Good morning/evening folks,
How's everyone doing out there? I did not get much rest this weekend, but I did have a good time. Saturday was mostly filled with a (very large) group knitting lesson. It's a good thing you were all so generous, because I really plowed through the knitting supplies!
The group was a mix of knitters from last year, who caught up quickly, and new knitters. I still have a lot of yarn to pass out, but I usually like to see who really sticks with it, before handing it all out. The ladies all had a wonderful time, and it was as afternoon filled with a little frustration and a lot of laughter. In the early evening, some of the midwife students met with me to answer some questions and have a bit of a review.
Sunday, Rachel and I drove into Gulu to pick up supplies and run some errands. Those of you who have been with me for a while know how much I enjoy the market and also how I can't resist taking photos every time. :)
So, an enjoyable weekend, but not necessarily a restful one. Yesterday was a long start to the second week. We started a little bit late, because Harriet met with the midwives in the birth center. As part of the Midwifery Model of Care program, the midwives will go through a training with the birth center. Harriet wanted to give them a little introduction as to how the midwives hand over patients during a shift change. Our class always starts with a review and quiz of the topics covered in the previous lectures. Everything is presented in an open discussion format, giving the class a chance to monitor their own progress and dig deeper into any topics that may not be clear. We then move on to more lecture material. I lectured for around 4 hours, let Max finish up, then we broke for a late lunch. Everyone returned at 3pm, then we had hands-on scanning until 7pm. The reviews usually take up more time in the second week, because Friday is the written exam and the end of the lecture material. This is also when I start to recognize everyone's strengths and weaknesses with the hands-on scanning. I try to adjust my teaching style as much as possible, to the needs of each student, and it's my goal to have them "figured out" before we really start the fulltime hands-on portion of the course.
In the past few years, I have been learning more and more about midwifery and delivery. A common concern and question that seems to always come up is can we identify a nuchal cord (cord wrapped around babies' neck) with ultrasound.
A nuchal cord is a common situation in which the umbilical cord is wrapped around a fetus’s neck. It very rarely causes complications. Pregnancy care providers can usually safely slip the cord over your baby’s head during delivery. (Cleveland Clinic)
There is a relatively easy technique for delivering a baby with a nuchal cord, called the somersault technique, so I have started asking Rachel to come in an give a short demonstration. One of the new midwives at the birth center had the opportunity to use this technique on Sunday and she was so excited to see that it worked.
One advantage to being an early riser, is the opportunity to walk around our little village when it's peaceful and cool. The corn is coming in, the hens are out with their broods, and the bats are tucked in for the day in one of the large mango trees. It's a lovely start to the day.
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