I’ve been here two weeks now, and I finally feel like I’ve fallen into a good routine in clinic: triaging patients, shadowing the doctors, entering patient information into the computer. Earlier this week, I was able to accompany the doctors to see the newborns, and I got a chance to hold a day-old baby girl: she was wearing a little red dress and was so adorable! Seeing these mothers and children, I realized that I had never seen a live birth. After meeting and speaking with one of the ER docs, Dr. Avila, he let me know that I could accompany him to see a birth if I wanted to. So, on Thursday afternoon when he was on call, I shadowed him while he delivered a baby! It was quite an exhilarating experience – watching a birth for the first time. I have to admit, it was very different from what I had envisioned. I watched as the mother pushed and pushed; she was exhausted and in a tremendous amount of pain. In fact, here in Honduras they don’t give these mothers anesthesia; the birth is completely natural. I was pretty shocked when I learned this; later I asked Dr. Avila and learned that the mothers cannot receive painkillers because there are not enough anesthesiologists available. As I watched the birth, I was amazed at how quickly the baby delivered – it was the mom’s second child, so the baby came out pretty easily. After the baby came the long umbilical cord, white and tough. The nurse clamped the cord and quickly cleared the baby’s small mouth and nostrils so that he could take his first breath. I went over to the baby, letting him wrap his teeny fingers around my pinky: he was so small and adorable. Next, the doctor delivered the placenta, a large, bloody mass. Finally, the doctor sutured up the small vaginal tear that the mother had suffered during the birth. The doctor hummed happily as he sewed up the tear. It was amazing to me how routine the birth seemed to the doctor, and how new and almost foreign it had been to me. Here I was, still in a little shock after the entire process, and the doctor singing to himself as if the whole procedure was as simple as tying one’s shoe. At the end of it all, I felt extremely lucky that I was able to sit in and watch something so amazing. I think this experience is a perfect demonstration of how generous and accommodating some of the doctors in this hospital are; if you are curious about something, just simply ask and you might be able to sit in on an exciting procedure or learn something interesting you never knew before.
In my free time, I’ve continued to volunteer at the Daycare Center in Coxen Hole; this week we set up little easels outside, and had the kids paint with tempera paint. It was a joy to see the little kids in their oversized smocks so intently concentrating on the painting in front of them. When they were finished, they were each so proud of their own paintings and eagerly asked me to help them write their names on each of their pieces of work. After the daycare, I return to my apartment to teach Moises English. This week I began teaching him how to conjugate simple verbs like “to run,” “to see,” and “to swim.” It constantly amazes me how quickly he learns and how excited he gets when he is able to form a sentence in English on his own. He is a very bright kid, and I am lucky to be able to work with him.
