Come for a fun evening and fundraise!

Thanks to all of you who have read our blog throughout the summer!

If you'd like to come hear about our experiences in person, hang out with our midwifery community, have a drink, come to our get together/fundraiser on September 6th!

We're all going to get together on Thursday, September 6th at the Pint (455 Abbott Street, Vancouver)). It's a casual evening to have a drink, eat some things, we'll talk about our experiences and have some pictures and videos in the background. There will also be a silent auction filled with lots of handmade local items donated by BC artisans. There will also be a fabulous door prize of a basket filled with goodies from Uganda!

You can see all the details, and pictures of all the silent auction items here:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/456782147676093/

Tickets will be $10 for students, and $15 for non-students.
Everyone is welcome to come!

Looking forward to seeing you there....

Webale Nnyo

(by Natalie)

First and foremost, sincere apologies for the huge delay in a post - after we left from our last day in the hospital, we left on a safari and were left without internet connection everywhere we went.
As they say, time flies when you’re having fun, and boy, did time fly.
Our last week on the wards was quiet, and the last baby I caught was a perfect way to end the placement. It was a mom having a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). She was getting into lots of positions of her choice, supported by her two sisters. One of the sister called me to come back as the mom started to push. The baby is barely out before it starts crying, and has the sweetest facial expression that we all can’t help but start laughing as the baby is born. It’s a moment I won’t forget, a baby being brought into the world filled with laughter.
After our placement ended in the hospital a week and a half ago, I travelled Uganda a little with Quinn, Jo, Tanya, and Clare, bringing us to today.
Today is my final night in Uganda, and it is so surreal to think that 8 weeks ago I was starting. I had been waiting to come here since I was accepted into midwifery, and I couldn’t quite believe that the moment to be here had finally come. On my first night here I kept wondering about what I would do and see, would I live up to my expectations of myself, would I be able to do it?
And, I feel so proud to say that coming to Uganda met everything I hoped for and more.
I feel so much more confident in my knowledge and skills as a midwife. It is incredible to look back and see how much I have grown in 8 weeks.
I am incredibly grateful to have met all the mothers and babies that I did, to have known their openness and kindness, to feel connected with only our eyes and hands.
Despite some tough days and difficult births, I am so glad that when I look back at this experience I am filled with a deep trust in women’s ability to give birth, their incredible strength, and the wonderful resilience of their babies...

Amina and Sarah -Part 2 !

-from Joanne

(See Hatching Babies posting for Part 1)

Amina's tiny daughter Sarah had been discharged from the nursery shortly before I finished my placement at the hospital. I was very skeptical about how this preemie would do outside of the nursery. She had been in the nursery for over a month, but still only weighed 1.2kg (up from her birthweight of 1kg). She looked tiny and gaunt and I couldn’t imagine that she would be okay at home without a feeding tube to nourish her. On the other hand, I convinced myself that at least she would be away from other babies that could make her sick. I emphasized to Amina the importance of returning to the hospital if her baby showed any signs of illness.

After two weeks away, I returned to Masaka with my mom.  It was with trepidation that I phoned Amina to see how things were going. To my relief she reported that they were both doing well. Sarah was up to 1.4kg, was seeing a doctor weekly, and was feeding on breastmilk exclusively. With her invitation, we headed to her village to have a visit and see this lovely pair! It was the first time I had seen Sarah alert, and although there is still a long road ahead, Sarah was in good health and Amina was relaxed and positive. It was such a delight to get to see these two again!

Amina with baby Sarah -7 wks old.

Sarah alert and checking out a Canadian JaJa (grandmother)!

Teaching and Learning.

-from Joanne

As we have mentioned, the UBC Student for Global Citizenship program includes both planned and spontaneous opportunities for exchanges of knowledge of expertise. In one moment I would be asking advice from a senior Ugandan midwife, in the next I was teaching a young nursing student who would then assist with the delivery and provide invaluable language help. Over our time here, Cathy and the other faculty had coordinated and delivered workshops for Ugandan staff in Masaka, Jinja, and Kampala. Some of the topics included: Postpartum hemorrhage, shoulder dystocia, neonatal resuscitation, antepartum hemorrhage, charting, delayed cord clamping, etc. As students we were also able to assist with teaching to hone our own knowledge and skills, and assist other learners.

Our placements here provided an abundance of opportunities to be both a teacher and a learner. With gratitude to all of those who contributed to our learning in Uganda, here’s some photos from a few of those moments.

Angela teaching breech delivery to midwives in Jinja. 

Cathy teaching Neonatal Resuscitation to rural midwives who had come to Masaka for training. 

Clare, medical anthropology student, helped staff midwives deliver a CME workshop at Masaka hospital on HIV Exposed Infants.

Cathy delivering workshop for midwives in Jinja.

Babil teaching an attentive nursing student in Masaka.

Cathy frequently facilitated our learning with her excellent sense of humour!

Lorna taught and supervised us in Masaka.

Cathy demonstrating maneuvers for shoulder dystocia at a workshop for midwives in Jinja.

Prossy, one of our amazing supervising midwives in Masaka, teaching Joanne counseling and medications for HIV+ mothers and newborns. 

 Quinn in Jinja : teaching a station on active management and postpartum hemmorhage.

Dr Mickey and Prossy, two of our instructors, keeping it light and fun!

Tanya teaching enthusiastic nursing students how to use a fetoscope and count fetal heart rates.

 Natalie delivered a presentation on Delayed Cord Clamping to a group in Jinja.

Tanya facilitating a station on 
Shoulder Dystocia in Jinja.

Participants estimating blood loss at our fake hemorrhage station.

Grace Jolly (right), a Ugandan midwife and trainer, teaching neonatal resuscitation to participants.