bioethics in Romania

Above is a picture I snapped on the way to a meeting with the president of the Bucharest Nurse & Midwives Association... thought it was ironic that the virgin Mary was overlooking the 'old' trash cans that were ripped up- maybe this time the trash cans they install will be able to be emptied in a more efficient way than pulling out all the trash by hand... hmm...

This Saturday I got to attend the first annual midwifery conference in Romania. I will post more on that later. For the moment I thought you readers might enjoy a link to this article about bioethics in the Romanian healthcare system. The lead question asks "Is a bioethical analysis of the Romanian healthcare system necessary?" Yes! I would answer and YES again! The system continues to spiral into uncontrollable corruption and the citizens continue to suffer....

http://eng.bioetica.ro/atdoc/RRBv8n1_2010_Editorial_EN.pdf

20 billion euro loan... and promise of increasing neonatal mortality.

In addition to the austerity cuts promised by the government...taxes are expected to increase. This will increase the financial stress for parents and healthcare providers. Critics are speculating that due to these austerity cuts and the poor state-run health system that healthcare providers will now attempt to leave the country more than ever.

Excerpted from "The Common Man News"
http://themancommon.blogspot.com/2010/05/imf-dictates-shock-program-to-romania.html

"Coming out of talks with an International Monetary Front delegation last week, Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc unveiled an austerity package that is the precondition for the country receiving the next outlay of a 20 billion euro loan package. Even though cuts were expected, the ferocity of the planned attack sent ripples of shock and anger through the population. [...]
Romania has been a target of the IMF. Previous IMF dictates were observed by the notorious “anti-communist” CDR coalition government of 1998-2000, a government that is best remembered for the shameful role it played in the attack on Serbia by NATO forces in 1999, its destruction of the mining sector and huge privatization programs. But the scale of the new attacks is unprecedented even by these infamous standards. Among the population there is increasingly the feeling that the political establishment has this time bitten off more than it can chew. [...]
The dramatic drop in living standards is accompanied by the decay of the public healthcare system. The 25 percent cut to child benefits will certainly affect the infant mortality rate, which is already the highest in Europe. Many of these infant mortalities happen in the first year of life and are caused by treatable infections and malnutrition. {...]
Hospitals have been left in a state of decomposition for years, with patients and health workers buying medication and medical materials themselves due to the almost total lack of funding. The situation reached a critical point in April and May of this year, when more and more managers, including in the capital Bucharest, reported that their hospitals can no longer perform surgeries or receive emergency cases."

Loredana

In her cozy studio apartment we sipped tea and Loredana told me about her traumatic birth experience. She smiled but her voice betrayed her true feeling of frustration and sadness with her birth. “To summarize,” she said, “It was quite an awful experience.”
Loredana shared about how her doctor had been out of the country and how she then labored alone because no one had ‘orders’ to take care of her since her doctor was not present. Loredana expressed her anger at then being rushed into an ‘emergency’ cesarean section for a breech positioned baby that she was aware of since pregnancy. She had repeatedly told her care providers of the breech diagnosis since she had arrived seven hours before in labor but no one had listened.
Loredana also explained that she was forced to walk to the nursery, after having a cesarean section, three times a day and in the evening to nurse. Baby Marius, though healthy, was not allowed to stay with her in the room. The breastfeeding problems began almost immediately from lack of contact between mother and baby!I was impressed with Loredana’s perseverant spirit. She continued to pump and breastfeed through her difficult hospital stay and at home... as a result Baby Marius is a healthy and smiley baby!
These lactation visits, postpartum visits and simple conversations that I have been having with friends and clients continue to impress me with the need for current information to be taught, women to be empowered instead of degraded through their birth experiences, and the GREAT NEED for a birth center in Bucharest.

New York Midwives lose right to catch babies in homes

Picture from the Guardian article.

An article worth reading...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/may/14/home-births-new-york-midwives

Availability of birth place options and the possibility for women to choose her place of birth indicates a nation/community's view of women... In Romania we find ourselves like the women of New York... wanting more options and demanding more choices!

Doula training course is a success!

I drew from my experiences at my own doula training workshop and the Midwifery Today conference as I lit candles, arranged birth books, made coffee for the doula workshop participants last Saturday morning. I recalled the warmth of the instructors and the intuitive workshop spaces that promoted dialogue among its eager students. This would be a day like no other because I was about to embark on eight hours of teaching in Romanian about a concept only recently pioneered in the country: doulas.

The eight women who came were brilliant, each with a fascinating career and a passion for women. Included in the group were: a midwife student, two psychologists, a doctor (who is also an expectant mom), a philosopher, a physical therapist, a nurse and a secretary. We were able to discuss scenarios and engage in learning activities from multiple unique perspectives! They also were very kind in offering me grace in my grammar and occasional lack of words in Romanian!

We divided the day between didactic sessions, group 'jigsaw' teaching, hands-on practice, and question/answer sessions. The biggest request on the evaluation was for more hands-on experience in future workshops. In addition, several of the women were interested in starting the certification process with DONA International to become midwives. God-willing I will attempt to get certified to be a doula instructor in Seattle so that when we return I can provide 'certifying' workshops for local women. The top two items mentioned as 'practical things we will take away' were: rebozo (birth scarf) techniques and hip squeeze/pelvic opening labor support methods.

One of the day's participants summed the day up this way, "Thank you for reminding us that what we are doing is important, that we are not crazy and that we can bring change for the women of this country."

Thank you to Clinica Pro-Vita International who graciously allowed us to host the entire day in their beautiful facility!

Archive May 4, 2010: Sighisoara

Nate and I have seized the opportunity to travel Romania before we return to the U.S. Now that we are married we find ourselves able to galavant off to random cities at a moment’s notice.Last weekend I was remiss in a blog as we went for a weekend getaway to Brasov and the city of Sighisoara. Above, I included two of our favorite pictures. One was snapped on our last evening there- the sun was sinking behind the distant hills and the old city took on a magical feel in the orange twilight. The other makes me laugh for two reasons: 1) how many places in europe do you find a sign banning horse carts? 2)the sign is clearly impractical as parked behind the sign is... yep you guessed it- a horse cart. Well, the sign didn’t apply to them... right?

Favorite memories from Sighisoara include- staying in a retreat house called “Norbert” named after the owner’s four-year-old son, having a strong plum brandy when the house’s owners invited us to Norbert, the child’s,big birthday celebration, hearing the lilting, sing-song accent of Transylvanian natives, walking through the medieval citadel, and remembering how Bucharest used to be in the ‘old days’ with shops closed on Saturday afternoons and all day Sundays.

Archive April 9, 2010: Our Upcoming Doula Training

Our Upcoming Doula Training... Will occur May 15th 2010 from 1000-1800. Looking forward to seeing more doulas in Bucharest! Since you dropped by our site.... would you mind doing something for those mothers back in the U.S.? Please look at this petition and consider signing it regarding VBAC births- I can’t wait for the day we create a VBAC petition in Romania!

http://www.petitiononline.com/VBAC2010/petition.html

Achive Jan. 29, 2009: One year bdays and wedding plans

Do you recognize this kiddo in the picture? This is Adan, Emi and Brindusa’s little guy who was born last March. Nate and I have become good friends with Adan and his parents :) Adan’s one year birthday is coming up around the corner in March. His parents are considering more children but options for quality prenatal and birth care are limited.

It is tragic that among so many parents, Romania’s lack of adequate prenatal and birth care pushes them away from having future children! I have joined an international network of midwives and midwife students and am working to bring awareness to this issue.

More and more people are asking us (me and Nate) what are plans are for the future in regards to Romania. We will be getting married March, 1 2010 in Bucharest. In June we will most likely return to Seattle for my clinical midwifery placement.At this point my long term desire is for ROMANIANS to change ROMANIA and to play a role in empowering women, families and midwives to bring change to this place. What this will look like remains to be written by God...

Please excuse any gaps in the blogging and newslettering that may occur as I finish up my grad school quarter, help my mom recover from surgery, plan a wedding, get married, go on a honeymoon and oh yeah.... attend a home birth! My Swiss midwife friend and I have officially committed to attending a client at home for her birth- I promise a blog and picture to follow!

Archive Jan. 9, 2010: Women's Healthcare Around the World

The pictures above are from the Mountain Midwifery birth center I had the privilege of visiting during the American Association of Birth Centers conference in December. The Denver, Colorado birth center is run by a dynamic midwife and business man couple who are passionate about wellness and empowering women during their pregnancy and birth experiences. The conference provided me with valuable insights into the inner-workings how a quality birth center should actually begin!

UK

MIDIRS a UK-based educational charity that requested midwife student submissions- Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing then sent out an email to its students and I sent in a submission- they were gracious enough to publish it in their January edition. Please feel free to check out the story entitled ‘Peace-bearer- A birth story from Bucharest, Romania’

http://www.midirs.org/development/MIDIRSEssence.nsf/articles/3BDF38D83C0C651D80257689004EA228

Bucharest, Romania

The first potential planned home-birth (that I know of) may be coming up around the corner. A qualified midwife and I have agreed to attend a healthy, first-time mom in her home when she gives birth. This mom will also have the support of her best friend who is a midwife student in Bucharest and her husband. I will update you as soon as those rushes begin...

Archive Dec. 23, 2009: To the Beloved Faithful

Local Romanian Orthodox priests have been making their rounds through Bucharest neighborhoods over the last two weeks. It is a tradition that the priests walk through their local parishes and provide blessings ‘by donation’ for local families.

This specific notice also mentions that an icon of the birth of the Lord will be brought with the priest to the blessings.

While rooted in the pure roots of village Orthodoxy this simple tradition reflects a much larger concern in the Romanian Orthodox church. Corruption has become endemic. Once-upon-a-time ‘suggested donations’ have become required payments by parishioners. NPR provides an excellent discussion of this disturbing phenomenon at this link http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120290631

It is sad when corruption spreads into a nation’s medical, political and social arenas but it is absolutely heartbreaking when the corruption undermines the church. When the haven of solace becomes a marketplace... an entire people are betrayed. It reminds me of when Jesus entered the temple and saw the vendors. He was outraged and turned over the seller’s tables... His house had become a place where people had to buy their grace... and yet the greatest desire of Jesus’ heart was for people to know that His GRACE is WITHOUT COST and does not take captives... rather His GRACE sets captives FREE!

Archive Nov.22, 2009: South Carolina Here We Come!

A blog or two may be missing over the next two weeks as Nate and I head back to South Carolina with his family for Thanksgiving. Then we will head to Colorado where I will attend a “How to start a birth center” workshop. From there we will fly back through Germany to Bucharest. We will be back the beginning of December and I will jump right in to blogging and let you know what is going on in Bucharest.

Last week’s check off list of tasks went well- I crammed in 12 weeks of school into 8 before our trip. God allowed me to meet with several close friends and establish a new relationship with a local doctor Dr. Ilinca Gussi. She graciously offered to clinically mentor a midwife student and provide observation opportunities for doula students. This is a huge blessing because the current class of Bucharest midwife students have NO where to do their clinical hours.

After leaving the hospital (under ‘strict quarantine’ for the swine flu)I immediately called midwife student Irina Popescu and shared the news. She was ecstatic. Irina’s heart for women and children is large and she has been lobbying for the midwife students’ rights. I hope that this will be the first of many partnerships that will provide Romania with midwives for the future.

In addition, I have started a mini research project for my birth centering marketing course at the local Euroclinic. I will compile my data while in the U.S. along with a research paper. The data will reflect the openness of Bucharest citizens, docs and nurses to midwives and birth centers.

I leave you with the comical picture of me and Nate at the abandoned Club Hermes- expats have some comical nicknames for this former hang out spot. Yikes! This is a crumbling former discotheque in old Lipscani neighborhood of Bucharest...

Archive Nov.20, 2009: VBAC anyone?

Vaginal birth after cesarean section (VBAC) is unheard of here in Bucharest. Despite encouraging statistics and a statement of overwhelming affirmation from the American College of Nurse Midwives, the opportunity is fast disappearing in the U.S. as well(for more information see http://www.mymidwife.org/csection.cfm).

With a rising cesarean section rate and a decreasing VBAC rate, will the entire future generation of Romania (and potentially the U.S.) be born via cesarean section?

I had a conversation with a Romanian mom recently and she is considering paying to fly in an Aussie midwife to catch her baby at home because she cannot be assured that a doc will not c-section her at a private facility and the state hospital conditions are sub par.

During the last week I have had several conversations with new moms.

The majority of them delivered via cesarean sections. Some of the reasons stated in the mothers’ words are:

fear of vaginal birth

myopia (common belief that retinal detachment will occur in women with myopia... I have found no study to date to support this indication for preventative cesarean section)

high blood pressure

first child was born via cesarean section

an umbilical artery looked like it might be getting smaller on ultrasound

What this indicates to me as a midwife student is that women are 1) being stripped of power, 2) receiving insufficient prenatal education, and 3) not being given true ‘informed’ consent for prenatal and obstetric procedures.

Archive Nov.15, 2009: Preparations

Romanians are busy preparing for winter by pickling cabbages, canning zacusca (a traditional spread for bread with bell peppers, onions and spices) and bundling up in leather and fur layers. I have been making some preparations of my own but in completely different ways- anyhow, I could never compete with my Romanian friends’ cooking renditions of traditional dishes :) nor could I ‘out layer’ a fellow Bucharest resident. Romanians are serious about staying warm!

A brief look at my day-planner to give you a glimpse of what is going on in Bucharest:

Wednesday: Meeting with a midwife-friendly and ‘natural birth supporter’ obstetrician who was recommended to me by Swiss midwife Claudia Bider Heim

Thursday: Initiate a research project at Euroclinic to evaluate the market readiness of mothers, nurses and doctors for a midwife-run birth center.

Friday: Tentatively scheduled meeting for women regarding common health issues, pregnancy and birth in a friend’s home.

On call anytime for a birth!

Throughout the week I will be working on my masters coursework in double speed to finish a month before my quarter ends- Why? I am headed back to South Carolina with my boyfriend Nate to meet his family and celebrate Thanksgiving!

Archive Nov. 3, 2009: Formula companies campaigning for ignorance!

In a recent forum discussion for “Birth as You Feel”, an advocacy group comprised of midwife students, midwives, nurses, psychologists, moms, docs and concerned citizens, we discussed the following question. Are we pro-breastfeeding, against formula or both? Certainly, in a country where most women would like to breastfeed but are told they cannot, this issue must be addressed respectfully and gently.

It is difficult to remain neutral about formula companies because of their heavy influence on Romanian maternity wards. The above picture comes from the following Milupa formula website of Romania at http://milupa.ro/o-lume-fara-deficiente-nutritionale/despre-campanie.php The ironic pro-formula banner reads ‘A World Without Nutritional Deficiencies’ when breastfeeding is actually the best combatant of iron deficiency anemia. The ad boldly states that 2 out of 3 children at 1 year of age in Romania suffers from iron deficient anemia. The solution is wordless and clear- Milupa formula is the answer.

Their data is referenced as being from the most recent IOMC and UNICEF studies. What is ironic is that these studies typically make the following conclusion- breastfeeding practices must be encouraged! Breastfeeding is the free and most efficient solution to this issue (in addition to having a myriad of other benefits).

Today, I went to a local well-known maternity ward and saw posters for formula companies all over the waiting room. The World Health Organization strictly forbids overt pro-formula advertising and UNCIEF requires hospitals to accept no formula company funding or advertising as a condition of baby-friendly hospitals.

The most common reason for breastfeeding cessation in Romania seems to be, ‘I don’t have enough milk’ or ‘my milk ran out’. Since we know that only 1 in 10,000 women have a true inability to breastfeed... the logical question is how can these women have ‘no milk’? No support rather than no milk might be a more accurate response. Romanian women are not unable to breastfeed but their culture, medical providers and family members often provide poor and misinformed advice.

What is the solution? Empowering moms, dads, docs, midwives, and concerned citizens with informed discontentment in current advertising practices, healthcare advice and the general mentality that ‘women’s bodies don’t work’.

Archive Oct. 26, 2009: Insulating After the Fact

There were a lot of considerations that were not factored in when the Communist era apartment blocs were built throughout Romania. One of these potential issues was insulation. The cold outside air and the warm inside air interact through the concrete slab walls and voila- extreme mold! In our spare room this is compounded by the fact that the apartment bloc manager has chosen not to pay for our state-run heating system to be fixed in that room because all the apartment owners beneath us have installed their own personal heating systems.

So to combat the mold in the extra bedroom our landlord decided to internally insulate the room. Yes, it is possible. External insulation was ruled out because it is costly to hire daring men called ‘alpinists’ to set up scaffolding on our bloc and risk their lives while providing our spare room with insulation. The cost effective choice, to insulate internally, has proven to be a learning experience for us all.

A few candid moments from the week long project:

The project was supposed to start on Monday but the worker was not able to meet with the landlord’s friend to buy supplies because the friend was sick and Monday was the holiday ‘Sfantul Dumitru’ or Saint Dumitru (still not sure why this was a factor). But, we loaned the worker the money so he could start the job as planned.

Industrial strength adhesive being used to glue blue foam strips to the wall... we hope that nothing else will be permanently adhered to the wall by the week’s end (hopefully not the cause of the worker’s chronic cough)

Offering to provide lunch for the workman- an important custom that encourages the worker to work longer (and get the job done sooner)instead of leaving early. The gentleman working for us has high work ethic- he refused any coffee break, food, or water- wow!

- Function, not esthetics, is the priority- we now have a strange perhaps ‘contemporary’ terraced look to our spare room’s ceiling and walls. Hmmm...

Archive Oct. 22, 2009: "Um, I think someone lives here!"

As Melissa, Nate and I waited for the train in Sinaia we decided to do some exploring. The train ticket vendor told us,”Well, the train shouldn’t be too late. An hour, maybe an hour an a half.” With a vague time estimate we decided to linger around the deserted areas of the old station.

We did some prying at the end of the platform and found this large black and red steam engine. The engine looked as though it had been painted within the last ten years and had steps up to an open door that seemed to just invite curious passersby.

Melissa and I began to scope out the scene. We noticed some railway station attendants who began inching toward us as we got closer to the engine.

Out of the blue, an Aussie voice said, “You can get up and take a look around mates.” What? It was impossible but true. The voice was coming from the obviously Eastern European, espresso sipping, cigarette smoking man behind us. We stared blankly at the man dressed in the drab blue Romanian train worker garb. I didn’t know whether to respond in English or Romanian. Something that sounded like, “Da, okay” came out of my mouth as Melissa started up the steps.

Melissa reached the top and craned her neck to see inside. “Um, I think someone lives in here. There are blankets and clothes and stuff.” She said. “What?” Nate and I asked from the ground. “I am getting down now,” Melissa whispered. “Wait! This is hilarious! Let’s take a picture first!” I said as I scrambled up to the second rung.

Meanwhile the Aussie-English speaking Romanian train worker smirked and watched from a distance as we hurriedly took a picture and jumped down. The strange man paced by us several more times after that without speaking a word! On the train ride home to Bucharest (1 1/2 hours late) we came up with the following hypothetical reasons behind what had just happened to us:

The Aussie Romanian lived in the train himself

He lures startled tourists into the engine and robs them

He is former Romanian secret police and just appears to be a train worker

He is not yet aware that Communism has fallen

He is a serial killer (Nate’s contribution)

Or all of the above :)

Archive Oct. 14, 2009: Faith Inducing Lift Rides

I will include stories of moms, clinic work and births as they come along but have started using the blog to fill in readers on ‘real life’ Romania. Some of you have requested cultural tidbits and tales of day to day life. So in between stories of non-profit status development, fundraisers, births and midwifery you will find these little vignettes of life in Bucharest.

Melika a wonderful friend from college and fellow RN visited from Philadelphia this last week. We were able to meet with an expecting mom, visit the Euroclinic, travel on crowded metros, visit Peles castle and experience ‘the lift’. Our elevators referred to in Romania as ‘lifts’ was affectionately referred to as ‘the tower of terror’ by a recent group of visiting friends.

Melika and I enjoyed the important details such as floor numbers marked in sharpie pen, the bare light bulb, the ability to see and touch the floors as they zoom by through the ‘windows’ in the doors and the sound our rapid descent from floor 7 to the ground floor!

Archive Oct. 12, 2009: Blocs remodeling?

The autumn sunset glows over endless Bucuresti bloc apartments each night as we sit down for dinner. A unique juxtaposition of the beautiful and drab of this city. The most recent development in the ‘housing’ department of Bucuresti is external insulation... we are hoping our bloc gets ‘chosen’ by the government for insulation.

The apparent plan is to encase every bloc in Bucuresti with ‘external insulation’ applied over many hours, with dangerous appearing scaffolding and hundreds of workers. Many Bucuresti dwellers have major health problems because the concrete blocs absorb moisture and many apartments are infested with mold!

Several family friends have children diagnosed with asthma that is activated by the mold in their apartment... when they move to the countryside- the symptoms disappear.

We are crossing our fingers that this is one health improving measure that will actually happen!

Archive Sept. 29, 2009: How we measure up...

 Nate and I were enjoying a delicious salmon dinner at our friends’ home when the discussion came up about blogging. Our friend Emi was discussing his new found hobby of blogging about fatherhood. He advised, “Successful bloggers have weekly if not daily posts.” Emi went on to say that readers soon become bored if they frequent the site and see that there are no new posts... enter my lack of blogging on this site!

If you want to check out our friend Emi’s blog it is:

http://adanlucas.blogspot.com Now only in Romanian but has great pictures of Emi and Brindusa’s baby and will soon be translated into English too!

As changes are in the near future of Hagar Project Romania and many doors are being opened, I want you to be updated ‘contented’ readers not bored with my paltry monthly entries. So, now I will be updating the blog weekly with little cultural tidbits, stories and HPR happenings.

In the news, the tallies are in and do not bode well for Romania’s current healthcare system. Not a surprise to those who receive healthcare from the state run hospitals, Romania has ranked in the bottom of top European sanitary (healthcare) systems.

Romania ranked 32 of 33 European countries in top sanitary systems

de A.C. HotNews.ro

Luni, 28 septembrie 2009, 16:25 English | Regional Europe

The problems of the Romanian medical system are confirmed in the recent European study analyzing 33 European countries taken into account. The Euro Health Consumer Index 2009 is currently at its fifth edition, and was realized by the Health Power House, an organization based in Brussels that works with the aid of the European Commission since 2005.

After Bulgaria, the Romanian medical system was the weakest. This index is calculated depending on several factors:

• on the waiting time for treatments

• on the waiting time for various programs and operations

• on the rights of the patients and their degree of knowledge

• on the IT system existent in hospitals

• on the current medical services

• on the pharmaceutical services

Romania was exceeded in the top by Albania and Montenegro, countries outside the EU. Compared to the 2008 index, Romania lost 5 positions.

Taken from today’s headlines in Romania’s HotNews (www.hotnews.ro)

Archive: Aug. 21, 2009: Camp Living Water

The teenage girl from the Bucharest orphanage clambered out of the cars, eager for their one week at Living Water Camp. The backdrop of Romania’s vibrant wine country, in the Pancea district, was refreshing for both campers and counselors. Nate and I had the challenge and joy to share Bible stories around the campfire and address ‘real life’ scenarios of pain and suffering that these girls experience daily.

When asked, “Do you believe if you had just one thing it could make you happy? What would it be?” Each girl answered, without faltering, “If my family took me back, then I would be happy.” Most of the girls are not true orphans, merely ‘abandoned’ by parents who occasionally visit but choose not to parent due to poverty, drug or domestic abuse, and irresponsibility.

It was so fun to get to hang out with these girls whether jumping on the trampoline, snuggling in for late night movies or making s’mores around the campfire!

Archive: July 7, 2009: The Birth of Our Photography Career (generously said)

Ok, that title was a little overstated, but Nate and I got to be the fill-in photographers for our friends Cornel and Dana's civil ceremony. In Romania there is a legal ceremony at local 'marriage house' which a handful of friends, family and godparents attend. The marriage is considered legally binding at this point after the government official reads a statement and has them sign the marriage book. The couple then exists the office and walks under the flower archway made by all their friends and family holding long flower stalks. The church wedding occurrs several days or weeks after this initial legal ceremony. Enjoy these pictures! They are a beautiful couple!

Archive Feb. 1, 2009: Snow, Birth Center Talk and Coffee

Imagine my surprise when I found my fellow train travelers on the eight-hour ride to Cluj included an elderly British man and his Romanian wife. After numerous conversations about our cultural differences, much laughter and several bags of gummy bears and pretzels, I arrived in Transylvania. This unique, formerly Hungarian portion of Romania embodies aspects of both vibrant university life and rural farming.

I had the joy of staying here in Cluj with the Hallsted Family! Jon made me some awesome lattes, I got to enjoy some long and relaxing conversations with Becca and their children were delightful! Below is my picture with the girls...

Also, Jon is working to start a birth center here in Romania- so we had a lot to talk about!! We are praying for how God will use this new connection for His glory!

Archive Jan 27, 2009: Welcome to the world Delia Cosmina!

Nicoleta called me at 3:30 pm yesterday with news that her water had broken. She and her husband told me their plan was to drive to the edge of Bucharest, park and then take a tram the rest of the way to the hospital. Outside there was a steady drizzle and the city lights were enveloped in a foggy haze. I packed white scrubs and shoes, my ticket into the maternity ward, grabbed a cup of steaming hot coffee and ran out the door.

I squeezed in with other subway commuters packed into the metro cars, crossed mud puddles which resembled lakes, and finally arrived at CFR II hospital. I have always found it a challenge to find a place to change into my scrubs so I scurried down the stars to an abandoned basement corner. Imagine my surprise when the closet door behind me opened and out walked a shriveled old woman with a floral kerchief wrapped snugly around her head. She told me to keep changing. "Don't mind me. I am just living down here. Sometimes it gets hard with all the wild dogs that wander through but...." She took my hand in her wrinkled one and showed me the closet that she called home where she had a small cardboard box, blanket and hot pot. I realized that this was a divine appointment. We shared about God and I assured her that I would visit her anytime I came to the hospital for a birth.

After many frightening wrong turns I finally found the new, remodeled, maternity section which had been moved since the last time I attended a birth at CFR II. I felt at home as I kneeled, prayed, and rested with Nicoleta as the familiar patterns of birth welcomed me back into their presence. Nicoleta made the transition from outward excitement to inward focus with ease and confidence. Her breath was even, deep, peaceful and reflective of the live giving force within her body.

Italian opera arias crackling from the radio and an occasional burst of laughter from the nurse's station were the only sounds which penetrated our quiet darkness in the labor room.

By one o'clock in the morning Nicoleta was in heavy labor. She swung her hips and began to feel the urge to push. The doctor calmly sat on one side of her with her arm resting on Nicoleta's leg. I sat on Nicoleta's other side and savored the distinct lack of monitors, shots, and medical interference. I knew this was simply a lull but I soaked up the energy created by this ancient, life bearing experience being shared among women.

Within moments, florescent lights were flipped on and Nicoleta was told to "run" to the birthing room. Seconds later she was using every last energy reserve and pushing her baby into the world. At one-thirty am Delia arrived with a tiny cry, as if to reassure her mother, "I am here!" After straining to see her daughter, Delia leaned back gently against the bed. She looked at me, her eyes sparkling in victory. I squeezed her hand and we both smiled.

One less woman has birthed alone in Bucharest....