon, a terrace up high on the side of the hill (for watching the sunset!), among other amenities ;p

a couple of crazy days...

Yesterday i checked in a continuity from Agdao, sent her homE in early labour and then continued on my way (in scrubs) tO Agdao clinic. Upon returning I found out my continuity was bACK and in active labour. She admittedly told me she had a low pain tolerance (awesome!), but all turned out well and she delivered her baby at 2:03pm that afternoon. After finishing all the postpartum care and the suturing, I made it home just in time for dinner (thanks for that - JO).

Then toDAY, both Brianna and I had dayshift starting at 6am (bah). I wasn't tOO worried, because I was last up! Three labours later, I was put in charge of supervising bk's work with her labour plus my own (fully) labour - who delivered at 9:10am with an amazing assist by none other than Brie. Brianna's labour was not progressing as easily as I would've liked, so dear Carmen took over, although, between discharging patients, suturing, and baby checks, I was able to return the favour to Brianna, who caught her SECOND BABY (this week and in her whole liFE) at 11:35am. How GREAT is that?! SHe assists me, I assist her... it's pURE bLISS!!

I work again tomorrow swing shift...you could pray for that!

BK's FIRST HANDLE!!

LAST NIGHT was bk's first shift without me...and sHE was "first up" to catch a baby. I was there for the first part of shift, but left just before midnight with pleas of being texted if anything or anyone happened to come in! I awoke with a start around 6am this morn only to find my phone had fallen from my bed...there were TWO new messages!! THe first from brianna "i got a fully", the second from Krys, the supervisor on shift last night "bb out. brie was awesome." SHOOT! I missed it! I missed brianna's first birtH! ah well, there's always next time! This is what she has to add to the tale-

today. at 4:23 am... i caught a baby girl. she was only 36 weeks. but she came in fully so we kept her even though she was by definition premature. kathy princess marie was born at only 5lb 1oz and is very healthy... it was sweet.

[exhibit a] ~ OCtober ponderings...

~ i AM a midwife.

~ i am still becoming who i am as a person. knowing i need/want to change for the better and constantly (hopefuLLy) moving forward in that area...He is very gracious in this regard!

~ i have delivered 115 babies since Dec.7/06 and often times don't even remember this fact! I converse with obstetricians and gynecologists and doctors about certain cases, follow other cases after referring them out, and learn nEW things DAILy...but I have the knowledge anD the experience to deliver babies for the rest of my LiFE. I can not imagine how many that would add up to... it's kind of scary, but crazy cooL to think about! and, What does the future really hoLD?!

~ i should read more.

~ i will go back to being a "normaL" white girL living in Canada in less than 2 months...and will leave that statement at that, for the time being..

~ i am missing faLL!! My favourite season is once again slipping by, not without me thinking fondly of it (because i dO frequently), but without having the privilege of be submersed in wooly sweaters, and colourfuL, crunchY leaves. But i AM able to go to the pooL whenever i want, still have a descent tan, and wiLL make it home for SNOW this year =)

~ i am nOT able to be in 13 places at once...i am not even able to be in 2 places at once...although I'm constantly doing so in my head- davao city, BOhol, TabuK, Greenlane Rd., Rittenhouse, Tallman, Menno St., VINEland in general, NOTL Concession 7, MEXico (mom), South Korea (jamie dear), Australia (Krista and Evan), Japan (for no good reason at aLL), etc.

~ i just missed Nathan Matthew West's oh-so-natural arrivaL into the worLD - congratulations Matt and Becky =D

~ i wiLL miss darling Owen's 4TH birthday bash this coming nov.12...i can't wait to re-meet him and Alexis at the end of December <3

~ the girLsss in the OC continue to amaze me. Proof that there are incredible women aLL OVer the wORLD (and i would love to have the time to meet them aLL at some point in life) but 2 of my favs, SD and JL, are taking off to Tabuk in less than a week for almost a mONTh. Who will I watch pp and the new grey's with every weeK?! Who can I bounce off the moral implications of these shows with?! Who will I watch ANYthing w when I return to VinelanD?! mer.

~ december is ALmost upon us...and it is my personaL goaL to spread AS much Christmas cheer and joy starting dec.1 until I leave on dec.23- which reminds me, this is a LAST CALL for everyone and anyone who reads this, what can I bring you?! I currently have the philippines at my fingertips. If there is ssomething you crave from this great republic, speak now, as I won't have ANY time for Christmas shopping when I get back ;p

~ lastly, but probably the most important poinT is this conglomeration that iS my life, is that i am still an incredibly selfish human being ([exhibit a], posting an entire blog all about mE)...maybe BK should post the next one =)

On our way home from chURCh last Sunday...my favourite mode of public transportation are these pedicabs where our driver peddles his little tricycle (pls excuse the awfuL smiles, ahahaa)

And the view from inside the pedicab... mmm, i hope I never forget what this looks like...

Anatomy and Physiology

FOr the past 2 weeks, I've been the TEACHER! Both first and second year NISMers needed an intro to anatomy and physiology, and I was the onE asked to teach. I was given the material, and power point presentations, but basically was allowed to set it up how I wanted, and conduct class the way I thought best. It's been a streSSfuL 2 weeks, let me tell you- i have a whole new appreciation for teachers now. But, it's been such a good learning experience. And the girls have been super gracious and encouraging, and thaT always helps ease the pain of listening to yourseLF lecture for a few hours every other day! Now all I have left is to mark this weeks assignments, do a little review, and their finaL exam is this coming MONday!! YEAH!

OUtreach to Butay, Paquibato~

The 5am beLL calls the lucky few who might still be sleeping, after a night of confused roosters it's not hard to get uP at the crack of dawn! But who'd want to miss the sunrise in a place like this anyhow?! As the first few beams peek over the tallest mountain on the horizon, the clouds begin to quietly dissipate, revealing underneath a sea of mountaintops easily seen from the village of Butay. THe Manobo tribe might not have many pesos in their pockets, but they are mORE than rich with their surroundings in Creation.
We were fortunate enough to accompany a Foursquare Pastors' Retreat to the mountains 4 hours north of Davao City last week for a total of 5 days. Not only doing prenatals and countless baby, children, and well woman check-ups, our team of 3 nurse-midwives, and myself were able to witness a little of how praise&worship happens in Butay and the surrounding tribes. One word to sum it up: CONstant.

Pictures to the left detail the common way to carry a baby around by tying a malong (like a thin sleeping bag with the bottom open);

Shelling rice by pounding it with an oversized mortar and pestle- ya, they were laughing at me;

Erika, a 6yr old washing her families dishes (like a pro, i might add) at one of the 2 water sources (a black pipe running from a spring higher up) in the village;

More check-ups;

and church pews (one of the only times the church was empty).

There are tOO many pics to post them all. And tOO much more to say about the experience. Just know that I am back in Davao, safe in the orange house and back working at Mercy.

I BOOKED MY FLIGHT HOME! For December 23rd...and would love to recount more of the tale in person in the new year ;p

hOUSE fIRE devastates 1st Opal/Dacudao

It was a normal swing shift (2pm-10pm) that day, one immediate postpartum settled in and stable, and another 2 labouring women- one of which was my responsibility. Nowadays, I give most of my "responsibility" to Brianna, while I oversee her work in the birthroom! She was in with our girL monitoring contractions when I went home quickly to get a pot from our house (to cook our dinner in).

As I'm unlocking the gate to our house I notice some commotion a just down the street, on the corner at Dacudao...as my eyes started to make my brain understand what the heCK is going on, my legs started running toward the screams...and toward the heat. Just two houses down on Dacudao, a house had caught fire and already up in flames at this point. I tried calling 911 but the automated voice operator just kept telling me to dial 117..?! But 117 isn't an emergency number! I was frustrated, to say the leasT. The flames reached the electrical wires, and the power went out. It was around 7pm, and just like that all was dark on 1st Opal, except for the flames that continue to reach higher and higher, as it spread our way to the second floor of another house. It sucks because the houses are primarily made of wood, and they're packed in so tightly...

I always thought that, when faced with a fire like that i'd do what ANYONE in the movies does- run in, save a cat or maybe a baby, come out with smoke and flames behind me looking like I just stepped off the red carpet... (just a little comic relief in the midst of this not-so-nice post). But it didn't exactly work like that. And I was angry. I couldn't do ANYthing. I was helpless. I only watched as the fire consumed more and more of my neighbours homes. SOMEone must have reached 911 because the firefighters did arrive. As you can see in the one pic- in a big coat, shorts, and flip-flops =) I love this country!!

Back at the clinic, our patients had evacuated Mercy, and been transported to another location and Matt and Krys had already been in our house grabbing up laptops and other such valuables, in case the fire couldn't be contained...(funny how NONE of these actions ran through my head as a good idea, i just bolted to the fire, but wasn't really needed there either =S). People were watching in horror, with tears in their eyes as the fire creeped closer to their own homes. Moms were wailing, guys were lugging tvs and other such belongings out of their house just in case. blahhh, it was awfuL to witness. The firefighters worked well and got the fire under control before any done damage was done. Afterwards, people just sat on the adjacent curb staring in disbelief, wondering what to do now, etc. It started pouring rain around 9pm (where was thAT when the fire called?!), i don't know where those people went at that point...hopefully some place dry.

Neonatal Resuscitation Classes

Krys flew in a DR from the states to teach us NRP (neonatal resuscitation procedures) this week. Here, Brianna provides PPV (positive-pressure ventilation) to the baby, as the assist, Beth, stands by for regular heart rate checks, as well as to assist in chest compressions if the heart rate drops below 60 bpm. Another classmate, Sarah, looks on as the examiner gives updates on the status of the baby, answers questions, and corrects procedure.

AND! FOr those of you who've been asking for an updated pic of the currently bUNtis (preggo) supervisor, Ate Estef (hOW beautiful is she?! and bIG! hapit na, ceguro..).

Tomorrow is yet another prenatal outreacH to Samal Island, Penaplata. Beth, Sabrina, and Shelley are accompanying me on the excursion... it should be a good time, as always! And, I'm jealous of everyone at home experiencing true "october" weather. Even though I love the fact that i can still make use of the pool just around the corner from our house! Much love <3

HAPPY Birthday to youuu..

I was able to the wed.sept.24th oFF for the both of us (unknowingly to bk) and we hIT Canibad Beach- a remote resort on the other side of Samal Island. There was only 2 others on the beach at that night, and of course, our night watchman who put a kerosene lantern under a palm near where we slept in our hammocks as a night light (super sweet!). This pic is of us on the ferry, crossing to the island. We just spent a lot of time floatinggg in the water, reminiscing slash remembering certain people (family and friends)...mmm, sUCH a good time!

We arrived just after lunch in time for Brianna's language class, and then went out for dinner at the Swiss Deli. The girls made maNGO FLOat for dessert, and then we were able to connect with ma on skype so she could watch brie open the package she sent in the maIL. YEAH, chocolate! hahaa thEN we hung with some filipino friends, which is ALways a good time. So here is to BRianna- now 21 and aLL grown up teaching gIRLs how to handle pregnancies, labours, and deliveries! WHere does the time go... lOVE ya sis <3

YES! We are alive!! AS always, though, LIFE gets in the way of blogging..

Brianna's actually hard at work right now (in language class) but I'm certain she'll have something to say when she gets home..although, it could be in a different language! So many new and exciting things are happening around here, it's hard to keep up with everything. Not only do I have more than 5 (that I can remember) patients ready to begin their labour at this time, our neonatal resuscitation course is coming up next week. I've been preparing for that one, as well as the class that I will tEACH! Yes! I've been asked to teach the A&P (anatomy and physiology) class to both classes. How exciting is that?! Actually, it'll be pretty easy because the last teacher did such an excellent job on powerpoint presentations, questions/answers, activities, and exams that anyone could teach it. But, i'm throwing in a few things, making it as exciting as learning about our bodies sHOULD be! I'm looking forward to starting classes...they'll start the end of October, for 2 weeks.

The PREnatal OUTreach to Paquibato is fast approaching, also! And preparations are basically finished. THe team from Mercy consists of myself, Medea (2nd yr NISM, RN), Beatrice (1st yr NISM, RN), and Sabrina (intern midwife from the states here for 2 months). We've stocked up on iron supplements for the women out in the mountains, plus have ample paracetamol, cough syrup, and mabendazole (de-wormer) for the children. We head out early morning October 8 and will return Sunday afternoon, October 12, 2008. During this 5-day retreat, we will perform regular prenatal exams, plus routine check-ups for both mother and child/baby. We're are going in association with the Foursquare I work with on thursdays (Agdao Clinic). The church will be having a pastor's conference while we focus on health exams and education. Also, YWAM is sending just under 10 people, some from Davao, and some just here on a missions trip from the states, to help in ministering both the children and the adults of the tribes. THEREfore, a lot (as in a lot) is happening on this outreach...i'm so looking forward to getting out of the city, being able to sleep at 8, wake up at dawn, bathe in the river, etc...and aLSO to meet the families out there! PLease be in prayer for this- for safety, and fun, and the chance to make a difference somehOW.

Let's see...wHAT ELSE?! hahaha, it's BK's 21st BDAY on WED!! YEEEE...more on thaT later, i'm sure there will be a pic or two ;p
Also, there's a cross-channel swim again on Saturday. I've done this twice before, we swim from the mainland of Davao, across the channel, to the island of Samal. Hopefully, there'll be no itchy rashes this time round!!

BK @ work.. BK @ prenatals.. BK & assignmentS!

And this adorable little (17 year old) filipino is my most current continuity, ALmost ready to POP! I'm very excited for her birth- it's her first baby!

And as the AGDAO Prenatal Clinic continues,

the Lord continues to bless the ministry with new patients every thursday, as weLL as some old patients coming back for a visit to the MIDwife! This past thursday was such a great prenatal day in Agdao. One of my past patients bought her son, of which whom I delivered AND named (a tribute to my brother <3), she and Rob came for a visit today because she's friends with one of the patients i'm caring for at the moment. The little 6 month old boy in the pictures below is a living testimony of how Mercy Mat works in the lives of women here in Davao. The newborn baby bOY pictured below (Elijah Micah) is my most recent "catch", born last Sunday, his mom was coming here thursday mornings for prenatals, and is also a member of the Foursquare church we hold the clinic in. His father missed their first child being born at the public hospital, and was mORE than overjoyed when he was able to participate in the birth of their newest son! It was amazing to witness (he cried as the the baby came out)!!
























BRIE: yesterday was my first birth room shift. there was one labour but after she had been there for 10ish hours and nothing was progressing except for the fetal heart tone and the mothers b.p. She was transferred to the hospital.

the firsts continUE!...

I think it's much nicer blogging about others...somehow, their activities are more exciting to write about than my own! Although, today's blog is about both of us (again!). It was bk's first day doing prenatals...she's on our team for prenatals and will therefore be working every wednesday morning with us as we see hundreds of patients for prenatal care. She was shadowing ME today, and caught on real quick! I hardly had to re-check fundal heights and fetal positions/FHTs by the end of the morning she was doing so well!

We saw some needy patients. One with a traumatic c/s experience her first baby, she's 23 and scared to death of needing another c/s this time around. She started crying as I explained we weren't able to deliver her baby at Mercy, but I assured her I'd go w to the hospital and make sure she's taken care of! Another woman started tearing as we talked about her husband (of 7 kids already) and his recent drinking habits. It's sad, but I like encountering these types of situations because it reminds you we're really needed here, and we're making a difference in these women's lives. Brianna also got to meet my 17 yr old continuity, LynLyn - who is so stinkin' sweet it kills me! I'm excited for her very first birth experience, and she's due Oct.4th.

Brianna wOULd have had sOmething to say (i'm sure...char) but ah she just ran outta here late for her language class! So sorry about her absence in this post...maybe next time. Love to you all.

Brianna's class on taking VITALS!

JENNA: Vitally important to health care and assessing a person's status are CHECKING VITAL SIGNS! Here are a few pictures of Brianna's class aLL about pulse, respirations, and blood pressure. I'm working swing this afternoon/evening and i thiNK brianna's going out with my friends while i'm at work! hahaa, that's great. LOIS and I are on today- it should be a good shift, the clinic has been super busy the past couple of days. We expanded slightly, and moved the postpartum area (resting after birth) to another room.

BRIE: i dont know what im supposed to hear (in regards to taking bps)..... i learned on jenna how to prick fingers to test for anemia her blood has a hematocrit of 42% (very healthy)(and thEN she proceeded to prick 15 clients!). and how to type up birth certificates (that was yesterday, shadowing Ate Bebing, the clerk who types up and registers all the birth certificates, huGE job!).

(the phrases in the brackets is me, Jenna) hahaa