Mothers all in labour waiting for a bed

Chase is with me on labour ward… It’s a room with 8 delivery beds plus two observational beds or high risk beds.
There is an antenatal pre-labour ward which is effectively a booking place and you assess the patient – start a partogram (special chart for labour and delivery) – it’s a very busy ward.

Post Resus…Good outcome…

There are 80-120 babies born every day, which I know defies belief but its true – the mothers travel far and wide.

The sisters on the ward – Midwifes – they are highly skilled and care for a great deal of women every day and see every imaginable pregnancy outcome, and they have full days. There is no tea room or break room , because they never have a break on shift – there are few lulls in the constant stream of mothers.

So day One – we arrive at the hospital – change into scrubs – get our ID badges – go to the ward – and the sister comes in to greet us and says please come we will show you orientation later….. We are busy – please bring your gloves. We  walked into the labour ward and I was immediately involved in a delivery.

There is no tea room or break room , because they never have a break on shift – there are few lulls in the constant stream of mothers.

Beanies and Baby Socks

The midwifes are incredible and they deal with many many difficult cases – there is a ward round twice a day during the morning shift and about 2.30 – 3.00 pm – decisions are made on progress.

Communications can be a challenge with broken English and Swahili all mixed in together – –  my Swahili is limited to words like Push = Sakuma….stop ( acha) , breath good  relax, darling, beautiful baby, sorry, slowly slowly – etc etc.

But let me tell you all the best part of today…

Mother and healthy new born baby

The popular beanies – these ones from Kayla and Granny Helen

So the baby’s beanies and baby sox’s…..I am not sure I can convey in words the generosity and love you all gave in your gifts of money, equipment – baby clothes, knitted beanies, it was a beautiful and very moving privilege today  – they soaked up today the love and Golden strands of love infused into every stitch knitted or crocheted for them….the mothers…. – given by you all as total strangers 1000’s of miles away – each stitch infused with love and these gifts for me were just a breath away from being one of the moments in one’s life when you are glad your own dreams came true – that I have a profession that allows me to connect to my fellow midwifes a world away from home – being a helicopter pilot – pure freedom and professional growth – and our business which is a sum of stunning people who work within its whole mechanism ….without the success of so many of our team in making the company what it is today – I would have been able to be here …

Bucks wife Lilly – and her baby socks  a big big hit ….they loved them so will have to get the pattern specs – with one of my mother’s whom I delivered her baby.

One thing I bought that Becker Helicopters donated was educational material in Swahili and resus babies for practise, booklets.

It was amazing as we went through the golden minute – the babies first minute of life – and it’s a helping baby’s breath program to assist health care workers ….the charge sister ( they still call them that here)  she ran a teaching session with all her staff during the lull we had that day – …the posters were placed on the walls, student were trained during the day by their tutors…I was very moved and proud to have provided this training material all from a USA sponsored initiative and was so involved in the teaching of these students because there are so many resus everyday. I got involved with the teaching and created such a buzz with the words

The Golden Minute -it is now a passion of mine to teach this Helping Babies Breath program (HBB) – I will be returning in October to do more teaching.

Chase with new born baby

Golden minute – the babies first minute of life –
and it’s a helping baby’s breath program to assist health care workers

Its back to our roots as midwives – when it matters what we have as core skills and core anchors in our profession…..to be able to pass that torch to the next generation of midwifes.

….anyway I must away….internet is woeful here – staying at a local hotel on weekend to catch up on work back home and hope to get this email out before then but they don’t have hotspot or free Wi-Fi here.