19.01.2011 -Delivered a baby!!!

Today I delivered a baby!!!! I didn't feel well in the night and was fearing I had malaria. I didn't go for my run and slept until 7 when I was thinking about getting up the phone rang and Olen was on the other end telling me twins were being delievered and if I wanted I should go to Maternity. I couldn't get my scrubs on fast enough, a delivery, I was SO excited! The twins of this women are the first I listened to their heart beat on a doplar a couple days ago. How cool to go from hearing their heart beat inside her womb to seeing them come out!
I was saying good by to my homestay sisters and that I had to go to the hospital and wasn't going to eat breakfast, I was waving and ducking under a tree, I turned to leave and ran into a pile of drying bricks. I cut my finger and stubbed my toe enough to break part of my big toe nail.
It was a hurry up and wait. They didn't deliver for a while. I helped rub her back, change her position. She didn't speak French so it was hard to communicate (not that I speak French that well to begin with). The first baby was breached. Danae was a little concerned because it was her 10th baby and they were twins and the first was breached. She was loosing more blood then normal. (apparently, not like I would know what normal blood loss in a birth looks like because it was my first) A lot of time passed, several hours. Danae broke her water using a let's just say less then normal way of doing it given the resources. A bit more time passed and Doug was now in the room too. Dane checked her and turned for less then 2 seconds. Just enough time for me to look up at Danae to see what she was doing and by the time I looked back the body was half way out and Doug had swooped in to catch it. The baby came out, it was a boy, not moving or crying. I started to get worried. A few breaths and some chest compressions and he was crying. Danae said I have the next one. The head started to come and I put my hand there to catch it. Danae told me how and where to put my hands. How to turn and then there was a whole new little baby in my hands! It was a girl. I was holding her with her head down a bit and they suctioned her mouth and nose and she started to make sound. The cord was cut and I laid her on her Mom's tummy. Then I helped deliver the placenta which was HUGE and uncomfortable for the Mom. She was moved to a 'more comfortable place' putting her in the next room, which was just a curtain away and had 2 other women there. One had lost her baby a few days ago. There wasn't a mattress so the new mom sat on the floor. Someone brought in a woven mat and we put it on the bed springs and she got on the bed.

We tried to warm the babies by putting them on the mom. She was tired and didn't like me rubbing her utereous, but it was so important. I helped her breast feed even though she was reluctant. They asked what my name was and I think they are either naming the baby after me, or they want me to pick a name. I think I'll figure it out tomorrow. What an AMAZING feeling. Even thought the father was MIA after all he does have two other wives.
I also put in my first catheter, that went well.


Gave a couple shots and took an afternoon bucket bath
There was a surgery today where they were removing a kidney. I went to watch. Little did I know they kidney was as big as the baby I just just delivered... no joke!
A little kid I was worried about died last night he had contractors in his hands. Maybe tetnus.
I was walking back to my hut under the full moon and ended up behind a small group of people walking and wailing (crying) seemed like someone died.
This place is beautiful and tragic