My First Birth!!!

My first birth!! The baby boy just minutes after being born!
I got to do his vitals and help with the neonatal exam!
It was hard work!! Can you see the sweat?? lol Gross!!
Mom and baby about 2 hours after the birth!! This is Ritchel the same lady I was doing a prenatal exam on the day before!! She's so sweet!!

Wow! What an exciting evening!! One of the pregnant ladies that we visited yesterday in the squatter area arrived at our place early this morning in labor. She had contractions all day and it was taking forever! I finally ventured out to the internet in the afternoon to send you all the email I wrote last night and then I hurried home so as not to miss anything! I was so hungry and when I got back we started cooking soup. It was going to be a few hours before it was readyL I went upstairs to do some reading and then they called me and said, “It’s time to push!” Ritchel wanted to sit on the birthing chair so she was in the squatting position. That is one of the easiest positions to give birth in. I got to wear a pair of sterile gloves and helped hold her leg during contractions. A few times she peed on us! It only took a few hard pushes and the head was out. I was praying like crazy cuz I didn’t see the baby moving or hear it breathing or anything and it seemed to take so long for the rest of the body to come out! I know the enemy is always out to kill, steal and destroy and I was not gonna let him have this baby without a fight! One more push and the body slid out and was laid on the mom’s tummy. The umbilical cord was clamped and cut and then the baby was handed to me!!!:) It was a little boy. If it had been a girl they said they would have named her after me!:) Awww! I wrapped the baby up and held him close and sang to him. He was covered in blood and slimeL But I didn’t care! It was so precious to hold this newborn baby!! He quieted right down as I sang to him and didn’t start crying again until we had to clamp and cut the cord about an inch from his belly button. But I sang to him again and he stoppedJ I wiped away as much blood and slime and then we gave him to his mom so he could start breast feeding. It took a few tries before he latched on but he was really hungry. If the placenta had not already come out, breast feeding encourages the placenta to come out but it also helps the uterus contract back. While the baby was breastfeeding I listened to his lungs and heart. He sounded healthy. I took his respirations and pulse. Then came the mean part of injecting him with Vitamin KL He didn’t like that. After a good bonding time with mom we did a newborn exam on him. He passed with flying colors! Such an incredible experience!! And she made it look pretty easy. People say that maybe I’ll change my mind about wanting to have kids after seeing this but I think it’s only made me want them more!! Just a few things missing for that tho!! Lol
The crazy thing bout tonight was, just after the baby was born, the thunder and lightening storm got so bad that it knocked out the power! It was so loud that I kept jumping every time there was a clap of thunder! It just added to the excitement of the evening. I enjoyed a cold shower in the dim candle light. Oh and then later, when I was dishing out some soup, I met the mouse as he jumped off the counter by my bowl down to the floor by my feet. I was so proud of myself cuz I didn’t scream or make any sound. I was perfectly calm!! But if he comes to my bed right now I think I will freak a little!! Lol Tomorrow we have to be up early to travel to another clinic to do prenatal exams so I’m gonna try to get some sleep. Might be kinda hard cuz its so muggy and hot!! Just wanted to share a bit of my eventful night with you while it was still fresh in my mind! Even tho I don’t think that I’ll be forgetting this night for a long, long time! Lol
Thanks for all your prayers!! Keep them coming cuz where this family lives, every day could be a struggle for the newborn baby and for the mom!!