Blood work and placing IV's

In school we have had midwives from all over the country come and impart their knowledge to us. The thing I have heard consistently from every one of them is that 'midwives are so much more than baby catchers'. With the skills we are learning I'm seeing that more and more.

Learning the basics

The first skill we learned was giving injections and checking glucose (blood sugar) levels.

Me giving an injection

Now we have moved to more involved procedures, drawing blood for lab work and IV placement.

Looking for "flashback" of blood

 Everybody did a great job and in my opinion was very brave.

Everyone took a turn and willingly was the patient

 Our instructor even offered her veins for practice.

Lizzy (our instructor) was willing to let some practice on her

 There is a lot of information that goes along with these skills, what labs are we drawing for and why would a mother need an IV.

 While midwifes in a developed nation might not sharpen all these skills because of the resources available close by, anyone working in an under developed area wouldn't necessarily have easy access to emergency help.

Learning the different areas you can draw blood from

 Nobody likes getting stuck by a needle but we all need the practice so we'll have the skill once we're taking care of mothers and baby's.

Even I got stuck

We had an entire week of practice. Everyone ended the week with marks (and some bruises) on their arms but we also got some confidence in our skill level.

First attempts at blood draws

 We even did emergency scenarios so we could practice the skills that we have learned so far.

Emergency scenarios 

 We practiced what we would do if a mother had excessive bleeding after giving birth and started going into shock. And yes we actually inserted an IV. Our instructor did put us on a little bit of a time constraint but there was also tremendous grace since we're still honing our skills.

We use fake blood to get an idea of what to much blood looks like

 In these emergency scenarios I think whoever is playing the patient probably has the most difficult role.

I'm learning so much and there are times I feel overwhelmed with it all but I know that once I'm out in the real world God will help me with my skills and knowledge.

As always I appreciate all prayers and words of encouragement. I'm thankful to be able to follow the calling that God has placed on my life. If you would like to contribute towards either my schooling or cost of living, Also I need to renew my passport which is an extra expense that you can help with. I have two easy ways to give. If you need a record of your giving for tax reasons you can give through my church by downloading the Givelify App on your phone. Once you have the app on your phone search churches, Orchard Church 763 Battlefield Pkwy. Ft Oglethorpe, GA 30742.

After you register the church will have a link with my name on it just follow that and my church will forward the funds to me.

Another way is to give through PayPal, just follow this link PayPal.me/THittle

Remember giving through PayPal is not tax deductible.

Any questions you have about my schooling or journey towards going to Haiti please feel free to ask.