Please enjoy some glimpses into midwife Brenda Burke's experience at our clinic in Uganda!

"Before I set foot on the beautiful red soil of northern Uganda I often wondered what this journey would hold, what
adventures I would carry forth in my heart and what are the unknown details of this work we were about to undertake.
Service that asks everything of your heart, body and mind. Service that lays claim to your spirit.

Our journey, (with amazing Ida, an inspiring young woman who has made her way around birth since the age of 9),
began in early December and concluded in late February. We shared one amazing month at Mother Health International and are forever in gratitude for the graciousness and splendor of the community built there. Here are a few of the many experiences we shared, in the form of compiled notes to loved ones back home.

Dec. 8th
Rachel, Ida and I are heading off to the deep bush today for prenatals in one of the villages. We spent last evening
watching 'Babies" in our hut, with our brooding hen 'Jocelyn' who will hatch her babies in the next two weeks.
Birth yesterday of a sweet boy, and his mama is a niece of one of the local midwives:) Love, love, love the sister
midwives here, so generous and helpful and patient as I fumble through my first attempts at words.
Learning about an amazing herb to treat UTI symptoms and it also scans the body to support whatever systems are
immuno suppressed.
Ida and Nighty, (our amazing cook) are working on developing two new prototype projects to help Mother Health International become
self -sustaining (baby wraps and beaded curtains).
MHI is so deeply thoughtful at every level with their commitment toward sustainability (gardens, bee's, local
employment, reuse of all water systems, solar power, etc....)
xoxoxoxo,
brenda

Dec.9th
22 mamas are visited today in a group 'centering' prenatal circle. Two sets of twins likely, one mama will birth with us
during our stay, (first time mama, 16). So love that all the women sharing and learning together:) In this lovely circle
today there were 2 traditional midwifes who live in the community. We were exploring the contrast between what
a tummy looks like when a baby is face up verses face down (anterior/posterior). It was so fun to have lots and lots of
tummy's to show this difference with:) (Gail if you are reading this we began to explore 'Spinning Babies' concepts)!

Ida is so wonderful with the mama's and midwives. Everyone is loving Ida and there are learning opportunities abound
for us all. A bit joyfully exhausted after all this wonderful exchange:) It is so hard to put into words how amazing this sacred space and journey has been.
Rachel is preparing to leave in a few days and I have so much to learn from her yet, (she and Olivia). My heart already
knew, on day one, that I would be coming back to serve again:)Thanks so much for all the support and love from home, it truly sustains us here.

Dec. 10
This morning we took at trip to the local heath care unit in Atiak. Two days ago when we walked in the only person on
staff was the male circumciser/nursing assistant who was there to care for the sick and catch babies, (yes catch all the
babies). We took one of our mama's in today for a scan for lack of growth. We walked in on a birth in process with the
circumciser ready to catch, (mama flat on back, in stirrups), we helped mama up and received a lovely baby boy who
needed a decent amount of recess/close observation for about an hour. Next mama laboring outside comes in and her
labor stalls as she is pushing. Another mama walks in and hop's on to the bed right next to her and we receive a sweet
girl. I hear the mama whose labor had stalled beginning to push and I pop behind the curtain to check in with her.
Ninety seconds later as I cross the curtain again to see how that mama who just birthed is doing I see a beautiful shinny
orb emerging from her body and we receive her second daughter, surprise twin’s. Our stalled mama is weak from lack
of food, rest and hydration. We bring her back to MHI for some food, fresh water and rest, (there was no
running water at the govt health clinic). Mama gives birth after getting some nourishment and rest to a very large baby:) So 4 babies in 3.5 hours, (set of twins to boot:). Ida is such a wonderful natural , her hands were full of babies, placentas and mama's:). So it is 2:30 in the afternoon here and I wonder what the rest of the day holds for us:)

Dec. 12
The morning began with a lovely labor at 4:30 a.m. She was an experienced mama who labored best in privacy, so we
rested on the wonderful hammocks just outside her room. Sweet baby born into her mother’s hands at 7:26:) Lucky Ida
has now had two babies named after her:) Nighty and Patricia are taking turns interpreting for us in the wee hours of
the morning with there little ones in tow Both

Dec. 17
Yesterday began with several hours of prenatals in a local village. Ida conducted 7 of the prenatal visits:) At one point I
heard a loud click clonk down the corridor and was greeted by a large pregnant mama cow walking down the hall; you
just never know who is going to show up on prenatal days.
Today was so sweet. Lovely first time mama (16) labored so beautifully with lots of love from Ida who went on to
received her first baby with a four handed catch:) Ida is well on her way:)

Dec. 18
Sunday:
Walked to town center to listen to services and song in a completely new language. Ida was able to record all the songs:)
Smiling while I harvested fresh calendula for a new mama's postpartum bath.
Savored Ina May Gaskin's new book in the hammock.
Took a lovely evening stroll and chatted with children along the way (practicing my new few Achole words; all the giggles
let me know I have a ways to go:)
Indulged in a sunset outdoor shower, water warmed by mama earth.
Sipping on homemade pineapple/passion fruit wine while preparing chapattis topped with cheese, fresh avocado,
tomato, onion and garlic:)
Love and smiles from Uganda:)

Dec. 23
Ebb and flow,
Tuesday began with great promise; a lovely long mornings walk and opportunity to practice a few new
words of Acholie; a scheduled meeting with all the lovely midwife sisters from the surrounding villages (30); then the
joy of two calls for laboring mama's. Oh my heart sang with anticipation for what the day was holding. As life can,
shifts occurred. Our ambulance (4 wheel drive Toyota) broke while picking up a mama. Earth Birth has one of the only
automobiles in the entire region. We called a boda-boda (motorcycle) and were able to transport one of the laboring
mama’s back home where she birthed with her local midwife; her labor was progressing to quickly to get her to Earth
Birth. The other mama also birthed before we could reach her. Our hearts mourned a few hours later when we learned
that the first mama's baby had been born full of life and then passed away 90 minutes later. We do not know the cause
of this little ones passing and will visit with mama very soon. We have learned that she feels that this loss would have
occurred regardless of where she had her baby and is in a place of acceptance. So many mamas have lost one or more
of their children here. The rate is so high for this sort of grief. Knowing the contrast of all the available resources in
our homeland, it feels completely unacceptable to see that most mama's completely prepare for the fact that they will
probably loose a baby/child at some point in there life.
My words and descriptions feel so inadequate as I try to covey the deep and powerful work of MHI, reducing
these losses and suffering/grief for families and bringing safe, gentle, holistic maternity care to the region. All this
beautiful work is steeped in cultural competence and sustainability efforts on all levels.
The loss of our vehicle also
meant the large midwives meeting would be postponed as we could not pick-up several of the far reaching midwives to
bring them in for the meeting. 

The day turns again. The sky's opened and in 24 hours we had a total of 8 birth calls. One strong and mighty mama, who was well under 5', labored for 52 hours and brought her firstborn into the world with such power and strength; we wept tears as her baby emerged. 
Exhausted on every level, we joyfully slipped into bed for the first time in 2 days for 2 hours before we woke up to travel to Gulu, the closest city, to do our supply shopping and get our Toyota repaired. Mechanic let us know that the repair will take sometime, so a surprise overnight stay in the city. Ida and I have had so much fun discovering the sights and sounds of this very busy city and already long to return to the sweet peace of MHI. Friday morning here now and we send our love to you all.

Dec. 26th
Two sweet Xmas babies yesterday. One mama who was welcoming her 9th baby arrived, complete (10cm) at 6am and
followed her bodies lead beautifully (resting, eating, hydrating, walking, squatting), her baby decided that 1:03 pm was
the perfect time to be born:)
The second baby had a bit of a snug cord and extended shoulders and asked us to help
her be born just a bit. We were able to birth with the cord intact, which she really appreciated for the extra 02 while
we supported her transition to this wonderful outer world.
Both mama's choose the name Mary & Merry as the perfect
fit for being born on this special day.
Ida and I ended the day with a special meal of chapatti based pizza's, bits of dark
chocolate drizzled with fresh Carmel and a sip of Baileys. All very, very special treats here:) We ate under the canopy of
a vast star filled sky.

Dec. 28th
The night is dark and our space is candle lit. Esther and I share this sacred space that call’s our full and total presence.
Eyes wide, she lay’s on the matt on the floor, her choice of place to birth. She reached for my hand and places it on top
of her large round tummy. “See, see, see” she says rubbing my hand on her rounded belly, “baby is to big, you must
cut me, please you must cut me. My friends say I must be cut to have a baby. Please cut me”. I tell her that her body
will make way for this beautiful baby, that she can and is birthing her baby very soon. She rocks her head back and forth
and again pleds with me to cut her. Our hands join and do not part again. We share this dance of fear/belief until the
threshold is crossed and her baby is slowly passing through her body to this outer world. Oh the joy that emerged from
within this fresh mama. She has seen and experienced her full power as woman and I was so blessed to be her witness.

Dec. 29

Life abound,
As the sunset yesterday afternoon, I was showering outside and looking at the purple shadowed outline
of mountains many miles away. I had a moment to look up and saw, for the first time, the beauty of a dozen or so
humming birds fluttering around the papaya tree. Oh my heart danced as I watched their beautiful ballet. I began to
reflect on all the life cohabiting here at Earth Birth. Two days ago a small herd of goats wondered into our compound
and spent the days walking around in a sisterhood cluster, as if they have always belonged. This morning 4 new chicks
hatched and are waddling after their mama, so sweet and fuzzy. We have: bee's; black wasps; snakes; scorpions; rats;
mice; butterflies; a cat named 'Baby Jesus, who is pregnant with her first litter, 2 pigeons, a roster name 'Bonaparte'
who is regal and tolerant, many hens, innumerable insects and the life force of thousands of plants. Even the dousing of
constant dust from the passing vehicles (that casts a dirt hazy like heavy fog or smog), cannot put to sleep the balance
of harmony and life all around here.
Five-labor calls in the past 24 hours and 2 mamas’ were able to make it in on the
motorcycle. Two lovely girls are added to the world, within an hour of each other:)
News of our ambulance being fixed
today has us hopeful that we can again serve all whom call:)
Ida has been working on clearing new space for more
planting of garden and creating the most amazing sewing projects that other mama's can make and sell to support MHI(Baby Hammock's, Cushioned Computer bags in the most wonderful fabrics, baby dresses, pouches, etc.... All this
and she creates space to be present for prenatals and births:)
Love and warmth from Uganda

_This Sunday morning, at our clinic Soley Lavi, a new mother gave birth. Her name is Tamara, and although she was doubtful that she could do it, she had a lot of support and reassurance from her family and our student midwives.

When she began to push her baby out, I grabbed Tracy's hands and we did a lovely four handed catch with Sherline assisting as the baby was born. As we helped the loud little boy onto his mothers chest, she joined him, bursting into song, and bringing a tear to my eye.

Though many hundreds of babies have passed through my hands, this reaction was new for me. Although I did not understand the Creole, I understood her meaning clearly... Give Thanks! Give Thanks! Ax'e!

Olivia Kimball. Midwife, Jacmel ~ Haiti

_The Soley Lavi birth center has been gestating a big change. This labor of love is now entering transition, about to birth a new phase of the clinic’s life. In February, Solely Lavi will move to a smaller, more secure house a little further from the noisy, dusty heart of Jacmel.

This move will benefit the clinic in many ways, only one of which is a more peaceful and quiet location. In addition, the smaller property will be less of a financial burden for the organization, meaning more funds available for continuation and expansion of the services we are able to provide to our families. We are also investing in sustainable development of the new property, including the installation of a solar-powered water pump and a composting toilet.

Like most transitions, especially those birth-related, this one has been filled with hard work, challenges, leaps of progress, and even a few good laughs. Clare did a lot of work to prepare for the move, packing up extra supplies to store safely until the new location was ready, and locally donating items that the birth center would not be able to use.

In November, the day arrived that we had packed up everything we would need to store until the move. This was a big accomplishment, and was marked by a sizeable pile of boxes that stood ready to be transported to Madame Roi’s house. Madame Roi is an auxiliary nurse and primary school principal involved with the clinic. Having space at her house to safely store supplies was a big help. Now, we just had to get all those boxes across town.

Clare had hired a local man for the move, and he arrived as close to the appointed time as one could expect on the tropical time-line. After assessing the volume of items we had to transport, he realized he did not have the correct vehicle. He promised to return promptly with a truck.

A short time later, the “truck” beeped at the gate, and we opened up to find a white Toyota Corolla, driven by the enthusiastic mover-man. The car looked like there was not one square inch of the body that had not suffered some ding or scratch over the years. It was stripped of any soft luxury it may have had when it was new. Despite the body-shape, the sedan did indeed appear to be used as a “truck.”

We laughed openly, unable to hide our disbelief that this would be the vehicle to transport many pounds of medical supplies, and even a large wooden table! The man laughed along with us, and assured us that the car was up for the task. It was a good-natured and humorous exchange of expectations, doubts, and assurances. We North Americans needed to let go of our preconceived notions of how to do things, and trust that this man and his “truck” could handle the job.

We got to work, packing the trunk, the backseat, and the top of the car with boxes. The wooden table served as a “roof-rack” of sorts; positioned up side down on the top of the car, it was a perfect place to stack more boxes. Rope was found, and we secured the items and the table to the top of the car. It was time to take the first load to Madame Roi’s.

The car eased toward the front gate, but suddenly we shouted “stop, stop!” The table legs were too tall to fit through the gate! The driver backed up and we strategized for a moment. It would have been a huge job to unpack the boxes and take the table off the top of the car. And we had to move the table one way or another. So we got a saw. It was just a utility table, anyway, used to store supplies off the floor. We measured, and Antoine, our security guard and handyman, climbed atop the car and cut each of the table legs down the necessary inches to clear the gate.

It was efficient, effective, and absolutely hilarious. The unique situation of living in an environment so different from what you’re used to requires flexibility, creativity, and detachment from expectations. Oh, and humor, of course. The supplies were safely stored, and they await the new house to be ready.

The move is slated to take place in late February 2012. The four-room house front and back yards will be split in half to house both the birth clinic and the volunteer quarters. The front two rooms will be labor and postpartum rooms, respectively, and the front yard and porch will serve as consultation areas. The two back rooms and the lush backyard with its papaya and banana trees will house the volunteer midwives and apprentices.

Stay tuned to the blog for updates on the move and the inauguration of the new location. This is an exciting new step toward the Soley Lavi clinic being a permanent and fundamental presence in Jacmel. Your donations will help fund the set-up costs of the new clinic, and will assure that Soley Lavi can continue to provide attentive, personal, and comprehensive midwifery care to many deserving families of Haiti. In addition, the training of Haitian student midwives that takes place at the clinic is creating a sustainable, peer-oriented and local existence of midwifery care, which will help reduce mother and infant mortality, and provide Haitian families with a gentle and healthy start to life.

"This move is happening this week and MHI Board member, Olivia Kimball is on ground helping with the move and creating the sustainable aspect of Soley Lavi. Thank you Olivia and Sherline, our Haitian apprentice midwife who works unconditionally. We could not do this without the two of them.

Thanks for reading, and for your support of gentle birth worldwide!

~ Jenna Humphreys, student midwife, NMI, MHI, Birthing From Within Mentor-in-Training

_Situated in one of the largest Internally Displaced Persons camps in Northern Uganda, not only does the Earth Birth birthing clinic provide maternity care to local women, it's also become a safe space for those displaced by war to gather and work on projects. Founded in 2008 by Brooklynite Rachel Zaslow, the clinic is home to around five births a day and sees up to 50 women daily for pre-natal care. A large part of Earth Birth's staffing consists of traditional birth attendants, women who practice midwifery as it has been handed down to them from generation to generation; the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 80 percent of Uganda's population has passed through the hands of a traditional midwife. How did someone from Oregon by way of Brooklyn end up delivering babies in Uganda?
It's a long and twisty narrative, but the short version is that I was invited to come to Uganda by a fellow New York birth worker in 2007 to volunteer in a government-funded hospital. What I witnessed there was devastating. The hospital was functioning at what the WHO estimated to be over ten times its capacity. Women were turned away in labor or sent to walk home minutes after giving birth, often bleeding to death on the road home. Women who were admitted to the hospital were often treated violently by the hospital staff for not pushing fast enough or failing to bring their own piece of plastic to give birth on. These conditions made for a traumatic and dangerous place to give birth in an area that has been ravaged by war. I founded Earth Birth with my partner, midwife Olivia Kimball, the next year.

What kind of services does Earth Birth provide?
We provide prenatal care, labor and delivery; post partum, family planning and HIV/STD treatment. Women do not need to pay to receive services, but rather, they must involve themselves in a project that sustains the clinic. For example, they can choose to work in our community garden. The food that is grown there goes back to the women and the excess is sold in the market to pay for supplies at the clinic. We also have the only ambulance in the region so we are able to transport women to the closest hospital (50km away!) when a situation occurs that we cannot handle in-house.

Uganda, particularly in the north, has been devastated by civil war over the last two decades. Would you say war is exponentially harder on women?
Yes. Absolutely yes. Women are often used as tools of war. In Northern Uganda for two generations women have been used either as sex slaves for the rebel army or as reproductive machines, abducted and forced to give birth to as many babies as possible to build up the army with child soldiers. Women giving birth in captivity are faced with lack of prenatal and obstetrical care, severe starvation, untreated STDs, physical mutilation and extreme emotional trauma, among other issues. Not surprisingly, Northern Uganda has one of the highest birth rates in the world, and also one of the highest maternal and perinatal mortality rates.

__ How is the most basic human act—giving birth—also a political act?
Well, it has to do with vaginas, and I find that almost anything related to the vagina tends to become politicized. But on a serious level, childbirth is completely embedded in issues of class, race, education and privilege. Women without money or education or community support networks don't tend to have a lot of options and as such, have higher rates of complications and mortality. That's true in Uganda and it's true in New York.

Have you ever felt in danger as you worked?
Sometimes I am in the middle of a situation and I think “I really shouldn't tell my mother about this”— like the time I had to transport a woman with a stuck second twin to the hospital in the middle of the night. We were driving down the road that was the pathway for the rebel army to abduct people—and had to pull over because the feet of the baby started coming out. My partner midwife Olivia and I had to stick our butts out the window of the car so that we could reach the woman, catch and resuscitate the baby, and the thought did cross my mind, “this is really 
dangerous.” For the most part though, our clinic site is really peaceful and safe. My daughter runs around naked and chases chickens.

What lessons from Uganda have you been able to apply to your midwifery back here in New York?
My focus in NY right now is academic. I am finishing a PhD in Women's and Gender Studies. I am writing about childbirth, displacement and the problem of humanitarian aid. I don't think enough midwives write about the importance of what we do in a way that the academic community can hear. This ultimately affects the way we work together with the medical community, which ultimately affects the options that women have— so it's all just one big political act.



Also posted at The L Magazine

_Alice arrived in the Eleventh hour. Literally, translated from the Acholi language, 5 am is called the Eleventh hour, with 6 am being the Twelfth and 7 am being the First hour; the first hour of light and a new day. She arrived in what she believed would be her Ninth and final labor. Having walked about 6 miles to reach help, she was ready to push shortly after arrival. Her body was tired, she had barely eaten the previous day, and was encouraged to drink sweet tea to give her energy for the push.


The baby's tiny head emerged, quickly followed by the rest of her, and yet the mountain of Alice’s belly still loomed before us, undiminished. As her body called her to push again, she believed the placenta would be born, yet instead, tiny feet made their appearance, then disappeared again to be replaced by another, tinier head. Then the second little girl was born, followed immediately by those persistent, delicate little feet that had tried to cut the line. And then there were three. Three tiny, beautiful little girls, instead of the last, single child that Alice had been expecting.

_Needless to say it was a bit of a shock, to all involved. Earlier in the pregnancy, Alice's husband had divorced her, after bearing him 5 live children. He maintained that because he had used condoms with Alice when they had intimate relations, he had nothing to do with this new pregnancy, and sent her back to her fathers village with all of her children. She found herself suddenly single, now with 8 children all under the age of 12.

The first days were challenging, but the babies, named in Acholi tradition: Apiyo (first born), Acen (second born) and Adoch (born breech) were strong spirits, all able to latch and nurse well. Apiyo was 2 kg/ 4.4 lbs, Acen 1.8 kg/ 3.9 lbs, and tiny Adoch was only .9 kg/ 1.9 lbs. Alice was very despondent at first, overwhelmed with the reality before her. She was reluctant to hold them or nurse them, believing that at least one or more would surely die, afraid to love them. Her tired body refused to cooperate, and two, three, four days passed and still her milk failed to come in. We fed her, gave her teas, vitamins, homeopathics and loving support... yet still her milk did not come.

__And she thrived, sleeping on my chest at night and spending the day curled up with her sisters, by a week old she was starting to gain on them.

It took 6 long days for Alice's milk to come, but thankfully it did, as we knew it must. She was able to fully nurse Apiyo, but we had to continue helping her with Acen, who developed reflux, and needed to be fed small quantities in an upright position and then burped and held upright for 10 minutes after each frequent feeding. As for Adoch, more and more Alice asked that she remain with us midwives. She expressed her belief that she might be unable to care for all of her many children, collect firewood, cook, wash, find food for so many with three small babies. Who would carry the other two while she worked with one on her back? How would she manage while they were still so small and unable to be worn on the back? Several days later, her milk supply was still not adequate for three, not even quite enough for two, no matter how much we fed and hydrated her.

One afternoon, as I sat bathing the babies with her, Alice looked me in the eye, told me about her concerns and asked if I would like to have Adoch. I asked her if she was serious. She said she knew now that she could not take care of these babies alone. Could I, or someone else take one or even two of them?

With Adoch bound to my chest, and my own one-year-old daughter on my hip, I went to my co-midwife Rachel, to cry the pain in my heart because I knew I could not take this baby, yet I knew if I did not, she would surely die. And as she often does, Rachel inspired me... what if we could find an adoptive family? And as soon as we put the word out to the universe, a miracle was provided! A wonderful couple who had been trying to have their own child for years without success would like to adopt two of the babies!

Two weeks postpartum, a grateful and stronger Alice returned to her village with Apiyo, the first and strongest of the baby girls. Acen and Adoch grew steadily with us, and just a couple of days later met their new mother. Although the legal process in Uganda is lengthy, the new parents are committed to give their daughters the very best and are sticking with it through thick and thin.

At 2 1/2 months old, all the girls are now over 4 kg/ 8 1/2 lbs , healthy, strong and beautiful.
Olivia Kimball, Traditional Midwife

_When I was leaving my home in Hawai’i my family said, “we will see you on your birthday.” I had already seen that my birthday this year would be on a full moon, just as when I was born on a full moon 57 years again and so I answered, “no, there will be a baby born on my birthday and I will be there for her.” We have always in our family given to others on our birthdays, as the material gifts do not mean much in the bigger picture of life. The morning of my birthday as I was teaching a class before a morning full of prenatals, I noticed a young girl in a beautiful white dress with green, yellow and red colors at the top of her dress squirming as if she was having contractions.

_I was teaching about how important it was that the women claim their birth experience and understand what is happening to our bodies in birth. Mary Antoinette would soon have the women up doing primal dance moves that will move them and their babies through this primal experience we call birth. I watched this young mother tighten up her shoulders as another one of the Haitian apprentice midwives, Cason, gently massaged her shoulders. I explained the importance of allowing the baby to be born through our bodies and how relaxation allows the release of hormones and endorphins. I kept an eye on this young mother, now knowing that she was the reason why I stayed a couple days longer. Soon we were up doing our exercises and forming a circle of women that would learn our primal dance steps and gently massage each other’s shoulders as we moved in a circle one way, only to reverse the dancing circle and now massage the hips in front of you.

_As night came onto us, Mary Antoinette being very pregnant, went to rest and take a nap. Betina’s mom and husband did the same. That just left Betina, her sweet baby and me to move together. I gave her a strong deep massage that loosened up all the muscles in the front and back of her pelvis and touched and talked to the baby while I was massaging. I massaged her through contractions and restful minutes, as labor was now getting more intense. This intensity is something as a midwife that I love, it not only brings the baby closer but it brings the woman to a powerful place that connects her to the greatest of all mother, the earth. It is a powerful energy that I am able to tap into as the mother now is well connected to her “work” and of course the work of her baby that connects her to a deep primal place. This hard work that we do for the earth and of course it comes back to us as women in our own personal growth.

_Betina then got up after her massage and started moving in her dance, the African bird was opening her up, her baby was moving down through her pelvis and I was there to again witness and help. When the baby got low, she moved to the ground and curled up, I went and got two pillows, one for her head and one between her legs and laid down to hold her. Betina had chosen the ground, not a bed to birth and I knew and she knew just where to be. She was holding onto me tightly in a big hug and she looked and me so sweetly and said,” I love you Clare,” I did not even know she spoke English. I was so touched and honored to be part of love again. I called out to Mary Antoinette to come and catch her baby and to her mom who was also resting and to her supportive husband. Mary Antoinette gracefully supported the head and Betina as the baby come into the world, I was privileged to keep her in my arms breathing with her. Betina controlled her breath in a deep “aaaa” as her body opened up to let her baby come so peacefully to her. Again I was blessed to witness this ceremony of birth and the power of a young woman.
Later Betina and her husband asked Mary to interpret for them, they asked me if I would name their baby. I was shocked, as it is a big responsibility to name a baby, the name that they will hear and it will become who they are. At first, I was questioning whether I was ready to do this naming of a baby, but I heard my “motherwit” speak…say yes. I answered that I was honored but the name would be African,. it would go back to their ancestors just as she did when she birthed. They smiled and the next day, Mary Antoinette and I went to her home to give the baby her name. It came to me so strongly, Sankofa…the name of an African bird that means to go back and get it. It meant for me that Sankofa had come to her mom, allowed her to fill the power of that mighty African bird which Betina had become during her dance of birth. I explained this to the family when I came, and they all smiled, it was the name that they wanted. I was asked to be the godmother of my special birthday baby gift, Sankofa.

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_Summer has arrived at MHI. It was only 7:00am and we were already feeling the intense heat of the sun as a woman arrived at the clinic in active labor. Though her contractions were strong she seemed grateful to finally be doing the necessary work. She’d spent the night in the dome a week ago thinking that it was her time only to have labor stop.

We settled her in the dome and began preparing for her birth. Sweat was pouring down all of our bodies, hers most of all as her contractions intensified. The mother asked if she could birth outside. It was a beautiful quiet Sunday morning. We rigged up some sheets to give her privacy. She was without family as her husband is a preacher and needed to be at church. We took turns massaging and encouraging her.

Before long the woman’s voice changed and we knew she would soon begin to push. Her membranes ruptured revealing copious dark meconium. Baby’s fetal heart tones were normal and since we could tell birth was imminent, we prepared the equipment to help the baby if needed. The woman really wanted to be sitting upright as she began to push so Melinda got behind her to hold her up. Soon Melinda needed support and she asked my daughter, who was working in the garden to lend us her back. Tara positioned herself with her back against Melinda’s and pushed against the concrete wall with her feet and hands.

As the baby’s head emerged, Kari, the student midwife and myself acted quickly to suction, unwrap the umbilical cord and get the baby up to her Mama’s waiting arms. The baby was slow to start but came around thanks to our combined skill. I felt all of us praying, each in her own spiritual way as we welcomed baby Esther. As she began to come into her own her little voice joined the chorus of distant voices singing in their morning worship service.

Women helping women birth their babies is as ancient as our existence. What a privilege it was to be a part of baby Esther’s arrival. She is another beautiful light in our world.

Kathi Mulder, CPM. Volunteer Midwife at MHI, Jacmel, Haiti

_All of our jobs, the Medical Advisory board, the Board Directors, the midwife volunteers and the Haitian women on the ground is to continue to help this clinic grow into an independent birth clinic run by Haitian women. Soley Lavi, the Haitian name of our clinic, was given by the Haitian women who work and are studying to become traditional birth attendants and CPMs. As you come to work with us, remember that your job is to help them do their work but to not do their work from them. Your job is to help empower these strong women and support them in their midwifery education and studies. Your job is to teach the Haitian student midwives the Traditional Midwifery Model of Care. We are looking for someone who wants to give to this birth movement and well knowing what they get back is way more then they will give.

Volunteer Midwives Needed

Mother Health International is seeking volunteer midwives for the last week of August into early September. We are seeking volunteers who practice gentle birth techniques that allow a woman to birth with dignity, love and with family support. We are looking for skilled and licensed midwives who are willing to donate three or more weeks of their time to serve the women of Jacmel, Haiti. Historically, August and September the MHI birth clinic has lots of babies. Volunteers are responsible for all expenses for travel to and from Haiti. Mother Health International has a house for volunteers to stay during their volunteer time with food and basic essentials provided. If you are interested in volunteering with MHI please fill out the appropriate application (www.motherhealthinternational.org) and send it and all required paperwork to info@motherhealthinternational.org.

Mother Health International has an On-Site Midwife Coordinator position available at our Jacmel, Haiti birth clinic.

Requirements:

• Must be willing to embrace and practice the Traditional Midwifery Model of Care.
• A willingness to live in Jacmel, Haiti at the wonderful MHI birth clinic for a three to six months, as a primary midwife. This position requires the individual to be NARM approved preceptor.
• Midwife may be a direct entry, traditional, CPM or CNM who embraces the Traditional Midwifery Model of Care. Must have a midwifery certificate.
• Must bring in a list of supplies needed for the clinic plus help raise awareness and money for the clinic.

MHI will provide: All expenses on site are paid for including housing, food, and high speed Internet. Unpaid vacation time with prior approval. If you are interested in this position please email info@motherhealthinternational.org for a full job description. www.motherhealthinternational.org

Mother Health International Apprenticeships

Mother Health International is a NARM approved birth clinic located in Jacmel, Haiti. We will accept one or two student apprentices per month at the MHI clinic in Jacmel. Apprentices can either come to our clinic with your preceptor or you can have one of a MHI midwife volunteers, who is a NARM approved preceptor, to serve as your preceptor. A minimum of one month volunteer time is required for all apprentices. Fees and other details are on the application. During the apprenticeship, you will observe and practice all aspects of midwifery relating to pregnancy and childbirth with the mother and a NARM approved preceptor. These experiences include prenatal exams, births, and postpartum visits. Our apprenticeship is perfect for those midwifery students who want to practice a traditional midwifery model of care with emphasis towards recognizing that the least interventions brings the best outcomes in birth. If you are coming with your preceptor she will need to fill out and submit the volunteer midwife application with your application. For more information visit, http://www.motherhealthinternational.org/and click on volunteer.

Our Mission: Mother Health International is dedicated to respond and provide relief to pregnant women and children in areas of disaster and extreme poverty. We are committed to reducing the maternal and infant mortality rates by creating healthy, sustainable holistic birth clinics using the midwifery model of care with culturally appropriate, education for the health and empowerment of women. With every healthy birth there is a positive benefit for the communities that we serve
and the world as a whole. Our ultimate mission is to empower and educate the local clinic staff, with gender equality, to become the health care providers for their community.

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