Yesterday, while walking through the wards and being frustrated (angry) that students, due to graduate in May, do not know how to take vital signs nor care to know. I was having some murmurings with GOD. I received a phone call from my Dutch friend Geesja, who is a midwife in the Netherlands and helps out the local moms with prenatal and birth if they so request. She called and said she needed my help. We have a Kenyan mom in the bible study who is 33 weeks and her water broke without labor starting. She was put in a hospital about 7 miles from here and "observed". (loose term here "observed") She did well until 2 nights ago when little movement and heart tones decreasing. Gessja and I went about 1pm. Induction had been started on Maggie to get the baby out soon. In America they just take you to surgery for c Section. Not here. If they don't think the baby has a chance, they just let you labor and deliver and then say it is Gods will. AGH! Well Gessja has the Irish Mission Board here reviewing their mission project so I stayed, she was coming back in 4 hours. Maggie's contractions were mild. With repositioning we got heart tones back to 140-160 and baby was doing ok with the contractions, so Geesja left. Midwife came in 1X to check heart tones and left. AGH! I kept our equipment, that we brought, hidden. A midwife or nurse does not want to feel threatened or she becomes unreasonable and takes it out on the patient. Stories I could tell... Anyway, labor started to get real intense about 4. I had been reading (I went and got a book on problem births before Geesja picked me up) that baby would most likely need some help breathing as she was so young. OK Jesus what are we going to do here? I looked over there supplies and they have. A great new resuscitation cart from the states just like the one I used in Sleepy Eye. They didn't have it hooked up, nor know how, nor have an adapter for America plug to Uganda plug, nor have electricity when she did deliver...TIA This is another example of NGO's giving stuff and not thinking through what does the hospital really really need. Maybe a ambu bag for a baby, maybe a thermometer with a supply of batterys maybe a blood pressure cuff? UGH NGOS!!!
At 4:20pm Maggie pushed forth a new life and the midwife handed me the baby... I got out the equipment before this happened and was wishing I had paid better attention in those boring premmie baby classes about
what to do. Vitals signs, Stimulation Suction CPR if needed and that is all I could do so Jesus you better help out here big time! Baby was a little floppy but with some vigorous rubbing she pinked up and was moving well. Mom was doing well with the help of another friend of ours, Medline. She fetched the supplies for midwife, so she wouldn't start yelling. Midwives here generally are a volatile bunch. I know the picture is graphic for America but just wanted to share what Jesus was doing as I looked on... I present a happy beginning to prayers! Weight 2.15kilo =4# 6oz baby girl
