Tuesday, March 04, 2008

BY PAIGE:


Babies and Clinic-

Well hello everybody... I will apologize in advance that I have not blogged in a long time.
Also... thanks every one who has asked about it.

I will start with the formula program... it is going really well. When I was gone for those four months Peter was helping me and keeping track of the babies and their weight. Peter did a great job, and without him I don't know what we would have done to keep it going. By the time I came back there were four babies added and one was "cancelled." Two of the four that were added are twins that live right here in La Digue. The reason that they were added is because the mother was not able to produce enough milk for both babies, and now I see why... these two babies a girl and a boy are total chunky monkeys they are 7 months and Lovemison(the boy) is up to 17 lbs. and his sister Lovemiline is up to 16 lbs. For Haiti babies that is really good, so I am very proud about those too. They are also such cute kids once I get more pictures I will do a picture post of the babies. Also another baby girl named, Mariana she was added because her mother had an abscess on one of her breasts and she was told to stop nursing by a Haitian Doctor, so she did. The last baby is a baby of a cook here, Her baby girl, Kindaiali, was about 11 months old when she started and was 14 lbs. She got sick and was not gaining the weight back so she joined the the program. She is 17 months now and doing better.

Today was our weigh-in day for those in the program and three babies are now finished in the program. I try to do it for about a year or a little more for each baby and that means that they should start eating in the feeding program. Villaco is 13 months and is up to 20 lbs. I am not too happy with his end weight, but he was sick about a week ago and he is almost better now, he is also eating normal Haitian table-foods. Another baby is Blandine she is now 14 months and was on the program for two extra months because she also got sick and lost a lot of weight but she is back up to twenty lbs. and is doing well.

Working in the Clinic with Jen has been very fun! The main things that I do is take each patients name, birthday, age, and then I get their current temperature and ask what is wrong. If it is a baby I will weigh and measure them too. I also handle the small fee that is charged for each patient and help Jen with making follow-up appointments. I am kind of like the office manager/assistant to the Doctor, all rolled into one. I work down in the clinic with Jen each afternoon from 2 to 5pm.

~PAIGE