And then there was one......

Saturday 15th June 2013,

Hotel Clarion, Jawalakhel, Patan

So now my fellow volunteers have returned home and I am here alone which feels a little lonely but at the same time quite exciting! 

Of course I am not alone but surrounded by kindly Nepali friends and today, being Saturday, is a holiday and I am enjoying a quiet morning in my hotel room assimilating all my experiences of these past two weeks.

So much to recount....I'lll try not to ramble...

I have 'been with' 3 labouring women and witnessed their 'sundar baccha' (beautiful babies) being born in the Birth Centre at Paropakar Hospital as well as doing an opportunisitc teaching session there ( by request), on 'breech delivery' with a smaller group of SBA's .

Proud Dad

Teeny tiny one looking so sweet in teeny tiny  knitted hat

Another day we, Jaki and I , did a presentation on 'Respectful Maternity Care", linking it in with the 'hormones of labour' and combining this with a massage workshop and short yoga session.

This was attended by of 30 or so SBA's, nurses and sisters and resulted in much laughter and hilarity!

The practical sessions are a great way to melt the ice!

We also did this session at  the Tribhuvan University Teaching hospital where Jaki is based.

Jaki demonstrating massage techniques for labour
on Kiran Bajracharya Nursing Professor and President of MIDSON

We visited the APS Birth Centre, Kalanki on the outskirts of Kathamandu and were shown around by Ms Rashmi Rajopadhyaya, Nursing Director of Patan Hospital and co founder and chairperson of the centre. Established in 2007 it is the only independant nurse/midwife led birth centre in Nepal ,( see http://www.apskendra.org), and provides free reproductive health services to urban poor families in the locality. "Their vision is to promote natural birthing centres in Nepal, to offer a site to train and support skilled, compassionate skilled birth attendants including nursing students and to provide quality, cost-effective, round the clock, “women-couple-child-adolescent friendly”, basic maternal and child health including reproductive health services."However they are struggling financially and have recently had to stop providing a 24hour service.
The centre  provides a homely alternative to to giving birth in the hospital setting for low risk woman .
We met with the nurse midwives who work there and did an impromptu teaching session on neonatal resuscitation.

In between all this activity  we have also found the time to do some sight seeing too!
See next blog......