Adventures in the Delivery Room

I love the delivery room because it alternates between periods of major downtime (read: endless games of solitaire on my phone) and then high intensity action. And sometimes, you never see it coming. So exciting!

Croc party!

The past few days have been just that: so exciting! I'm making friends with the midwives! I think I serve more as a source of entertainment for them, but I'll take it. I'm like a little kid that they teach bad words too and then laugh at how I pronounce them in Twi. Their favorite is when they say "Ahhh, brunee" and I respond with something that means "White people have all the fun." I think it's awful, but they love it. They also love the little soft curly hairs around my face and to remind me that I'm too small to be 21. But I don't mind being teased because now that we're cool, they said that I can probably deliver before I leave---highly supervised of course, but I'll take it! Keep your fingers crossed for the perfect storm these next couple of days!

My favorite med students!

Aside from my social endeavors with the midwives, I observed a few more births since I've been here, and let me tell you, nothing seems to ever go completely normally. Here are a few stories:

Cervical dilation reference

I got to the labor ward early today, about 4 hours before any of the med students would be there to steal my chances, but unfortunately there were no patients. Womp wompp... So we all waited and chatted...well they chatted and I tried to look like I understood. By the time the med students arrived, there were a few patients laboring in the beds, but none ready for delivery. A while later, a woman who was only 8 (out of 10) cm dilated began waddling over to the birthing tables, accompanied by two students. There's no way I can describe her walk other than looking like she was about to poop her pants. And she didn't make it. Right before she reached the table, she was squatting on the ground and gave birth into the hem of her skirt. Amazing! 

I took a picture of the floor afterwards, but it kind of looks like a crime scene so I don't think I'll post it...I guess it is true when they say the second baby slides right out...Ha!

Gratuitous newborn picture

Later in the day, after hours of waiting around and a shift change for the midwives, another woman was ready to deliver. I only wish my midwife friends hadn't left because maybe I would have been able to catch this one, but then again, I'm glad I didn't...

This woman was tiny with a huge belly and as the baby began crowning you could already tell that the baby had a massive head. Not only that, but once the head was delivered (painfully I imagine), the midwife checked the baby's neck and found that the umbilical cord was wrapped tightly around it. I swear this is better than primetime. I was holding my breath watching this, but the midwives remained so cool and collected. They managed to clamp the cord, but did not have time to cut it before the baby's body was delivered. He was all wrapped up in his cord and the midwives had to untangle it before the baby tried to breathe. So intense, but they are so good under pressure. The baby (though blue) and the mother were both fine. :)

Stay tuned for a post I've been working on about the differences in a Ghanaian labor and delivery room!

-Allie

Baby count: 6

Babies caught: 0 (keep your fingers crossed!)