update from Uganda. Safe arrival of baby girl

Remember Molly in the top photo with me? She is one of the women who agreed to receive care payed for by the donations from the staff at Queens Hospital Burton Maternity Unit.
Well Molly had her baby, a girl, on 17th October 2014. Molly's baby was safely delivered in Maama Maria's Clinic Uganda weighing 3.6kg. Apars 10/10.  

Molly has continued to seek care from the clinic postnatally and her baby girl is growing now weighing 5.5kg. the midwives at the clinic have been able to support Molly giving her nutritional advice and supporting her breast feeding.

Mary at Maama Maria's clinic has sent thanks to you all at Queens for the interest in the clinic and she is very pleased to tell me that they have been chosen to support a student midwife through a mentorship program started with help from the twinning project. Mary thanks us for empowering her clinic to be part of this. Mary also wanted us to know that the midwives in the clinic continue to encourage women to deliver their baby's in any position they choose, using the floor, a stool, a bucket and the birthing ball as well as the bed.  

garden party donations and care provided thanks to Queens Maternity staff

Before I left on my trip to Uganda the maternity staff at Queens hospital Burton on Trent had a garden party and made donations. The money raised by them I used to buy equipment to take out to the clinics in Uganda and also we raised enough money to be able to pay for 3 women to have complete maternity care. From booking, antenatal care, ultra sound scans, blood tests, labour and delivery care and postnatal care for the 1st 24hrs for mother and baby.

  These are 2 of the Ugandan women who are receiving the care.
On the left is Carol. This is Carol's fourth pregnancy but she only has two live children. Her last pregnancy was a twin pregnancy but sadly both babies were lost before birth. This pregnancy is again twins. The due date is 25/3/15. Carol is receiving her care at Maama Maria's maternity Centre where she has had ultra sound scans to ensure these babies are growing well.
On the right is Molly who is 35 years old and already has 5 children who she supports alone, earning a living making bricks. When I was in Uganda Molly's baby was almost due. I am waiting to hear the outcome of Molly's pregnancy and will post some photos when I receive them. This is the 1st time Molly has had care from a professional during her pregnancies all her other children have been born in her home, which is a tiny wooden building with just an earth floor and no running water.
The 3rd women is called Betty and she also had twins they were born at 34 weeks, which was a problem for the midwives at Maama maria's as Betty was suppose to be transfered to the main hospital because the babies were premature but Betty refused to go. She arrived at the centre already 8cm dilated and both babies were breech. The 1st a boy was delivered by a midwife the 2nd a girl 20 minutes later a doctor was present. Both mother and babies are doing well.

All three women send a big THANK-YOU to everyone at Queens. 

last day here in Kampala. sad to be leaving

Early breakfast and then lots of waiting around for 9am meeting. We should know by now that 9 means 1030ish
Anyway very successful end to our work here. Professor Ann managed to bring together midwives from the Ugandan private midwives association and midwifery educators for a successful discussion about mentorship.
Then this afternoon we gave our feedback before heading to the airport to await our delayed flight.
Sad to be leaving Uganda but hopefully our efforts will begin to make a difference.

travelled over the equator almost to Tanzanian border

A long drive on very bumpy roads across the Equator to visit a private midwifery centre and a government hospital.
It took several hours to get to Masaka then we left the tarmaced road and went for over another hour before we reached St Mary maternity and general nursing home. Its the only one for miles around so is quite busy. The midwife that runs it is qualified in the UK some years ago when they did parts 1 and 2. But she is the only qualified member of the team other than a general medicine doctor. There are a team of so called midwives which are in fact TBAs . I wasn't able to spend too much time there but I can show you some pictures and say that it seemed like a happy place.

this is Bonny our driver at the equator

St Mary's maternity home

wicker baby scales

labour room

After leaving here we went just 30 mins down the road, bumpety bump!! to find a level 1V health centre that mean they have a maternity unit with theatre and are able to perform C/S and offer a full range of A/N P/N care.
Well ..... on arrival we found no one to show us round other than the care taker, maternity did have 5 p/n women and babies but not a member of staff in sight.   We had a chat with the women and checked on there babies, had a look at the labour room and ventured off to see if we could find anyone else. The general ward was just the same, full of patients with IVIs and some looking quite poorly but not a member of staff apart from the caretaker.

maternity building level 1V health centre

labour room

We did find out from the care taker that a doctor lived on site and he could contact him if he thought he was needed.

My lunch today was

23rd September 2014. Makindye Maternity Home

I met midwife Ruth today who has been qualified for over 40 years and runs her maternity home from a building in her garden. As well as being a midwife and mother she also keeps pigs and hundreds of chickens. I have a feeling that my lunch was pork.
It was really home from home at the clinic, everyone got a warm welcome as they arrived and the care was delivered with kindness and respect.

This afternoon Ruth got together with another local midwife to do some training. We have done a mini skill drill day. Resuscitation of the newborn, Shoulder dystocia, PPH. We had lots of fun and I think they learnt something.

I have learnt lots about contraception and how to pray. Very important on your own as a midwife out here.

faith restored

22/9/14
I have spent the day at Maama Maria's maternity clinic today a private clinic which is where I was based last year. It was good to see the changes that have been made especially when you know that the twinning project has helped.
They have moved there Labour room and have loads more space a tiled floor and well organised emergency equipment. There is now space for women to be off the bed and the midwives told me of a delivery Mary had done with the women on a stool.
Mary wishes to thank all at Queens Hospital Burton for the fantastic New equipment you have sent. I was also able to meet two of the women we are providing complete maternity care for.

This is Carol and Molly

Both of these women come from a community that wouldn't normally seek any A/N care and would only go to the clinic if they had a problem. They were identified by Mary's outreach worker who chose them because of there circumstances. Your donations have payed for both women to have HiV screening, 4 A/N assessments, a mama pack, containing everything needed for delivery and care at delivery and the 1st 24h P/N.

The New Labour room at maama. Maria's 

the placenta pit and midwife Nuruh

Sunday 21/9/14

After meeting with the Ugandan Private Midwives Association, our partners in this project, We are able to see what they want from us next week.
My remit for the following 5 days is to visit several private clinics one of them Mama Maria's which I was at last year and audit the impact that the volunteers have had.
I need to find the reports from last years volunteers and devise an audit tool to try and capture as much information as I can and try to show the positives and negatives of the volunteer visits.
Easy really!

the meeting

 Prior to the meeting we had a lovely afternoon at Kampala golf club

Ann Patricia Me and Sue

I have also talked with Mary midwife and president of the UPMA from Mama Maria's clinic about using the donations which the midwives and staff at Burton Queens Hospital have given for helping some women who would not normally seek medical help from the midwives. One of the women delivered yesterday and I will tell you about it in the next blog when I have been to the clinic to meet with the midwives and hopefully the mums.