Delivery in the mountains

I had returned to Jeremie the day before. It was now 5 PM and the ambulance was needed in a village about 90 minutes away. We were told there were 2 women at the tiny dispensery, one who had just delivered and was bleeding heavily and one who was not progressing. There was no nurse midwife or native birth attendent, only 2 young RN's. After getting my camera and water, I joined the driver and the nurse-midwife and we were on our way.

To say the road was "bumpy" minimizes the experience. Plus we were going as fast as we could because of the situation. I would hate to think what the experience would have been like if we didn't have the good driver that we did! When we arrived, it was dark. Like so many dispensaries in Haiti, there were about 20 steps to get to the front door. (no such thing as handicapped accessible!) We cautiously made our way to the back of the dispensary where there was light in one room. There was the woman who had delivered on a bed with her legs elevated. In the time it took us to arrive, her bleeding had slowed considerably. Her blood pressure was good and she appeared stable, so we moved her to the next room so we could concentrate on the woman still in labor.

With a lot of help and guidance to the woman by Nadege, our nurse-midwife, labor started progressing. Over the next hour we let nature take its course. The woman had no medication, needed no episeotomy, (I know the spelling is incorrect and I apologize!) , and delivered a big healthy girl who immediately let us know she had arrived in this world of ours! Following delivery of the placenta, the mother was cleaned, given different clothes, and transferred to a 2 or4 man stretcher (WWII army kind). The baby was also cleaned, given drops for the eyes, dressed and wrapped in a towel and given to the grandmother.

We took mother, child, and relatives in the ambulance for a 20 minute ride to the place were the trail takes off from the main road for them to return to their home. Neighbors awaited us. The husband lifted the woman out of the ambulance and on to the stretcher. Four men picket up the stretcher and began the treacherous journey up and down the mountainside to take her back home. Luckily there was a full moon to provide some light. Grandmother carried the baby and everyone repeated over and over again, "Merci, merci. "
We got back in the ambulance and continued on the journey home.
An experience to remember, some pictures to later share, and a "thanks be to God" that all turned out OK. And, it was a cute little girl!!
Take care. God bless. Till next time, Mary Ann

Health care brought to the mountains

Sometimes the roads are too dangerous for the vehicles to go all the way to the site of the post, so medical supplies are brought to the place by donkey or be the villagers themselves.

Once there, we set up our supplies in whatever building is available. It might be a communal building, like this church/community building; or a home that a family has graciously moved out of so we could use it to examine patients. It is not unusual to see over 100 patients, from the newborn to the pregnant women to the children needing vaccinations to the adults and elderly with acute care needs.
Because of Health Agents in the village, the "news" has been spread about our coming and what we will offer that particular day.
Be the time we are finished, we know we have had a full day and that we have done what we could for the people that day. And that is how it is accomplished, one day at a time!
Take care. God bless. And do pray for the people of Haiti. Mary Ann

Pictures of the babies

I am in the states for 2 weeks and so am able to put more pictures on the blog. These are pictures of some of the women and their newborn babies. Till next time... Mary Ann