Friday, December 29, 2017

Interesting Delivery [Long post due to 4 of us sharing]


At the end of a long day working on the house I drove the quad back and waited for the truck with the others so that I could help unload. I looked forward to some hot onion soup I knew that Anna was making and just relaxing with the family. But seeing a man on a motorcycle coming in directly behind the truck made me suspicious as he didn't have any cargo that Cory would have bought. After Cory talked to him a bit and they both looked at me I knew that it was a medical consultation. His wife delivered a healthy baby earlier in the day but the placenta did come come. So a rapid change of clothes, loading of the medical bags, and off Cory, Mom, Anna, and I went following the man. 

Anna and I repacked the biggest backpack with items I guessed I may need. At the fork in the road where we normally turn right we continued down a new road for me. The man we were going to help stopped to pick up a lady and her stuff who had been standing along the road. I told him we were in a hurry and he needed to continue-for an emergency. He was very calm and nonchalant. Soon we arrived to a path and grabbing my backpack I headed up the small path, telling Anna to make sure Grandma made it o.k. 

A few women supported the young lady in a squatting position. One held a small new born. While the cord dangled by a thin thread, a quick exam confirmed that there was more going on than a placenta that didn't come out...while she and other's knew she was to have twins, apparently the dad did not. Kris

It almost seemed like something from a novel...an unknown mountain top, a road without name, talk of hoping to avoid the local witchdoctor's place where vehicles tend to stop working, the darkness of the night, the sense of urgency for the new mother reportedly with a retained placenta, a narrow path through a garden....and then seeing the new mother outside a Haitian house...on a small mat on the ground, perhaps 18 or more people milling around her and Dr. Kris, who had arrived just a few moments before we did, bending down to do a first visual exam.  With a small flashlight to aid in the exam..it became readily apparent that there was no retained placenta..but another small baby...hours after her sibling was born..in great peril. Carol / Mom

I remember seeing a group of people in front of a hut. One lady was kneeling on the ground with other women supporting her, Mom already crouched in front of her. I thought her stomach looked awfully big to just have a placenta, but was quickly distracted from that fact. I saw about 12 deliveries at the field hospital after the earthquake, back in 2010 (I was 9), and two more several years later at our own clinic, but I had never seen twins, so I didn't really think about that, till Mom made the announcement. Anna

Not only did we have a twin who apparently had not delivered in hours [different people reported very different times when I asked when the boy was born]. But the presenting parts were a hand and a foot.  Attempts to feel the second foot had me even wondering if this could be a case of triplets. Then I had two hands and a foot as the young mother [her first delivery] cried out she couldn't do this anymore and resisted my exam. Praying the whole while for wisdom and help-I did notice when the small limbs under my hand moved-indicating  that the baby still lived.

And we all began to pray for our heavenly Father's divine intervention.  I remember Kris saying.."God please help us" over and over..it mixed with mine own prayers as we could see a tiny hand and foot presentation.  I knew also that Anna and Cory were praying as they searched for the medical supplies that were needed..and heard that back home the guys also were praying. 

Mom had recently rearranged the bags, and despite having glanced through them in the truck on the way, I had no clue where anything was, or what all she was asking for. Dad was similarly disabled.  We usually managed to find everything... eventually. Mom soon found a foot. It looked quite chalky, deathly so to my inexperienced eyes. Next a hand appeared, and the prayers became desperate. 

I asked that the women's head and shoulders be put back on the reed mat below her and for Cory to help lift her hips up to help the baby's body slide up into the mom so that it would hopefully shift positions making delivery possible. Thankfully the Lord allowed it to happen. 

 We so desperately need God's help. Then by changing the mom's position, the baby's position was changed also and two little feet and legs were rapidly delivered, followed just as rapidly by the perfect little body of a small baby girl. 

The woman was not appreciating Mom's trying to shift the baby. Mom had them put her head down, and suddenly we were supporting her in a sorta upside-down position, trying to get the baby to shift back enough to change its position. Mom was suddenly holding two tiny legs, we put her back down, and the baby slipped out. We kept on asking for something to tie the cord with, but it took a bit. Meanwhile we tried clamping it with a hemostat, but it only tore a small corner, so Mom crouched pinching it. Eventually they handed us two strings, and Mom directed me to tie it. 

While waiting for something to tie the cord I stimulated her small body and she responded with a weak cry. The mountain nights start cooling down as we near sunset and by now it was dark. A few pieces of thin cloth served to wipe her down and stimulate her. As soon as we got the thread, tied off the cord, and cut it I handed her off to my Mom. 

 The baby moved, cried weakly..had a strong heart beat and quickly was in my arms to hold and stimulate. 

Kris asked for something to sit on right about then. We later realized she spent about 20 minutes crouching.

Suddenly I became aware of my aching feet/legs and that I had people literally bumping both elbows. I asked for a low chair to sit on while waiting for the placenta to deliver as well as asking for a bit more space. One man had put on gloves and was telling folks that the cord had blocked the delivery. I assume that he was a local midwife and asked him later after the placenta was delivered to massages the uterus but I had to correct the statement that the delay was the cord's fault.  He ended up agreeing with me. 

 The rest of the delivery was over quickly...and both babies were examined by Dr. Kris...they were small, but strong and viable.  Praise Be To God.
Then Kris prayed for the babies, the mother, the family, giving thanks to God..and I remember wondering if a prayer to the true God had ever been spoken in that place before.  

Most of the time we were there I could hear the women mumbling along the lines of "Give her the strength Lord", or "Thank God," when the baby was finally born. Whether they were just expressions or heart felt...

Now for the enjoyable part of deliveries. Holding the babies and checking them out. Both checked out OK although small in size. The mom apparently did go for pre-natal care and didn't have any problems.  I talked about the importance of breastfeeding, keeping them warm, skin-to-skin contact and massage. Someone produced some warm water to bath the girl but I knew we should pack up and head back home. 

I prayed over both babies and for the mom and family. I talked to a couple of the women providing care to make sure they knew not to pull the umbilical cords off on day three of life, as I've seen in other locations. We also discussed the need for mom to eat well and breastfeed the twins often in the first few days to help milk production. Other locations women may wait 2-3 days before starting to breastfeed. 

The walk back to the truck felt much longer than walking up. The dad escorted us as they said there were dogs in the area and then lead us part of the way back following on his motorcycle. Anna and Mom decided that they will be organizing my medical bags so that it is easier for those assisting to find requested items. And we need to locate my head lamp that I used during this summer's dental teams as every time I asked for something the person holding the flashlight would tend to turn around to look.

What a powerful witness to the people of a God Who loves them..perhaps many seeds of the gospel's truth were planted in a place where so many do not know Him.
During this remarkable event..we had three generations represented..Anna, Kris and myself...what a special memory to share for all of us..like I said, it was almost a thing of stories...but it did emphasize just a bit of the need here in this isolated place for Kris and Cory.  A life, perhaps two, were saved..we now pray that many lives also will be saved for eternity.

The dad is a motorcycle taxi driver. I have been to his grandparents house, to pick up rebar he had neglected to bring the rest of the way to us. Not good when our house construction crew is waiting on the supplies to be able to continue working.  Others here have also had trouble with his delivery delays but I am glad we could show forgiveness and help his family in their time of need.
Cory

We plan to return for a quick visit at some point or expect that the women will come to see us as they told us to expect them. Will ask about baby pictures at that time. Sorry about no pictures but I kept my three helpers hoping as they helped and located needed supplies and our camera doesn't do well with low light. 


I'm so thankful that the Lord allowed my first home delivery and first house call in the Délice area to end up so positively. Thank you for those of you who partner in prayer with us. When ever you think of us, day or night, please send up a prayer. Thanks. 

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