a long awaited catch up post...

well, where to begin. the last you heard from me i was not feeling so well. that is an understatement. now, i am better than ever...just minorly sleep deprived and hopefully, sleep is in my near future. i ended up getting very sick...i won't go into details, but it wasn't pretty. it was probably no mistake that my first week ended with an illness. after 9 births in 7 days, i was zapped! also, they were not easy births...as you probably read! but my illness is gone after 2 days of being down for the count and only missing one birth during that time (which i am always concerned about, even when i am sick:)), i was surprised by a visit from matt. what a lovely surprise, i needed some cheering up. some of you know he is a furniture maker and one of his dreams/ side-projects is to have a line of custom made, wooden drawer pulls manufactured in bali. he came up to make some contacts here in ubud, which is a center for fine craftsmanship. after some digging and some help from my new contacts here at the clinic, matt was able to make a promising contact. he will return in 3 weeks to see the prototypes of his designs and go from there. they actually may be made in java. we will see...it is just the early stages, but exciting none-the-less.
another aspect of my positive space is that i finally got the urge to cry...i let it all come out. while i was so busy i didn't have time to react to any of the trauma happening around me...i just forged ahead. but after my illness weakened me a bit and i had some down time, i sat here in the office early one morning and just cried. i cried for so many things i have seen i don't know where to begin. i have to share some sad news. the cute little trisomy/cleft palate baby died in the hospital yesterday...after 2 days in the hospital, she had to leave this world. i know this would never have happened in the states if the trisomy was indeed only downs syndrome, but it could have been worse. however, we had no diagnosis at all. the only diagnosis was the one we did looking up everything we could in books. we don't know! we aren't doctors! but the alternative to us is not good!!!the hospital has no education or resources for dealing with these kinds of problems. they couldn't even tube feed a premature baby with breastmilk or furmula if necessary, they had no idea what we were talking about...segway into...
guess who i met today? michael franti! odd you say? well, yes. but actually michael franti is a big advocate for YBS. in fact, he did a benefit concert for the clinic here on bali. his family is moving here. i mention this to let you know that a huge goal of the clinic is to expand it's services. they have secured the funds to purchase the land next to the clinic...now they just need the money for the facility. the goal is to be able to expand their services and offer services that they can't offer in the hospital for mother/baby. such as tube feeding..it can save the life of a baby who is a bit premature with an underdeveloped suck/swallow reflex...whereas in the hospital the baby would probably die!
so yes, we had to say good-bye to our little girl. it was really sad, but we all new it was coming. there was a sense that death was best for the baby. and we really didn't know what was going on with her little heart, or that her condition was even compatible with life, even if hospital care was excellent. it was tough. i have to tell you that i learned a little something about the transport we had for a c-section...remember that one? well i learned from ibu robin, the director of YBS that if they don't call in their special, friendly doctor when they have a maternal transport that could need a c-section or assisted delivery...the doctors always wait until the morning to do the surgeries...no matter what the mamas condition!!! so that could mean dire consequences for a mama that arrives at night with a stuck baby!!! no epidural, no drugs to stop labor, nothing. ...
guess what? just got interrupted by a birth! how is this for action packed? we just had a beautiful first time mom give birth very quickly. labor started 11am...arrive at clinic 6pm...baby born at 8:15pm...life is great! no tears! and a beautiful little peanut of a baby! i want to share the good stories with you too...and there are many! this 24 hour cycle i have attended 4 births! so fun. i am getting a grasp on what the local midwives are all about. learning to work with them and also educate them about more progressive birthing techniques, while also learning some of their techniques. let's talk more about that later. got to get in some suturing today too. (also want to talk more about tears and tear prevention later) anyway, just wanted to share that we have had
4 boys in 24 hours! one we call the eskimo baby b/c he is so chubby and cute none of us can stand it! they are all precious of course, but ugh! this one is the best! we had a very emotional 1st time mom who birthed over the squatting toilets that are the commonplace over here. and a beautiful birth with a mother standing, leaning on the bed. i was the primary care on this one and the baby had a triple cord wrap around the neck. baby came, but he couldn't stray too far b/c of the wraps, i untangled him and all was well but it was a handful! 4 beautiful babes and 4 beautiful ibus (mrs./slang for married woman/mother) what a day! love to all...i just got my computer back today from being repaired so i will post pics a.s.a.p.