MSF Blog: Rupture

The fifth blog post in my MSF blog, Love, Labor Loss.


When I examine the patient, I can feel the baby’s limbs so close to the skin. I look with the ultrasound, and I don’t see any uterus around the baby. I also see liquid blood around the baby. It is very indicative of uterine rupture. 
 Uterine rupture is a catastrophic complication in which the force of the contractions is too strong for the uterine muscle, and the tissue literally bursts open. It looks as if the uterus has exploded. The infant is released into the abdominal cavity, and the placenta usually is too, which means that the fetus dies within minutes. The bleeding can be so severe that the woman herself can die before reaching help, so the fact that this woman is alive at all is a positive sign.

Click here for the full post: Rupture

MSF Blog: Yin A Mat Po? (Are You Happy?)

This is the fourth essay for my MSF blog.


In South Sudan, it is unusual for a woman not to have lost at least one child. They die in childbirth, or they die later of malnutrition, malaria, infection, unexplained illness. I have seen women who have delivered 7 children, only to have 3 of them die, or delivered 4 children but having only 1 living child. When a woman arrives, the first question asked is “How many children have you had?” The second question is, “How many are alive?”

It may be a part of life here, but it would be hard to argue that these women suffer less. I truly cannot speak for them, nor know what they feel, whether they have different expectations or a more effective way of processing grief than we do. But in my opinion, grief is grief, and whether you acknowledge it or bury it, it is there and always will be. It is only how you process it that differs.

Click here for the full post: Yin A Mat Po?

MSF Blog: Sepsis

This is the third essay for my MSF blog. A segment is below.

When we arrive in the Operating Theatre (OT), the patient is under anesthesia, and the outgoing obgyn (whom I am replacing) is attempting to deliver her vaginally. She is 18 years old. It is a full term pregnancy, and the baby is already dead. She has been in labor for 4 days. Since it didn’t come out during labor, we can assume it will be difficult to get out now.

Click here for the full post: Sepsis

MSF Blog: Head Entrapment

Here is the second installment from my MSF Blog: Head Entrapment

Feel free to comment here or on the MSF blog. I have gotten some wonderful comments on the MSF site and it's really helpful to know that people are reading.

MSF Blog: Precious Blood

For the month of March, I am working with MSF in Aweil, South Sudan. I will be blogging through the MSF blog site.

Here is my MSF blog: Love, Labor Loss

My first post is called Precious Blood. I hope it inspires you to donate if you can.

Really?!

I Use Birth Control

I don't like the tone of this birth control debate. Conservatives are trying to make it sound like contraception is some fringe practice only for promiscuous people. It's ridiculous.

Contraception shouldn't even be controversial. So let's change the conversation.

I use birth control, and it's awesome.

Women, do you use birth control? Say so, loudly. Men, have you ever used a condom? Then you use birth control, too. Let's tell them. Enough with this crap already.