Each day, 800 mothers in the world die from mostly preventable causes during pregnancy or childbirth and 99% of these deaths occur in developing countries. In other words, it is mostly the poorest women in the world who die from causes that we know how to prevent. In Haiti, where the
Tagged as: MIDWIVES
EACH DAY IN HAITI
By Emily Tinsley, RN, MSNed As an experienced international educator of nurses in the developing world, I began my journey with Midwives for Haiti for the first time 2 weeks ago. Though I am not a midwife and my experience with mothers and infants is narrow, my abiding passion remains
“WELCOME TO THE SISTERHOOD OF MIDWIVES!”
The following is the opening address from Midwives For Haiti’s longtime volunteer, Wendy Dotson, CNM, on the first day of classes for our 7th Class of Skilled Birth Attendants in March 2014. More stories can be found on Wendy’s blog: I am so happy to talk to you today on the first
NO CEILINGS FOR MIDWIVES FOR HAITI
On March 9, 2015, our fabulous midwife and instructor, Genette Thelusmond, was invited to New York City by the Clinton Foundation to present a speech on maternal health at the launch of No Ceilings: Not There Yet- A Data Driven Analysis of Gender Equality. Our Directors, Nadene Brunk and Dr. Steve
Baby in the Bag
Three weeks ago Rebecca Barlow and I wanted to recreate Frontier Nursing’s “baby in the bag” photo in Haiti. For those of you unfamiliar with the story, in the 1920’s to the 1960’s Mary Breckinridge established the Frontier Nursing Service in south eastern Kentucky. Small clinics and nursing posts were
Spotlight: Magdala Jude Tells Her Story
My Story by Magdala Jude, Graduate SBA and Mobile Clinic SBA, Midwives For Haiti (MFH) (The setting: Magdala sits at the kitchen table in the MFH volunteer/instructor home in Hinche, Haiti with Manno, the house manager and translator at her side. Hopefully, these words will capture Magdala’s spirit, enthusiasm and sincerity. I would hate for
The Hospital: Through the Eyes of a First Time Visitor
The Hospital. Part One: It’s my second day in Haiti. I already have the wonderful, earthy smells and thick heat of Haiti under my fingernails. I’m also covered in mosquito repellant but haven’t seen a single buzzing pest since arriving from London the previous evening. After lunch, Nadene and
IT ALL BEGINS WITH THE STUDENTS
I lived for five months in Hinche, Haiti, working with Midwives For Haiti. I was co-teaching with a Haitian nurse midwife in their small school that trains Skilled Birth Attendants in a 12 month course of midwifery study. I am not an instructor; I am a clinical nurse midwife with
Why Skilled Birth Attendants Matter
I’ve been working in Haiti for about a decade to reduce maternal and infant mortality by increasing access to skilled maternity care. Skilled attendance is a proven intervention to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths. In Haiti, only about 25% of women have access to a skilled attendant during their
Sweat, Dirt, and Love
The following is an excerpt from the blog of midwife volunteer, Tara Elrod, and her husband, Dr. Glen Elrod: Today was our first day of work. Glen went to the hospital to help the Haitian OBs and midwives wherever needed, and I went on a mobile clinic to a town