Mission accomplished?

Wow. How two weeks fly by when you're having fun! I've been home for almost a week and it's taken me this long to really feel my feet on the ground. I returned straight into my busy NHS antenatal clinic, 'Birth Afterthoughts' meetings, breastfeeding workshop, and Delivery Suite. There is a whole world of different skills, materials, equipment, education, health and accessibility of care between here and Kathmandu....

Needless to say, I didn’t have room in my case for all the equipment I wanted to take out with me. Despite the shoving, heaving, placing and replacing of bags, boxes and funny shaped gear, I had to accept defeat. However, the equipment that found its way to Kathmandu was very much appreciated by the Birth Centre staff, MIDSON, and Patan Hospital. Some equipment, I came to realise, was more expensive from UK (e.g. suture material, albeit better quality). Other equipment, like the digital Bp monitors and thermometers, had real novelty value. In fact it was so novel I had to encourage them not to immediately stash it behind securely locked doors.

There were also items I wished I’d taken out with me. I wandered dusty and rubbish filled roads of Kathmandu trying to buy birthing balls. As my knowledge of the Nepali language extends only to ‘water’, ‘rice’, ‘beautiful’, and ‘can I take your blood pressure’, explaining my quest to the shopkeepers proved quite amusing. It seems the kind people will forgive me anything if I smile sweetly, put my hands together, and retreat slowly muttering the blessing ‘Namasteeeee’. I eventually found a ball at five times the price I’d pay for one in UK.

After the first two spoilt days in the home of my nurse friend, Rina, I moved into the APS Birth Centre in Kalanki; an area on the main ring road around the city of Kathmandu.

I became so appreciative of the head torch gifted to me, as power in the city is frequently switched off. I also appreciated the nice hot baths I’d left behind in UK. Half a bucket of cold water, I discovered, was the minimum amount necessary for washing hair, washing self, washing clothes, and then washing floor of room, all from a daily coating of thick dust, before being thrown down the hole in the floor to rinse the toilet. I became quite attached to my ‘bucket ritual’ by the end of my stay. Water ran from the taps only after a huge storm during the second week of my stay. This water, I was warned, was too polluted for my unacclimatized western skin.

So, a stay in the APS birth centre is not for the faint hearted! The room was noisy from the constant tooting of passing vehicles, and the street fights of territorial feral dogs. But by staying there, rather than in a hotel outside the area, I was able to give my saved money as a donation. It also meant I was on hand for any action, and could spend my time with the nurses during their varied clinics and tasks. Evenings were often spent chatting through ideas with Rashmi Rajopadhyaya, who is the founding chairperson and one of the kindest, wisest and gentlest women I’ve met (what better qualities for being ‘with woman’?). Now, if I’m honest, I really miss the place, and staying there added to my experience.

 I had hoped to catch a baby or two but, as it turned out, my time was so much more wisely spent spreading encouragement for normal birth and good care provision. MIDSON kept me busy with teaching sessions and meetings with students, teachers and faculty leaders. Catching babies happens pretty often in my job, but it's a 'first' for me to share my inspiration and knowledge with so many welcoming and interested groups of people.

So mission accomplished? Absolutely not! I believe it’s only just begun.



Midwifery report to follow.

Photographs. (to follow also, as technophobe that I am, I can't access them)

1.       Case and equipment, and impossible task of squeezing squashing into one.

2.       The greeting awaiting me at the airport.

3.       Emptying the equipment and allocating it a useful and grateful home.

4.       Dusty ring road into Kathmandu from Kalanki.

5.      My ‘home’ for the duration; a consulting room. Note the precious water bucket.

6.      Rashmi Rajopadhyaya and Kiran Bajracharya (President of MIDSON) checking out the goods in the MIDSON offices.
7.   Normal birth training session with APS nurses.

 8.       Overlooking hazy Kathmandu from the Buddhist ‘Monkey temple’.

                                                                       9.      One of many sellers with fresh fruit. 

10.  The waiting area of APS centre looking into the pharmacy, and John the ‘adopted’ dog sleeping soundly.

  

10.   Rashmi, with Natalija Kolesnikova (APS centre volunteer and midwifery apprentice) and the centre’s staff and students, showing her recent award for environmental and cultural contributions to Nepal.

Hi Everyone

Just a quick note to let you know that our Trudy is safe and well, she has limited internet but wanted to let you know she is having an interesting time and is being well looked after.

Katie
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