Day 33: Last Assist-Done!!!

Night Shift went great....guess what? I got my last assist in!!! ON MY BIRTHDAY!!!! Woohooo!!!

Here's the scope: I was dead tired from this past week's adventures....everything I could fit in, I did...including daily 8-12 hour long Shifts, shopping and cooking for our house with Jordan (our week to do it), spending time with Heidi before she goes on Furlough, trying to get our Outreach pictures edited and transferred to the 3 other girls and then uploaded to my Blog (50 pictures in 1 post once!! crazy I know) with our moderately slow/sporadic internet, skyping my family at all hours of the night (one night I stayed up until 3:30 skyping them, and it was SO 'Grabeeeh!!' (awesome in Visayan)), etc. 

I wouldn't trade anything that was done for anything, but as I said, it was crazy  busy....

Anyway, when we got on Night Shift, Mary's cont. was in labor, and there were 2 other ones who were in early labor....but besides the handlers, there was nothing for the rest of us to do, so we slept. 2 hours later, Mary's cont gave birth, and there was another one (Sylvette's) that they had decided to transport for 'ineffective pushing' (they tried all sorts of positions for over an hour, but it seemed that the baby's head was caught on the pelvic bone, and wasn't rotating).

Mary's Cont....the family

Mary's Cont's Baby

I watched Sylvette's labor for a while, and asked if she needed an assistant (which she didn't have), but because the gal was going to be transported, she didn't need one walapa (not yet). Mary asked me if I would want to finish cleaning up after her birth, which I did. I had literally just finished up with that, when Sylvette's gal started making progress.....fast!!!

While they put in the IV and filled out paperwork, they let her keep pushing and trying---giving her a 'last chance'. Anyway, I started putting on gloves while entering the cubicle, but the first one was NOT cooperating, and the head was crowning!!! (As the assistant, as SOON as the baby (sometimes head) is born, you need to start suctioning the fluids out from it's lungs.) The head was almost born by the time I got my 2nd glove half on, and so I contemplated just doing it that way (not smart), but had time enough to slip the rest on, grab the bulb syringe off the tray, & start suctioning the baby as it was born...

Phoebe

I felt MUCH more at ease this time with assisting, and it was really cool, because the assistant place was empty, even as the baby was being born, so I was able to step in and do it!!! Praise the Lord!! The baby was a girl, and so beautiful. After she was born, her mom started crying uncontrollably, and kept saying, "Thank you Jesus, Thank you Lord!!" They so badly wanted this baby born at MMC!!

Proud Parents

Birthing Team: Me, Claire, Sylvette, Ate eSteph, and the proud parents

Her husband was there supporting her the whole labor, and a few minutes, soon after birth, her pastor & his wife came with food, clothes, and took some pictures (which I was able to get!!!) They decided to name the baby Phoebe.  It was funny though, because they had originally wanted to name her 'Sarah', but were convinced by friends to name her Phoebe.....kinda neat!

As the assistant, I did the baby's bath, and conducted the Newborn Exam (my first as Primary!). They were so grateful to me (even though I wasn't the one in Primary Delivery!), & kept saying "We'll never forget you!!" all the way through the postpartum time I was with them..... Such a precious little family!!

Conducting the newborn exam

Footprints

Hungry, but peaceful baby

Proud mama!!

After shift, I went home, got ready for the day, and skyped my family. At mid-morning, I realized I had forgotten to do something on shift (take pictures of Mary's cont), & so I went back to clinic. Just yesterday, I was wondering to myself, "Will I ever see Jaycho's family again??" (Jaycho was a baby, who though I was not there for his birth, I was there for all of the postpartum procedures, and happened to be there for most of their postpartum checks too, and I almost cont him as a cont.)

Anyway, I headed into Clinic, & guess who's there??? Jaycho and his mom!!!! That was pretty exciting! Isn't God so good?? 

Midwife "McKay-Kay" :) with Jaycho and mom

Precious little bundle!!

Jaycho and me

It was really sweet....as I entered the Clinic, I found this little boy playing happily on the middle of the floor with his feet, while Felix (a guard) and his mother talked over him.

One of our amazing guards-Felix

Jordan doing a Postpartum on her Cont.

Kamerie and Sylvette