a birth!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The last 48 hours I have been itching to see a Haitin birth before I leave and see Beth McHoul (midwife) in action. After taking Jenny to see baby Kenley we went back to the hospital to have dinner and I was going to stay and watch Enchanted with the kiddos. Beth and I were walking back to the hospital and a little boy came and told us there was a mom who was getting ready to habe a baby!!!! I almost couldn't speak! We went in.... I took vitals and beth checked mom... 6cm with buldging bag of waters. We headed to the clinic and Beth's Birth Center. Carol and Mary (nurses who are sisters), Barbie PA, Dr. Jen on standby, Tara Livesay administrator and record keeper and me (along with husband and mama's sister) were all their. We changed to scrubs, made mom comfy, had her use the bathroom to empty her bladder, and I checked fetal heart rate with every contraction.... it was 8:20 or so. This was her third baby, other two births were in a hospital that doesn't exist anymore and they live right in the neighborhood but Beth had never met them. She normally wouldn't deliver someone she doesn't even know or done a prenatal on but with us all there she did! Mom was so graceful.... taking deep breaths and only making this clicking sound in the back of her throat with the strong contraction (a very Haitian thing to do). She labored squating, sidelying, on her back, the yoga ball for a little and the on all fours on the bed. I played Doula with Mary supporting her and I rubbed her back with olive oil, assited her to bathroom and helped monitor fetal heart rate. By midnight I checked her and she was fully dilated (yes I did a few internal exams with some coaching and then people following up in between!). We all decided we better make coffee in case this was a long night since co0ntractions were winding down. Beth and I went looking for coffee and her water broke. She ended up pushing on her back through two contractions and baby was born at 0100. Carol (a L&D nurse who hasn't worked for 8 years and had never delivered a baby) caught. I grabbed lower half of baby on the way out... came out to fast!!!! I felt that baby was a girl!!!!! She had a lot of secretions since she was born so fast Apgar at 1 and 5 was 8 but then she started nasal flaring and needing suctioning.... in seconds her color was poor so Melissa and Barbie (the baby team) started bagging and even did some compressions. We woke up Dr. Jen who also helped till baby's color was back and she was crying. It did scare Mama and she didn't want to nurses b/c she thought baby was sick. We encouraged her that baby was fine and needed to nurse to help deliver the placenta.... that took almost and hour. Baby weighed in at 8lbs 1oz. That is a large size in Haiti and Mama was all belly! The baby's name is Natale (I think). I helped sister shower mom and we took mom and baby to Heartline Hospital for the night. Then us girl crashed in bed at 0330. The whole Birth Team!

I now feel I have come full circle... I feel my trip is complete. I also KNOW that being a midwife is exactly what I want to do!!!!! And I know I need to get home to see my baby girl do this: www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=516066023881

The whole deliver i kept thinking how this birth was like Cora's.... lots of people, all women except dad, third basby, quiet mom, bulging bag of waters, a few pushes, secretions after birth and needing some assistance (this baby more that Cora)... and a happy Mama at the end! This is why I feel so at home here. Man I am going to miss this place! Every day has brought a new chanllenge, a new joy and so much love and hope! It is all bittersweet! Now I am off to say good-bye to all my new friends and colleuges down here. I fly out at 5:30 with sisters Mary and Carol, meet their other sister in Ft. Lauderdale... go for dinner and get a hotel room, then fly to Boston at 12:30 noontime and see my family for dinner! Pray for a smooth transition and much rest! I am feeling good but want to catch up tonight before I see the kiddos! Thanks everyone for following my trip, praying and encouraging me!Carol "the baby catcher" and me the Doula!