Second Mile Haiti (http://www.secondmilehaiti.org/) is seeking experienced midwives to mentor their Haitian midwives as they open their new free-standing birth center. The Haitian midwives at Second Mile Haiti already provide prenatal care to women and their families, and are now ready to attend births at The Strong Start Maternity Center.
Only 37% of rural Haitian women give birth in the presence of a skilled birth attendant, such as a doctor, a nurse, or a midwife, making Haiti the most dangerous place to give birth in the Western Hemisphere. Second Mile will give 170,000 individuals living in the commune of Milot the opportunity to access safe births, prenatal care, family-based education, and a strong shot at life.
The trained midwives at Second Mile Haiti will continue to provide prenatal, antepartum, and postpartum care to women and their families. My role as a mentor will be to support these midwives in their initial period as skilled birth attendants. They already have the education and training, they only need mentoring as they begin their careers. I will be there to observe and make suggestions, answer questions, and hone skills such as suturing.
Additionally, I hope to continue my own learning about medical missions, how to best use my skills and expertise to provide assistance in areas of greatest need.
I spent a week at Strong Start Maternity Center to be a resource for the Haitian-trained midwives attending births. One woman was admitted in active labor, but was transferred to the local hospital in Minot with pre-eclampsia. Another woman was admitted after giving birth in her car, and spent the night and next day with her family at the birth center.
