The Best Day...

Today, I was on Day Shift... Dili problema, but I was a little worried..I (only) got less than 4 hours of sleep last night, and worked all day yesterday. It was so precious, because a few people happened to email me and mention they were praying specifically that God would bless my day today and would give me grace, strength and energy for my tasks... Besides being an immense encouragement, God did exactly that!

All 4 of these  I assisted in a 12 hour period... (There was 1 more in a 15 hr period who had just been d/c'd)

I haven't really said this before, but I was gamay lang (little) frustrated with this past week... Not to compare, but last year, by the time I finished my 3 months at Mercy, my Supervisors trusted me and were confident in what I did, and I knew my way around the place quite well.

I knew coming back, that there would be a lot of things different in the clinic, and it would take a while to get used to the way it works, and get back into the hang of things, and of course, I knew I would need to do more observs and assists before handling, and that's just the truth.

However, it was a little frustrating: The first 4 days of work, I felt like I was just sitting around the whole time, learning a lot of things, but gamay lang shy ko, ug it was hard kaayo (very) to get engaged with the birth room, or take initiative, and I felt lazy, and of no help: just doing the bare minimum. Which is perfectly reasonable looking back, as I was trying to learn the Clinic all over again and was only allowed to do the bare minimum depending on my Supervisor (less with the American midwives), pero (but) it was just frustrating, because last year, I was helping teach the new students, and now they were the ones teaching me things that I did just fine last year (like Clinicals/Prenatals)...and their Visayan was better than mine!!
Maybe there was pride at the root too....I don't know..all I know was I was struggling with semi-wishing it was the same, and trying to look for more ways to help, but feeling "helplessful". ;p

Anyway, today changed that. To start doing handles myself (delivering a baby), I needed 2 observs, 1 charting, 2 assists, and one Initial Labor Chart Admit... So far, I have gotten one completed per day, with an Observ both Saturday and Sunday, the Charting on Tuesday, and 1 Assist yesterday (after a good but a little frustrating "watching" clinical morning).

Today was different. By 7 am, we had 2 baby girls born (remember I start Day Shifts at 6am). The first was pus-pus kaayo (very fast), and the handler-Brenda almost didn't catch the baby, she came so fast! She was born at 6:13am. We had just started 5 minute checks, and I hadn't even started my whole heap of 'Assistant duties' (including cleaning up the birth supplies, and replenishing the Birth Cart), when Annabelle needed an Assist for her birth.

First assist of the day (yes, the little 10 y/o girl was her Bantay! :O)

Though her patient didn't birth for a about 15 minutes, I was definitely needed as Assistant the whole time, and another healthy girl was born at 6:55am. Then, I hadn't quite finished cleaning up and replenished both Assist 1 or 2, when a Labor came in, and I needed to Admit her...so I dropped the almost clean buckets, trashed my gloves, and admitted her to Erica. Fulfilling ALL my pre-reqs before handling my own!!! All within 1.5 hours.

My 2nd assist of the day

Erica's patient didn't birth until 8:50am, but I assisted her birth too. However, hers wasn't so easy, and we had not only a shoulder dystocia, but high mec, a blue baby, a nuchal cord, and hemorrhaging of 750 ml (not the worst I've seen, by far--but by protocol, anything over 500 ml immediately gets IVF--IV Fluids). So, Ate´ helped a lot too.

Erica and I with the 3rd babae of the shift!!

Then, before I could get the Birth Cart readied again, a labor came in, and as I was first up (woohoo!), I had to Admit her, and get her Labor history. Well, she turned out to be no where near labor, so we sent her home.  (I should make a note that the average time I spent being Assistant post birth was about 20-25 minutes, minimum.)

This little 7 m/o boy stole my heart with his occasional smiles, and loved holding my hand....(Unfortunately, I couldn't get a smile for the picture)

At noon, another labor walked in--the sweetest, cutest petite thing ever-due tomorrow!! Ate´ did an IE, and I would have done one afterwards, except it sackit kaayo (hurt bad) and so I left it at that. She was only 4cm dilated, but was 70% effaced with 0+ station, and her ctx (contractions) were every 2.5 minutes, lasting for 1 minute. She labored so well (I want to follow her example when it's my turn!), and would have been the perfect first-birth-in-a-year-patient, but there was no way she was going to deliver in the 1.5 hrs I had left.

I seriously contemplated making her into my cont, and staying with her until she was in postpartum, but that means I might have been here all night, and with only 4 hours of sleep behind me, I decided I should probably endorse her... She ended up having the baby (not sure if it was a lalaki or babae) before 6:30pm, with some moderate complications, but it turned out alright.

Anyway, in closing, today was a marvelous day... and I really feel like I'm almost back up to speed for starters, and am starting to almost pick up where I left off, and am feeling more capable in what I'm doing. Praise Geno'o!! There were some points over the last few days that I found myself comparing midwifery to EMS work, and I realized today, that it all has to do with adrenaline and keeping busy...especially at the clinic. For some reason, I get tired at the Clinic much easier (no matter how much sleep I've had), then other medical work, and I think it might be all the hormones and emotional 'stress'? involved in the process of giving life--as well as the heat and humidity.

Today really was such a good 'another' reminder that God's grace is sufficient for ALL our needs!!! And sometimes He sends it in multitudes of ways.... There are som many things I'm rejoicing for tonight...GOd is so gracious and good!!

Oh, I should give an update on the mouse.... In general, I am not afraid of mice...However, the girls and I were joking last night, after it squished under the door into our room, that it couldn't get to me, since I sleep on the top bunk...or could it???! So, remembering my fears last year of stepping on spiders and roaches in the middle of the night, I could only feel a little apprehensive--just in case about this mouse, who's first path of entry was most likely my backpack and gear right in front of the door.. Eek!

I had just gotten to sleep, when I heard rustling coming from somewhere close, and startled awake.. Ahhh! Then, mentally shaking myself, I knew it was silly even to think about it...it's not like I would really find a huge mouse or rat sitting on my chest in the morning yelling angrily at me...right???

Oh well...I guess it must have moved on, because just a few minutes ago, it scurried from the main study area to the kitchen...AGAIN. My friend and I both looked at each other and said quite unemotionally "There goes the mouse." (as if it was an every day occurrence...oh wait, is it??) ;p

I work Swing tomorrow, and am very much looking forward to a good night sleep, and possibly a first catch of the year tomorrow!! May you all have a blessed day my friends!!

And the heavens shall praise Thy wonders, O LORD: Thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints. For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him. O LORD God of Hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto Thee? or to Thy faithfulness round about Thee? 

...Nevertheless, My lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer My faithfulness to fail.

~ Psalms 89:5-8, 33 ~

And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish Thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish Thou it.

~ Psalms 90:17 ~