Baby Christian

Grace is taking Elena's blood pressure in their one room squatters hut!!
Elena's close friends and family and some of her children were in and out in the few hours we were there! It was crowded, hot, and smokey!!
Cuddling Baby Christian!
He's so tiny!
He's so light colored he almost looked like a 'white' baby!

Don't mind the bags under my eyes!! For some reason babies like to come in the middle of the night!!

Auntie Imelda is giving the Vitamin K injection while baby Christian cuddles beside mom!

So I’ve now had 5 healthy baby boys!! I don’t know why there haven’t been any girls yet!! Ha ha ha!!! So no babies named Sherina yet! Baby number 5 was born this morning at 1:34am!! He is our first baby that we have helped deliver from the new ministry area in Marikina. We received a text yesterday around 5pm that one of the ladies was in labor so we quickly packed a bag of supplies and hopped on a jeepney heading there! It was rush hour weekend traffic and the jeepney was so crowded and it was so hot and I was not feeling good L I hadn’t gotten that much sleep the past few nights and I get really motion sick and in the jeepneys you have to sit sideways. I was so tired that I actually passed out for like 10 mins and when we got off I was so out of it! But I woke up fast when we entered Elena’s home. A crowded, squatters hut with one dimly lit bulb! All her closed friends and family were there, coming in and out of the door. Elena is 44 and has 6 children. They all live in one room! Their bathroom is a hole in the floor in the same room with just a curtain for privacy! I prayed that I didn’t need to use the bathroom while I was there! Grace, (she and her husband Joel have been working with YWAM for 5 years and live in Marikina) was there and had been monitoring Elena’s vital signs. Her blood pressure was 160/90 when her labor started but by lying on her left side and drinking lots of water it was down to 120/80 within the hour! She was only 4cm when we got there and after evaluating the situation and her condition, we decided to take her to our clinic. But right before we left we got another text that there was another woman in labor nearby!! DJ went to go check it out! She came back a few minutes later saying that she was only 1cm and it was a primi so it could be days or even false labor. So we left her there but took Elena. We had to walk for about 20 mins to find a taxi. Elena and 2 of her friends, me and DJ and Ate Imelda all squished into a small cab. I was sandwiched right beside Elena! I felt bad for her! In so much pain and squished in a cab! But she was still laughing and positive!! We had only been in the cab for a minute when we were almost in an accident!! Two jeepneys almost sideswiped us on both sides at the same time!! After a few more close calls like this it was obvious that our driver was not the most competent!! I just prayed that we would get there safely but quickly!! When we finally arrived back at our clinic, I was so tired!! But it was so much more relaxing here with more space. Elena and her friends each laid down to relax for a bit before the baby came! I walked down the street to say hi to some friends for a few minutes and then got some dinner, I was starving! And then I cleaned up the kitchen and went upstairs so that I wouldn’t be keeping Elena and her friends awake. Upstairs it was so hot and I hadn’t had a shower to cool down. (And I kept getting texts from this lady, Marge, but that’s another whole story!!!) Finally after trying to get some sleep and not being able to, I went to go have a shower. Just when I was about to fall asleep, Ate Imelda knocked on the door to say that it was time to get up!!! Ha ha ha!! I hadn’t even slept at all yet! I was so tired!! Elena was still smiling and in a good mood but I could tell that she was in more pain now. She was only 8cm so it still wasn’t time for her to push yet, but within 30 mins she was fully dilated! It’s so hard to try and keep the patient relaxed during contractions! The natural tendency is to tense up! We spend so much time breathing with them and helping them keep a position that makes it easier for the baby to come out! It only took her a few pushes and the baby came out! He was the smallest baby yet! It was so nice to see a mother that really loved and wanted her baby!! Even though she already had 6 other children!! (I don’t know why it’s so hard for them to understand about family planning!! Ha ha) For some reason this little baby pooed a lot!! And it was so hard to get it off him!! Stuck to his skin like glue!! I had to rub and rub with cotton and baby oil! But it was worth it cuz I got to cuddle with him after!!