Day 10: Swing Shift

Slept in until 8:30 am, & then got up & around. At 12:15 pm, Kamerie, Jordan & I went to the market to get some more food stocks, & got back just in time to go to Swing Shift, at 1:45 pm.

There was a gal (C1) in active/pushing labor when I got there, but since all the Day Shifters were in there, I didn't see the birth (at 1:57 pm :D), though Chantal & Annie (who were on shift) did!!

Dead Shift!!!

Since C1's birth was all over & done with by the time my shift actually started, the shift was dead until about 5 pm, when another gal (C2) came in in mid-labor. She had just turned 19. I helped with vitals, charting, etc. for a while, until I wasn't needed.

At around 8:15 pm, another gal (C3) came in, that I did vitals on & charted, but she was discharged/sent home, as she was in the early stages of labor. C3 is part of one of tribes here in Mindanao.

A couple interesting facts about the Tribal People:

1) Often, they don't even speak Visayan, & so they are asked that they bring a translator with them for delivery.

2) Many of the tribes don't keep track of time, so most don't know how old they are, how far along they are in their pregnancy, or when their last LMP was, which makes it very interesting during labor & birth. (For instance, yesterday, we had a tribal gal come in, & she was at the clinic all day with her translator, because there was not telling when she'd give birth!)

Every week/month, MMC does Prenatal Outreaches to different areas/tribes, & then do complete Charity cases for the tribal communities. Since the Government does not recognize the Tribes, they are handled a little differently & with a little more grace than the usual clientele (for instance, they'll allow gals with no previous Prenatal History into their birthing clinic.)

At 9:13 pm, after hours of hard labor, C2 birthed a baby boy. The pushing part wasn't very productive, as she kept 'sucking' the baby's head back in, & then there was a slight shoulder dystocia (which only lasted 45 seconds), that I was able to help with a little bit (moving legs around, to try to get the baby down & out). The baby was very blue/purple when he came out, & it took a minute or 2 for him to cry, but he was sort of alert, after a little more than a bit of oxygen, he came around alright, & then cried pitifully. :D

Right after C2 birthed, another laborer (C4) came into the clinic, & since everyone was busy with the baby, I admitted her in, & started vitals on her, per my Supervisor's askance. She was one of the MMC Student's "Conts" or Continuitys, & so the student was txted, & after she came, she took over. C4 was discharged as well, as she was only 2 cms.

A guard making old flour sacks into cloths, by tearing out the stitches.

Elsa/"AteElse" repainting the birthing stools. (Told you she can do anything!!)

My last care of the night (9:30 pm), was of C1, who needed her vitals checked & her diaper changed. Her baby ended up being transported, as he wasn't wanting to nurse, & was still pretty gray.

The girls had a Soda/Icecream Party while Jord & I were in Clinic, so when we got home at 10:15 pm, we had some.

Tomorrow I work Night Shift.