tinctures, tinctures, tinctures!

so i am back in guatemala teaching classes with the midwives. today we covered postpartum hemorrhage so we made tinctures and learned how to give injections (on oranges). soooo much fun!













hunting for shepherd's purse was seriously better than any easter egg hunt i have ever had.




eureka!

























































erin the acupuncturist from oakland is lovely and amazing. thank you for your help!





everyone busy at work.



























































¡ya!

michimegan

last week i went to michigan to attend the annual MANA (midwives alliance of north america) conference and got to stay with my mejor amiga megan. it was a much needed break to reconnect with old midwife friends and recharge for my work down in guate. and michigan is gorgeous this time of year, who knew?

lake michigan
megancita
driving again....weird.


if you can't tell that is ricki lake and abby epstein getting down at the mana conference. if you don't know why ricki lake would be attending a midwives' conference you obviously still need to see her amazing documentary on maternity care in the US: The Business of Being Born. Netflix it!

more baby catching...

This was an awesome birth I attended with Dominga, one of the midwives in my class. She taught me sooo much about traditional practices in Mayan midwifery. And the mama was such a trooper...17, first baby, 8-hour labor, not a single whimper. The women here are so stoic during labor it is truly incredible.





Me and baby Xela.










Warrior mama!

sunset san marcos style

as much as i love rainy season in guatemala with all the thunder and lightning storms, i think i could get used to the dry season if all the sunsets look like this:

Juanita's Mom

A few days ago I found out that my friend Juanita's mom had passed away at 40 years old from diabetes. Or to put it another way: she died from poverty. Juanita's family couldn't afford the insulin or proper patient care and education that her mom needed. I just can't tell you how the suffering in this country kills me sometimes. But the people here are so strong and have such faith. Yesterday I walked up to the cemetary with Juanita and her family to put fresh flowers on her mother's grave. It was so sweet the way the family tended to the grave and spoke about how they were relieved that their sister/mother/daughter was with God. Juanita had asked me to take pictures, which I happily obliged but the whole time I just felt so sad for this woman who had died too young.









Juanita