Ocapan Outreach

The following pictures are of my team traveling to the city of Ocapan on outreach. We had such fun on the motor bikes, playing with the kids and eating python! Yum! We did a health clinic, check-ups and prenatals for the pregnant women of the area. Some of them walked 2 hours to get checked by us! Impressive. On the first day we got there, we had a few hours down time so we taught the kids the game "Duck-duck-goose" but instead named it "fish-fish-Chicken"! We laughed so hard it hurt as these little ones got tapped on the head and started running in random directions! I don't think i've ever enjoyed the game more! We had quite a few spectators too! I'd guess about 50 or so just stood around us and cheered us on.

More ocapan pictures...

Below are a few more pictures of our time in Ocapan. As you can see, there is the python in the bowl getting read to be cook. The guy who caught him, said he only cut off half of him. The rest got stuck down in the hole. But he was a big one.. perhaps 6-7 cm in diameter! I'm posing with the traditional birth attendant that works in that area. The other girls around the dinner table are my team mates and the midwifes that took us out there. Their names are Mary Jane and Ghang-ghang. And as you can see, the circle of kids are playing 'fish! fish! chicken!' 

Karaoke! Dokey!

These people are remarkably musical! They LOVE karaoke… No joke! You can hear Karaoke at all hours of the day. Practically every mom and pops store or coffee shop has one! Some people can really sing here! Some should definitely not! It’s wonderful living in a place where music is so enjoyed! I find it amazing at the number of people who play musical instruments! I can take a random poll and ¾ of the group can pick up a guitar and lead worship! WoW!

I’m humbled by their abilities too… it’s not like me pinging away at a string… we are talking talent! It’s not only songs they love… they love to dance too! Everywhere I turn there seems to be a group of youngsters doing ‘hip-hop’ dance to some song or another! It’s all very detailed and coordinated! I went to a church and the youth got up and danced ‘hip-hop’ to worship songs!

I went to a department store and a troop was dancing their hearts out for a promo on cutlery. You just don’t see people dancing like that back home! :- )

The rain...

Some days it thunders down with a clack and a bang and starts streaming in sideways. You feel it coming those days, hours ahead of time. It hangs low, grumbling... threatening its goodness! Some days you can't even tell when it starts. It sneaks in like a cool sweet kiss and en wraps you with its mild wet hug. It soaks through to your bones and leaves nothing untouched!

The rain here is unpredictably sweet. It darkens the horizon and shortens the days. Sometimes is stays for a simple cup of coffee, and others you think its here to stay. Today it is the later. I woke up to the sound of sweet drops on the neighbors roof. I looked out and it was slick with what the hours had brought. Now as i look out my window... as I listen to the plick, plock and tapped-y-tap... I can't help but breath it in and sigh! I love it!

But I'm also reminded of how the long, drizzling rain storms cause the most damage. They flood the streets and overflow the canals, sometimes stopping all traffic, interrupting the Jeepney system and causing severe delays. Some of the more unfortunate in the squatter villages often come home to find their homes floating in the brown, sewage filled mire. To them, it is not a sweet delight. It is a nightmare. One that happens over and over again...

The Midwifery Times ~ November 2008

The Midwifery Times November 2008

Get your own at Scribd or explore others:

Catching up on things...

Much time has passed since my last entry. The days are fuller than ever before. I looked down to catch a baby and three months have passed! I feel like time is more elusive... more intangible than ever before in my life! My birthday came and went, another year older... and happier than I can remember.

I LOVE being here. I love this country. I love the people. I love catching babies. To date, I've caught 77! I'm looking forward at the next few months and I wonder what God will do.

Where will I be this time next year? What will I be doing? Will I be in the mission field still? Will I have passed my NARM exam? Will I be in the States? So much can happen between now and then! I have to constantly remind myself that I'm to live one day at a time.

I am admonished to "seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:33-34

So with that in mind, I look forward to the next few months... the tests, the homework, and the babies. I look forward knowing that His plans for me are good, loving and perfect. I know that He has a plan in all this preparation!

Badjao Medical Clinic ~

Today I got to join some missionary friends who were doing a medical outreach in the Badjao village called Isla Verde. They had a team of 20 people who have come from Seattle to assist in minor surgeries and do street evangelism.
I didn't bring my camera so I'm including some pictures I took of this village from a few weeks back.

I got to see a woman have knee surgery on the church pulpit platform, watch how a doctor debraided and dressed a young boy's neck which was swollen to the size of his head from a lymph node infection and see how they organize health workers, translators and patients.

I'm hoping to join them on an outreach in July to a Muslim village a few hours from here.

I also got to see one of my continuities who is about 5 months pregnant. She is due in October. She works in a medical clinic in a Badjao Muslim village and helps with all the medical outreaches. Her name is Nanang.

These are my missionary friends, Sherry and her husband Patrick.

Cockroaches and Root Canals!

This morning two things happened that were out of the norm! First I got up at 2:30 am and actually stayed up!!! (But I'll get to that later ;-) and second, I killed the largest cockroach I've ever seen in my life!

It was so big that when i killed it (toilet paper in hand!) I heard it crunch several times before I was convinced it was dead! I had to keep checking!!!

Now, I'm a seasoned veteran when it comes to cockroach killing. I have crunched more than my fair share! But today was different.... today was scary! I'm still shaking from the experience!

I googled this nasty little creature to see what kind of roach they grow here in the Philippines and all I've learned is that they bite! One site recommends biting back and even give a few recipes! Yum! I can see why someone might want to eat these snap-crackling crunchies- They are big enough to feed a family of eight!

How "big" is big, you ask? Well, put it this way.... If this guy had gone up against the big 'ol nasty ally cat that lives on my street, I'd have my money on the roach!

Why was I up at 2:30 am? Well... believe it or not, I was asleep by 8pm last night. Yep, hard to believe but it is actually true. I've been moping and dealing with some major molar pain. I'm in the process of a root canal and the pain wakes me up at night and harasses me all day. I'm popping pain killers like skittles and feeling as whiny as a teething toddler!

Please pray for me.... I realize now that I am a lousy patient.


For laughs, check out this u-tube site....
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/920119/eating_cockroaches_catch_of_the_day/

Althea Bianca #42

I came on shift early and discovered that there was a labor pushing. I was first up so i got on some gloves and my colleague endorsed her to me. This was her first baby so she was still trying to figure out how to push but was making progress. I had to do some serious perineal pressure to help the baby's head descend. My supervisor helped. Her baby was born quickly at that point but there was a ragged tear in the process which i had to suture later on. The placenta had a battledore insertion. This is a picture of her, the father, her mother and her little brother... and of course little Althea!

Jerry Jr. Baby #41

Honk! Honk! HONK!!!!!
We were all in deep sleep when the taxi started honking!!! We flew out of the clinic to find a little young lady waddling to the clinic. She had just enough time to lie down. I got the pad under her. she looked at me and asked if she could push and i told her 'Sige, otong!' She had SROM with thick meconium on my hand, and pushed her baby out in one single push! He was covered in meconium stained vernix but started crying well immediately. We deep suctioned and gave oxygen but he was doing great already! It was over before I had a chance to find out her name!

Badjao Church

I joined some missionary friends a week or so back at the Badjao village called Isla Verde. I had a wonderful time. I was asked to give my testimony and was then conscripted into doing a skit. I spent a half an hour on the floor of their church as part of a modified Good Samaritan Story.
Afterwards we had lunch with the Pastor and his family. It was a wonderful day.

Trisha Mae Nova - My 40th Catch

This couple really captured my heart. They were so excited to be having their baby but they are babies themselves. She is only 17 and he just barely turned 18. They are high school sweethearts.

During labor, she tried pushing at 8 cm. I tried to get her to stop but she wouldn't listen. She just kept pushing. All it did was make things worse, her cervix became swollen and a caput started forming on little trisha's head. By the time she was fully dilated she then had an hour of pushing ahead of her. Little Trisha was born with very thick meconium staining and we deep suctioned a lot but she was not responding well. Her APGAR score was 4 and 4. We gave her oxygen, did PPV and rushed her off to the hospital where she stayed for over a week!

They had to do gastric lavage and put her on antibiotics in the NICU. But on the fourth day, she started improving drastically and was even able to breastfeed for the first time!

This is her at four days at the hospital. She still has oxygen on.

This is a picture of her father holding her for the very first time ever.

Ten Beautiful Toes!

This is little Robert Bruce and his mother. She had been at the clinic for many hours when she was endorsed to me. Around 7 pm that night, she started pushing. She had SROM with the chorion coming out completely intact but stained with very very thick meconium staining. She was extremely tense.


Robert was born in the caul in the OA position but his head rotated a complete 180 degrees to the OP position, restituted a bit to the ROA position. My supervisor did deep suctioning on the perineum and he was born the next minute with a nuchal hand. She started dumping a lot of blood so I did Brandt Andrews and traction to get the placenta out quickly.

 



When I went to do the baby exam, we discovered that Robert's toes were a little unique. On his right he has an extra toe and on his left foot two toes are stuck together. So total, he still has 10 beautiful toes but each foot is not equal!

#38 Baby Rea

While I was finishing up with Michealla's birth, my continuity Liza came in very active. She labored on her feet, doing pelvic rocking and looking wide eyed with pain. This is her third child so she knew what to expect but she still had a hard time staying focused and calm.

Around 4:30 in the morning, she had SROM but it was different. The whole chorion came out completely intact and full of fluid. She immediately started pushing and little Rea was born the very next minute! She had a tight cord coil and was small but healthy! The placenta was born 7 short minutes later. It was a beautiful, quiet and calm birth. I have to admit i like delivering babies so early in the morning. There are fewer people there to watch. It is so much calmer!

Born: May 22nd 4:38 am weighing 5 lbs 3 oz.


It's hard work looking this cute!!! :-)

#37 Michealla

Michealla's mother came in late one night while I was working. She had strong contractions but her fundal height was so small and the fetal heart tones were all over the board. Her blood pressure was a bit high so we had her labor throughout the night while i monitored her. She had SROM around midnight and immediately got very active. Just about an hour later a small precious little girl was born. She needed a bit of extra oxygen for poor color but eventually started crying and didn't stop.

Born: May 22nd 2008 at 1:24 am- weighing a womping 5 lbs exactly!

Khurl Jhazentt # 36

This lovely couple was so excited to be having a baby! She labored very well. She was calm and upright most of the morning. When it came time to push, it took some practice but she eventually got it. Little Khurl got his shoulders stuck for a few minutes but everything worked out well.

His name was almost PRINCE KHURL JHAZENTT. I like Khurl better :-)

Marielle # 35

This is Marielle just hours after her birth. What an angel!

Marielle's mother came in at 4 cm and since this was her second baby things seemed to progress quickly. She went from 4 cm to fully in an hour and a half! Marielle was born with a nuchal hand but her mother didn't tear. The placenta took its time in coming but eventually came out with a bit of a tug. Four hours after she gave birth, they packed up their things and started going home. They were surprised to hear they'd have to wait at least six hours postpartum before we could let them go home.

Edhrian Carlo # 34

Edhrian was born May 12th 2008 at 6:13 pm. His mother came in very active and labored really well. She coped so well with the contractions that I didn't think she was very far along. But I was wrong!

Edhrian was born in the membranes (the caul) and I had to tear it open so he could breathe. He was born in thick meconium staining and had to be deep suctioned but eventually pinked up to a cute little angel!

Metchie Mar # 33

Little baby girl Metchie was born on May 7th as well! She weighed 6 lbs exactly! Her mother came in just a few hours earlier in active labor. This is her 5th baby but her first little girl! When she was born, her father cried for joy but quickly wiped the tears away! They were so happy!!!

Sunshine!!! ~ # 32

You are my sunshine! My only Sunshine! You make me happpppyyyy when skies are greeeeyyyyy!.... You'll never know dear. How much I love you....


She was born on May 7th, 2008 weighing 8 lbs 7 oz! (She is the largest baby i've delivered so far!) I had just returned from the hospital after transporting a different labor. When i arrived there were three women all pushing. I was instructed to get some gloves on quickly and go catch a baby! I did just that!

This is a picture of little sunshine in her older sister's arms. She is one week old in this picture.

Kevin James # 31

Kevin was gorgeous from the first cry! He was born on May 5th 2008 at 1: 53 am. He weighed 5 lbs 15 oz at birth and was born to a lovely couple after a long arduous birth. He had quite a bit of swelling on his head and came out completely posterior! Meaning he was looking up rather than down! That was why it took her so long! But his mother was a trooper and she bounced back quickly! They were just so happy to have their little boy in their arms!

Cyril Jane ~ my 30th Birth!

This little girl was born on April 29th 2008 at 3:34 am. She weighed 7 lbs 3 oz. 

Her mother was one of my continuities. She had come in the day before thinking she was in labor but she wasn't. She went home after spending an hour in the birth room listening to other women in labor without even having an internal exam. She returned the following day in real labor. When she came in she was only 3 cm so i sent her home. She returned three hours later in very active labor and delivered within a few hours. It went fast... very fast. But in the end she only had to push for 15 minutes when her little girl was born.

Cyril's father was the one to cut the cord and give her her first bath.

Jussie Mae # 29

Little Jussie Mae was born on April 28th 2008 at 1:51 pm. She weighed 6 lbs 4 oz at birth. Her mother was already pushing when i came on shift. I was next to catch a baby so I got my gloves on and three minutes later out came a sweet little girl! Her mother was a delight to help all throughout labor. Jussie's mother was not able to have her husband with her for the birth. He had to leave two weeks earlier for Dubai where he found work.

Charlzy! # 28

Little Charlzy was born April 23rd 2008 at 9:21 am. She weighed 5 lbs 03 oz and was the petitest thing ever! Her mother came in pushing but initially we all thought she was premature because she had a very small fundal height! Before we rushed her off to the hospital, we calculated her due date and she was term! Believe it or not!! Despite everything, she took an hour to push little Charlzy out.

Ashley!!!

Meet Little Ashley and her parents. She was born April 21st 2008 at 3:47 mp. She weighed 6 lbs 3 oz. She was born exactly on her due date! Her mother after the birth of the placenta (which had to be removed manually) took my hand and looked me full in the face with a relieved look on her face said, "I am survived!"

She is so beautiful! Look at this amazing little face!

Surprise! Surprise!

Last week.... sorry so late in blogging.... a classmate caught "surprise twins"!

The story goes that this young lady came in fully and pushing... she made it to the bed and shortly thereafter birthed her first little girl. But something was amiss.... the mother's fundal height was 37 (considered large in this country) but the little girl was small (only 5 lbs). They noticed the fundus was still pretty large and so they checked for heart tones and what do you know another little one was still inside!

No one knew she was carrying twins. She had never had an ultrasound (not routinely done for cost reasons). Her sister was born a few minutes later. Both of them were born head first (PTL!) which is perfect because we have not done the lesson on breech deliveries yet. The second twin was IUGR (or growth restricted) due to a smaller umbilical cord and only weighed a little more than 3 lbs.

The mother didn't do so well in the postpartum period. She went into shock due to the blood loss and was transported to the hospital after vomiting several times. She had to have a blood transfusion and yet she couldn't take her twins with her! They were so small they would run the risk of getting ill. But God is an amazing provider! The classmate who caught the babies is a breastfeeding mother herself and she and her husband loved on these twins for about a week while their mother recuperated. She took them to see their mother everyday and helped them to establish solid breastfeeding patterns! They sure can eat!

But my classmate was definitely tired at the end of it all.... tandem feedings, midnight feedings, three babies at her breast continually (for she still breast feeds her youngest!) and an assignment to complete on top of it all! She just gave the babies back last night! Please pray that they will grow up strong and that their family can afford two of everything when they only planned for one!

The first little girl is named Shweety (but we called her Bean Sprout) weighed 5 lbs at birth
The second tiny girl is named Cutie (but we called her Sweet Pea) weighed 3 lbs at birth

Juliana Marie

Juliana Marie Born April 11th 2008 at 4:04 am Wt: 3040 g or 6.13 lbs

This young lady came in very active but her contractions were unusual. They were very strong but lasting only about 20-30 seconds. I asked her if she had used Magson (the lotion that causes unnaturally strong uterine contractions) and she said she had. I asked her to wash it off.... she looked at me like I was crazy for asking such a silly thing but did it anyway.


When I checked her blood pressure it was high, 140/100 so I had her lie down and drink some water.... I was going to do an IE because I thought she was fully but my super wanted her blood pressure to come down first. So we breathed through some contractions and I was waiting a bit longer in hopes her BP would come down so we wouldn't have to transport.... and then her eyes got wide. She grabbed my arm and said "Look down there!" and pointed to the baby's head which was already 4 cm visible!


I got gloves on in a hurry and then (once again!) after 9 mins of pushing Juliana joined us! This woman was also a G1 (meaning her first baby) so 9 minutes of pushing is definitely the way to go!

Postpartum: She hemorrhaged 500 cc at birth and continued to lose quite a bit of blood and clots with each check. We were able to manage it only after doing a manual exploration and removing retained membranes and cotyledons.

Mary Angelie~ an Answer to prayer!

This beautiful woman came in to the clinic very calm, relaxed with irregular contractions. It was tricky trying to guess how far along she was. But when i did an IE she was 7 cm, +1 station, 80% effaced. She labored well and an hour later had SROM. 15 mins later she asked to push and then 9 minutes after that, little Mary Angelie was born!

This is her first baby so only pushing for 9 mins is pretty fantastic!

The first part of the story..... I found out later on that Mary Joy and Orlando have been married for four years and have been praying for a child all this time. They were not able to get pregnant for the longest time, so when they found out the good news they were overjoyed and a bit worried. The looks on their faces when they saw their little girl was so tender.... so loving! She is their little angel! Their answer to prayer!

She got her first bath from her father, Orlando!

Myca Faulin Baby # 24

Jenevive is my continuity. She texted me early one morning but I didn't get it until someone at the clinic texted me saying she was there. When I arrived she was 7 cm with strong contractions. About 15 minutes later, her water broke and immediately she wanted to push. She only pushed for 7 minutes when little Myca Faulin was born! Her husband really caught my attention. He cared for her so lovingly while doing so on crutches. He has a lame leg.

Kurt Leogene baby # 23

Leonora was well on her way to having little Kurt by the time I came on shift. This is her fourth child and she was well versed in all the good exercises to help the baby move down. When little Kurt was born there was a tight cord coil but he doesn't seem any worse for the wear.