Gypsy Baby

Sunday

Sunday morning I ventured to the mall to look around and pick up a few groceries. The Abreeza mall is huge and very nice. Most of the stores carry name brand, expensive clothes. Several of the students wonder how any of the stores stay open because 75% of the population can not afford any of the items. Most of our patients have a income of 100-200 peso/day which is about 2.50-5.00 USD. People are considered more upper class if they work at McDonalds, a restaurant, or department store. I was told that the Philippines largest export is its people. Many women go to the US to become a nurse or 'helper' which is a maid. They leave so that they can make a decent amount of money and send it home to support their family. One patient told us her plan was to breastfeed until her baby was one and then she was going to Korea to be a helper. She said her son was going to college next year and she needed to pay for it.

After the mall I met some students at the clinic to meet a family that dives for pearls. They sold beautiful sets of bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. They were very thankful for our business because they have a baby in the hospital at the moment.

For supper my roommates ordered McDonalds delivery. They had me try the McChicken that they always get because it is not processed meat here but a slab of real chicken.  They were pretty excited about it :D

When I arrived for my night shift I found the clinic empty. The previous shift had no patients but a postpartum patient they had already discharged home. After endorsements the midwifes laid down to get some shut eye while a student and I stayed up and talked. Around 1am a patient came in and right away the student explained to me that they were Budjo gypsies. Budjos are sea gypsies that move from community to community around the sea. I have heard that one of their traditions is to throw the baby into the ocean after it is born. If it swims then it has no evil spirits. If it does not swim they let it drown with the bad spirits. Our patients obviously do not practice this tradition any more. Hopefully it is not still going on anywhere! Any way, these clients looked different from our regulars because they were wearing more colorful clothes that they had made themselves. They were also very talkative to staff. After the initial vitals were done the student asked if she could pray for her patient and baby. They agreed but as she began praying the mother of the patient also began to pray in her own language aloud. Throughout the labor she prayed aloud with a hand raised and almost cried as she spoke. I think the family was worried for the baby because the patient's last baby had been a still born.

With the history of a still birth we had this patient on high risk precautions. We also did not have an estimated delivery date because she had only come in for one prenatal check up. As we looked at the chart we noticed she had come in last month in 'labor'. She had told staff it was time for her baby to come out because it had been eight months. She was confused because her still birth had been premature so staff had to educate her that pregnancies should last 9 months.

Our patient was in labor for about two hours and we monitored the fetal heart rate every 10 minutes. I was charting through this process and through the labor. As soon as the mother felt the urge to push her bag of water ruptured. With in the next five minutes she pushed the baby out. As the head was coming out the student informed us that the head was really blue. When the head was completely out I saw how blue it was and the baby had not taken a breath yet. The student was pulling hard to get the body out as quickly as she could. It seemed like eternity from when the baby was out until it let out a small cry. I was so relieved I did not have to witness a still birth. Our first APGAR score was a 6 due to lack of color and cry. We gave the baby oxygen and the scores began to improve. It was my job as the one charting to watch the clock and remind the student delivering when each check was due. An APGAR score is needed at 1 and 5 minutes after birth. The fundal checks, estimated blood loss, and maternal pulse is needed every 5 minutes for 35 minutes. After that check are done every 15 minutes until the mother is able to void. In between these checks I also need to be charting what is going on such as cord clamp and cut, oxygen, IV's, or placenta description. I was done with my job around 5 am so I laid down for 45 minutes until the next shift arrived. It was the fastest and smoothest shift I have worked yet. I was very proud of my progress and it was a fun night. I only have to chart one more birth and then I begin to assist.

I am very thankful to be here and have this experience. This culture is amazing and our clinic has phenomenal care. Thank you to everyone who has supported me. This is going to be a wonderful summer!
-Kelsey

Fun Fact: I can not watch tv on any websites such as ABC family or use Pandora to listen to the radio because they block their websites from being used in the Philippines. They are afraid of pirating which of course does happen.

One third of the mall

Animals kids can drive around

Pearls