Hump Day

I went to the hospital again today.  Different students from Monday and Tuesday.  I spent first half of day in postpartum and second half of day at L&D.  In L&D I was assigned one patient and one midwife student, but there also were 2 nursing students with us.  Primip in active labor.  The signs of a woman having back labor is the same no matter what part of the world you're in.  As per usual around here, those three were just watching the mom standing, rocking, bending over, moaning.  I immediately began giving lower back pressure, massage.  The mom just leaned into.  Ah!  That's what I needed.  After that the midwife student and nursing students would also take turns rubbing her back during contractions.  There's no room in L&D for any family members.  We checked her and she was only 6.  So I sent her outside the unit (which is outside in the courtyard). There, her female family members took over.  Walking with her, rubbing her back, etc.  So much better being outside with her support system, then in the cramped, very crowded L&D!  Unfortunately, she didn't deliver before I left, I'm sure she did fine.

Dr. Alice wanted to go to town to buy a little wooden chair for her kid.  I just went along for the adventure.  We each had our taxi (motorcycle).  It was cool to see the hustle and bustle downtown.  Well, I shouldn't say hustle.  NOBODY hustles around here for anything, it's the Haitian pace.

The young Irish pediatrician came over this evening.  I've worked with her this week, and she is awesome!  Speaks fluent French.  That's a great asset here, next to knowing Haitian Creole, that is.  We all had a lively discussion about working at St. Therese Hospital.

I do feel a lot better today.  So glad they have a supply of Cipro here!  Plan on going on mobile clinic tomorrow.

First photo is of the Midwives for Haiti jeep.  It's what they use to pick up people at the airport in Port au Prince.  So I have already been on a 3 hour ride in it.  They also use it for the mobile clinics.  They do mobile clinics to 16 villages!  From what I understand the jeep is really in some need of some major repair.  They don't really have that kind of money, so they make repairs as they can.

The first photo is of the pink jeep.  The other photos are from our trip to town.