More babies, most of them boys...

4-11-09
More babies, most of them boys. The hospital is going great, did a tour on Friday of all of the different wards with an Ausie nurse who is teaching in the Vanuatu Nursing program. Managed a few births of which I had 4 of said nursing students as observers, and one just about hit the floor. Poor girl I just saw her white as a ghost start to slide down the wall, but my hands were quite busy with baby catching & placenta delivery. I had more opportunity to suture, which I still find distasteful, but I am feeling much more adequate at doing it.

I rushed out of the hospital on Friday to try and catch a few “Couch Surfers” (online travel community) at a bar in town for happy hour but the rain caused delays and I was ½ hour late and they were no where to be found. I wandered to the open market and then got a bus up to the hotel. When I arrived there was quite a lot of cooking going on in the “baby doc lounge” and it was not anyone I had met so far. Turns out a bunch of Peace Corps were in town for the weekend and were bunking up at good old Coconut Palms… they were also having a feast night with Porto Rican food. They invited me to join, which I of course did. It was great having a bunch of Americans to chat with over great food.

Saturday I spent most of the day at the hotel doing homework, then jumped in the pool at 4pm and stayed in until the sun was setting. I didn’t go to the hospital which was weird, but figured I deserved a day off- too bad I wasn’t out enjoying it but did homework. I still have lots to do and unfortunately some of it I can’t do here because my books didn’t arrive in time to bring them with me and I have had internet challenges.

Today (Sunday) we (NZ SMW & Brit from plane) were hoping to head out in a rental car around the island but they cars were all booked so we will do it on Tuesday instead. So Meg & I sat about talking and then wandered down to town, which unfortunately we forgot it was Sunday, it was deserted.

So after making some dinner decided to head into the hospital for the evening. It was a good night, I observed a cesarean section, and then caught a baby from a 1st time mama that was very young (her chart said 13yo, but the docs and I think she is more like 16yo). Her labor went great, but in postpartum she had a cervical prolapse (meaning the cervix protruded from the vaginal opening. It was very shocking to have that happen on someone so young. She had obviously been through some serious abuse in her short life. I then headed home to the hotel and passed out while writing this blog.