Fulfillment and Sleeplessness

 After my 10th birth I was able to start really getting involved. I checked babies' heartbeats consistently, caught babies, cut cords, checked postpartum moms, and learned baby checkups ! I am finally fulfilling the dream I've had since I was four years old to be a midwife's apprentice. I'm learning to have  different sleep patterns. I sleep when I can and a hard/deep sleep at that. Once I had a birth in the morning two that night and one the next morning. There was another birth that after noon but the midwives didn't wake me because they figured I needed my sleep, which I was very grateful for and anyways I had another delivery that night. It has really been a wonderful experience doing what I've always wanted to do.  For a little while now I've been taking a bit of a Christmas vacation and am not spending time at the birthing home. And Tuesday I leave for a beach trip with some friends!

Rocky and Company

Here's one of the families who delivered at our birthing home. They named their son Rocky, which made me think of the Beetle's song Rocky Raccoon!

Masarap!=delicious!

Good week! On Saturday I went to the house where our Bible study is held and we had another Thanksgiving dinner ( I had one at Jeri's house on Thanksgiving Day) and decorated their Christmas tree and had a children's choir come over. The children were from an organization that takes street children and gives them schooling and talent training such as singing to help them contribute to their family and prepare some form of career for the future. They were beautiful, however my camcorder was behind them so I couldn't record the performance. They had wonderful voices. 

Sunday I went to a market after church that has wonderful Filippine made products and yes many of you are going to get gifts from there. :) After getting home to Jeri's house Sarah (Jeri's daughter) lent me a tv show series called Leverage, which I am addicted to! You should check it out! Monday I found my way back to the birthing home via jeepney (yes I am very proud of myself! : ) On Tuesday (prepare to be jealous) I got a massage at a Thai place. It was wonderful and only 5 dollars! I then had dinner with my friends for Hope's birthday. 

  The first video is of all the daughters of the midwives who first laughed at me when I started a workout then joined in. It was so funny having all these little ones immitating me. 

  It's been a good week for another reason and that is that I am feeling much more useful around here. On Monday I went to the baby home and sang (out of tune) Christmas carols. One of the babies, Cindy, started trying to sing along, which was quite adorable as she is only 4 months old. It was great to be able to give something even if to a baby that won't remember where she got her beautiful Philippine Idol winner voice from. I also realized many things that I'm learning and how I'm changing, which is very rewarding. It's nice to see that this adventure has purpose. I'm learning things about how I relate to people and my motives and my impact on people and many other revelations.  

This video is of going into the city where I bought some things from the largest market in Manila called Divisoria. I had a sore throat for the rest of the week from the pollution. 

Mahal Kita

Time for an update!

This last week was hard on me, as I didn't have much internet access opportunities and everything feels different and I felt out of place. One comfort to me has been pilates and music. I found this place where they hang their laundry and which faces the back yard (tropical jungle!) to do my pilates. I have seen 5 more births! And I found a cure for my hand. Saturday I got on an FX, which is a large type of car that they shove full of people and drive to a certain destination! I went to meet my friends whom I had met at church and spent the night at one of their apartments. I feel like I'm getting better at public transportation and would really like to get it

 down so I have freedom to go where I will. As far as public transportation goes there are four ways: Trikes; motorcycles that have a seat atached so that you can fit probably 5 to 6 people, FX, Jeepney; an extended jeep that they also shove full of people and stop whenever they see a random person on the side of the street who looks like they need a ride ( you guys seriously ought to look these things up on youtube)., and taxis. The traffic is absolutely crazy!

   Speaking of crazy I went to a market called Divisoria, which is the largest market in Manila and all the other markets get their stuff from there. The smell of frying meats, garbage on the ground, crowded streets, cheap deals to bargain with, people yelling for attention, shifty eyes to watch for purse snatchers. What a great cultural experience. I bought some clothes and stuff. It was really fun. One weird thing though, was the men yelling at me "hello ma'am, you are beautiful." Even though when buying clothes I have to go from a small to a large here, my self esteem has survived due to these comments given even from women. It is really strange to be told you are beautiful when you are quite average where you come from. It's just funny to me. Now regardless of how fun it was I am still suffering from a sore throat just from the pollution! 

   So, I think it might be nice for some of my readers see into a week in my li

fe. Tuesday, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are seminar (birth or child-rearing lessons) and prenatal visits. I figure the due dates of the new women, take blood pressure, weigh them, measure their bellies, and find the position of the baby. Afterwards we eat lunch and then I can do whatever. Most days I run an errand or two and do pilates. The picture above is of a neighbor girl who came with me to the coffee shop one day with her friend. I plan to really reach out to these neighborhood kids. Somedays I go to the orphanage and help the caregivers out with the babies or older kids. For dinner 3 nights a week I go to Jeri's house for dinner. On Saturday night for the past two weeks I have met up with my American and Canadian friends, spend the night at their apartment, and go to church on Sunday. Last Sunday I spent the night at Jeri's, which was nice to not be woken up in the middle of the night by various things like babies crying, people turning on lights, etc. I love coming to this little coffee shop in the morning to catch friends and family on skype or whatever. And that's my week!

Mahal Kita! ( I was informed today by one of the nursing students that mahal kita means, I love you!)

    

Caught a Baby!

I Caught a baby! I hadn’t really done anything at all Friday. I had read some in the afternoon, gone to the bank to exchange some money and was quite bored and was just starting to watching a Summit Summer video with one of the midwife’s daughters (I think the only one who has any interest or favor for me. We heard someone knocking at the door as we had closed up for the evening. One of the midwifes answered and then got the midwife who’s turn it was to deliver to come check her. I checked her blood pressure and Ate (sister) Dina checked to see how far along in labor she was. She was 9cm and 90% effaced for those of you who know the terms. Basically she was super close to being ready to give birth. After a while we sat her on the birthing stool with her mother behind her and Dina and I together caught the baby as it came into this world! I learned a ton just from that. I learned how to record it all and much more, which you can ask me about those of you who like those details. : ) lol I want to keep this blog medically-not-inclined friendly!

This experience was so good for one reason, because it reassured me that this was what I want to do with my life. I had seen a birth earlier this year and for some reason afterwards I just didn’t feel excited about becoming a midwife and was quite worried that I might have been pursuing something that I wasn’t really up to. So, I was happy to have my desires confirmed.

Rice, Rice, Rice, and many other cultural differences.

Okay, so I’ve moved in to the birthing home! Sometimes it seems like there is nothing similar to what I’m used to. I had a hamburger today, if you can call it that. I have milk in my tea- dry milk that is. So even if it is similar it is too different to call familiar. About the rice; (it is the funniest thing to me)! They have rice EVERY meal. If you don’t have rice it isn’t a meal. In fact they will have pizza in the afternoon and not consider it a meal, but a meryenda. They look at me like I’m turning anorexic if I don’t eat rice with my meals. : )

   I’m learning little by little about midwifery and missions work. 

Above written Thursday the 12th.