Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Prenatal Visits: "Clinic"

This is not a birth story, but it is an important part of the care that we give the women here.  Prenatal Appointments, or as we call them "Prenatals" and we refer to the shift as "Clinic."

Before the actual prenatal, the women are weighed, their weight is checked, we sing a couple praise songs, they have a devotion (we have a staff devotion time), then they hear a health teaching.


From the December 23 through January 2 we have had a lovely long break!  Oh, there were a few patients who were specifically scheduled to come during the break and have a prenatal check-up, otherwise, we took a break.  It worked out to be just a week and a half, which is very doable, and, Mercy was still open, so they were welcome to come at any time (and some most definitely gave birth!)

Today we had 90 prenatals of the 100+ scheduled.  Thankfully, the birth room wasn't too busy, so they helped a lot by seeing patients downstairs in the birth room too.  Overall, these patients were well established into their second or third trimester.  However, there were a few who had outstanding problems.

One had a large UTI (urinar tract infection).  The problem here is potential pre-term labor.  Another girl was only 16 y.o. and although she is still allowed to stay home and continues to work with her mother selling "Banana-Q's" (really delicious grilled bananas on a stick, sometimes dipped in sugar, then grilled so it's nice and crispy!) she still has a certain amount of shyness or guilt about being pregnant.  One women had a baby who was breech.  Another women's baby had turned, but had a tendency toward being oblique.

As with every women, they were prayed over before they left.  As usual, it struck me again what an amazing ministry we are given to take these women "into the throne room" through prayer regardless of their "religious" status.  We lift them up to the Father and give all their care to Him and entrust them to Him.

Wow!  May we always be reminded of the power and ministry of prayer.  These prayers are not elaborate, they are just what is needed and they are to bring glory to Him.  He is the One ultimately giving care, He gives the wisdom, and He is Sovereign.

Blessings to you all, may He give you a ministry of prayer, even as we know that the Holy Spirit prays on our behalf because we know not what we ought to pray.

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