Beautiful Babies

One of the things I love most about my job is getting to see such beautiful babies. Below are just a few of my favorites...

Shanaiah born January 18, 2011weighing 3.27 kilos

Jael Grace born March 20, 2011 weighing 3.33 kilos

Ben Renz born September 9, 2011 weighing 2.61

Tarren born October 26, 2011 weighing 3.32 kilos

Crisha Loise born December 8, 2011 weighing 2.73 kilos

Zenrhan born December 21, 2011 weighing 3.04 kilos

Gabriel born December 25, 2011 weighing 2.45 kilos

Adrinne Kane born December 31, 2011 weighing 2.98 kilos

'Twas the morning of Christmas...

'Twas the morning of Christmas, and all through the place

Excitement was flowing with joy on each face. 

The Filipinos were all gone,  only the Americans were there. 

Breakfast was served...it was quite the affair! 

Fruit smoothies, omelets, gravy and biscuits

Each of these thought to be great favorites. 

The party was moved, up the stairs we all went

We'd open all the presents that were sent.

After the gifts came the Christmas movies.

Little did we know we'd soon be catching babies!! 

Dogs were barking, so I peaked out the window

And saw a tricy parked below.

Down the stairs I went to open the door.

When I saw the woman I thought today would not be a bore! 

Active, was she ever! The baby's coming she shouted, 

Call Georgia! Will she make it? I doubted. 

I threw a sheet on the bed. 

And just in time to see the baby's head!

Two more Christmas babies we caught

A more memorable Christmas could not be bought. 

 

 

Sweet baby Gabriel

There is nothing sweeter than seeing a new life come into this world. And there is nothing more bitter than watching that same life slip away just hours later.
My patient pushed her 4kg (8lb 4oz) son into the world at 2:08am after a VERY difficult labor with intense back pain. It was her first baby and she was so excited to finally meet him. But within less than a minute of his birth it was clear that he was not yet breathing very well. He would sort of gasp, but that was it. So for the next 15-20 minutes we fought to get this baby to breath. We tried to stimulate him and we did PPV. We deep suctioned him, but he was still struggling. He was gasping, had nasal flaring and retractions. Within 40 minutes after he was born we transported him to the local hospital.
The next morning after hearing that Ian Dave was not doing so well we talked with the family about transporting him to Tugugarao (an hour and a half drive) since the hospital there has a NICU. They decided that they would transport if one of us could go with to help advocate for them. My friend Chel and I went with them.
When we got to the hospital I could tell that that little Ian Dave had only a slim chance. He was very pale and his fingernails were quite blue. But I prayed so hard that he would make it.
About 15 minutes into the drive the baby's auntie who was holding him asked if we could stop and check him because he didn't seem to be breathing. He took a couple gasps and then nothing. The nurse in the ambulance did not have a stethoscope with and I couldn't find a pulse, so I began doing chest compressions on his tiny body. His color would get better for a little bit, but then it he would become pale again. I continued doing chest compressions all the way to the hospital, praying the entire way.
When we got to the hospital the Dr. assessed him and couldn't locate a heartbeat at first. They continued doing chest compressions and finally were able to hear the heartbeat. They gave him an injection to help get his heart going, which seemed to help for a while, but soon the heartbeat would crash again. They tried to help Ian Dave. They tried hard. But in the end, Ian Dave went to be with Jesus.
My heart breaks for his mommy and daddy. I cannot even begin to imagine what they are going through. May came into the clinic at noon on Saturday, expecting to hold her baby soon, but instead she only got to hold his lifeless body 14 hours after he was born. I pray that God will comfort their breaking hearts, that He will wrap them close in His loving embrace. And that somehow, someway, healing comes. I pray that they always remember and honor their precious son, Ian Dave, but that the hurt they feel right now becomes less and less.
To Gabriel. A precious baby who was with us for such a short time, but that has left an impression on my heart and his family's hearts for all eternity.


*Names changed to protect the family.

Gabriel

Gabriel. We fought for you. We fought so hard for you. But now you are with Jesus. And I know that God will shine His glory through your life and death.
Thank you to all who prayed for this precious little baby, and his family who loved him dearly. Please continue to pray for his mom and dad and the rest of his family as they bury his body today.

*Name changed to protect family.

Wordless Wednesday

It's not about you...

I was woken up yesterday morning by the clinic phone at 5am. I was not too excited that my labor ended up being ANOTHER G1 (meaning it's her first baby). I've had so many G1's lately and they've all been REALLY long labors which is kind of the "norm" for someone who is having her first baby. I'd had my day all planned out. It was Sunday, my day to rest and relax. And even with that I'd already decided that I would work on my assignment for 5 hours (something I usually NEVER do on Sundays!!). Anyway. She texted off and on for the next couple hours. She said her labor had started at 3am so I figured she was still in early labor. Then at 7 am I hear a truck in the driveway, Hairy barking and just as I am looking out the window she texts to say she is here. They are supposed to let us know BEFORE they come so that we can be ready for them (get the birth room ready and everything). So, I was a bit irritated, but went downstairs with a smile anyway, asking God to change my attitude. She was a really sweet girl and was rather composed which only confirmed in my mind that she was early, so was I surprised to find that she was already 6-7 cm dilated! Maybe it wouldn't be a long labor after all! I finished checking her in and getting her as comfortable as possible. She wanted to walk around outside with her mom and husband which is so good. I told her I was going to take a quick shower and I'd be right back.
As I was showing I really prayed and thanked God for already beginning to change my attitude. I also asked that she would have a really good labor and birth. That He was show up throughout the process. And that it would just be a sweet, sweet time sitting with her. And was it ever!! :)
As I sat with her, she wanted me to rub her belly with each contraction. If my hand was not in the "right" place she would move it. Or if I had been writing in her chart, she would reach out her hand for mine and place it on her belly. There were a couple of contractions where she would begin to cry out, focusing on the pain. But then when that contraction was over, she would refocus and compose herself, asking God for strength and then with the next contraction she would be either praying or talking to her baby. It was so sweet. I saw strength written all over her young face. I saw her draw strength from within herself, even at the times that she felt she couldn't go on. I saw her lean into Jesus, asking and trusting the He would and was helping her.
The actual birth of her baby took awhile and there was a bit of a worrisome time when the baby's heart rate began to crash. But with changing position, head stim to the baby and O2 it began to climb again. I know we were all praying. And then finally her baby entered this world! A little boy. It took him a bit to find his voice, but when he did, you knew it was there!!
What an honor it was to sit with her as she labored and then to catch her baby as it came into the world! Every time I attend a birth I feel so blessed and honored to be a part of something so special and intimate. But I think it was even more so this time.
Even though my day was disrupted and I didn't get nearly everything done that I'd planned, I wouldn't have traded that birth for anything! God is so good!
Here's a couple pictures of this beautiful new little family. :)

A beautiful sound

I think one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard is that of a brand new baby's cry. Every time a catch a baby, assist at a birth, or simply sit in the admitting area of the clinic, I anxiously await that beautiful sound. There is nothing in this world that compares with hearing the first sound that the baby makes, letting us know that he is alive and well.
It is an especially wonderful sound after a hard birth or, as was the case the other day, a time of trying to assist the baby to breath.
My roommate was leaving to go back to the States for a few weeks that day. The night before, one of her continuity patients came to the clinic in labor. Kayla stayed up with her all night labor watching. She began getting more active late that morning. I wasn't able to be at the birth because I was on for prenatals, but the room where we do prenatals is just next to the birth room, so I was able to keep up on what was happening. She'd begun to bleed some before the baby was out, so the midwife who runs the clinic here went to help with the birth. The mama was fine, but had a pretty hard birth, and when the baby finally came out he was limp and not crying. Georgia did PPV for nine long, excruciating minutes, with all the midwives in the room, and the ones not there, and the mom all praying and begging the baby to cry.
I peaked my head in at one point and it was about all I could take. I don't think I've ever wanted anything as bad as I wanted to hear that baby cry! Those nine minuets felt like an eternity! But finally, that beautiful little boy began to cry, and with it came a great sigh of relief from all present, knowing that he was breathing on his own. He ended up being transported to the hospital later that night because he was still struggling with breathing a bit and there had been pretty thick mec. When two of the girls went to visit him at the hospital the next day he was on IV antibiotics, but seemed to be doing ok.
It's scary to think that if that baby had been born at home instead of here with trained midwives he probably wouldn't have made it. It makes me so anxious to finish my training and head back to India. In Uttarakhand state the maternal mortality rate is 440 for every 100,000 births and the infant mortality rate is 42 per 1,000 live births. Both of these are pretty shockingly high rates, and many of these deaths happen at home or in the field with no, or an ill trained, birth attendant. My hope is to reach women and their families with the love of Jesus through providing care during the antepartum, birth and postpartum periods of a woman's life.
Thank you for joining me on this journey. :)
~sara~

Wordless Wednesday

Ok, just a few words...This family is too cute!! They are both so totally in love with their daughter!!

And who can blame them when she's so cute?!?!

Typhoons and Candellight births

I thought I'd take a break from Wordless Wednesday(even though it's been awhile since I posted) today. It's been a bit crazy around here since last Monday(a week and a half ago). Monday morning Typhoon Megi came sweeping her rage though Tabuk. She dumped TONS of rain and blew trees down with her mighty wind. In one of the villages we do out reach to she flattened about twenty homes, and took off roofs and walls from countless others.
Since she came though we haven't had electricity, and it could be at least another week to a month or two before they get all the lines and everything fixed. We do have a generator at the clinic, but we've had to do two births by candlelight already because the generator has some issues.
It's also been difficult to work on assignments because of the lack of electricity. Though there is a gas station down the street that has a good generator(good enough to run the AC even!!) and internet, so I've been spending quite a bit of time down here.
We've had a couple of girls from Davao here this month. It's been a lot of fun having them here and I'll be sad to see them go next week.
Well, I hope this update finds you all doing well!
~sara~

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Outreach 8/20

Each Friday we go to a village for outreach. Each outreach consists of a few things... Teaching, devotional, pr@yer and prenatal checks. Yesterdays outreach was VERY busy! I'm not sure how many prenatal checks we did, but most of them were initials.
I helped Kayla(she's a second year students and my roommate) with the checks she was doing. The first mama was really sweet. She had two little girls already. They were maybe about 2 and 4.

The Miracle of Life

What a beautiful thing it is to see a new little life come into this world!

This morning Crystal and I had planned to go walking early in the morning before it got hot. We met downstairs around 6:30, both of us excited to go. But not too long before that a woman in labor had come to the clinic. B-lyn thought mama was ready to push, so we stayed. And what a great thing to miss a walk for! :D
At 7:04 a little baby girl entered this world! And I was there to see it!! :D Oh! What a perfect, beautiful baby she is. Below are a few pictures, though they don't do her justice.

Isn't she just beautiful?

3.11 Kgs

Daddy with his little baby girl

Abundant Grace Maternity Clinic

Ok. So, I've been meaning to post these pictures for a few days now, and I was going to yesterday but decided to do my post on India's Independence Day instead. So, anyway. Here's a few pictures of where I am now living, studying and working!! ENJOY!!

This is the front of the clinic/house

The office

The Delivery Room

Prenatal and Postpartum rooms

One of the three posters with many of the babies that were born here

Just a few of the books I have to read

Harry the clinic dog. He's really super sweet

Driving over the rice that was drying on the highway

One of the Filipino midwives doing some teaching in Highway Pakak

Just a few of the sweet little kids in the village

This baby had SO much hair!!!