Midwives for Haiti Trip Day 4

Tuesday October 2nd 2012

We have such a great, dynamic group here this week!  As we were playing cards and drinking rum and coke tonight, we were already talking about trying to come down together again next year!

 Sadly, Ina May the MFH house cat (named after a famous midwife) lost 2 of her 8 week old kittens today :(  Those 2 have been sick and we kinda saw it coming, but it is SO sad to hear her meowing for them all night.  We are really hoping the last little kitten hangs in there, she is still quiet spunky.  

Today I spent the day working with the midwifery students in labor and delivery.  I treated a woman that was heartbreaking and a very good example of why the MFH program is so important, teaching these students how to provide safe, competent care. She delivered at home 8 days ago.  She then followed a very old Haitian tradition, of boiling leaves and then sitting her bottom over the steam.  Unfortunately, she got severe 3rd degree burns over her entire buttocks.  Since it happened 8 days ago and she was just now coming in for care she had lost all of the skin over her entire bottom.  It was awful!  She will be affected forever by this injury.  It is such a large area and skin grafts don't happen here.  Infection is a huge risk.  One of the doctors here with me was so moved by my description of this poor woman that we went back to redress her wounds and insert a bladder catheter this evening after hours.  It felt so good to help her and we were very proud that we restarted her IV, found and placed a catheter and redressed her wound all without the help of an interpreter!  Love and charades saw us through :).


This afternoon we went back to Azil feeding center/orphanage.  We spent time giving lots of vitamin and iron injections. It was necessary, but so sad.  We also got to help hold and feed the little ones.  The best part was playing with the 2-3 year olds.  They were SO happy for the attention and loved playing with us.  As we left we each had 3 or more little ones hugging onto our legs.  I want to take them all home with me!