My First Birth

Alternative Title: These Women are Made of Steel

I have been visiting the CESCO M every Monday, Tuesday, and Friday morning from about 10-12. Monday and Friday I help weigh the newborns-2 year olds and on Tuesday I help weigh pregnant women. We take the babies and moms' height and weight, measure the baby's upper arm circumference, and moms' bellies.
I was perfectly content in weighing pregnant women and their children. I wanted nothing to do with being the middle man in the interim between mom's weight and baby's weight. I had thought about the fact that about 1700 people are in my village and the other 6 villages in the commune brings the commune population to about 3500 people. The CESCOM is the only one in the commune. I told myself I might see a birth or two but that they would be few and far between.
I guess who have to start somewhere to begin the few and far between process though.
Tuesday morning I hurried over to the CESCOM. I had just finished the monster 900 page monster of I Know This Much is True and was a bit late, not that anyone besides myself would notice or care. I felt relaxed despite this because I really liked the book.
We, the moms-to-be and I, waited under the hangar until 10:40 before the midwife began taking their blood pressure. One of the midwives called me to join her in the birthing building. The door to the room where we usually measures the womens' bellies was closed and I heard occasional shuffling about inside. I minded my own business though and read off the heights and weights of the women.
After one belly measuring in the second room, the midwife opened the door to our usual room and addressed the woman inside. She was looking at the floor where I could tell the woman was. She got some gloves from the main building across the way and told me to come in the room with her.
I have described the birthing room before, but it isn't difficult to describe again. There is one metal bed in the corner, and that is it. Just the very uninviting white metal platform.
So uninviting apparently that the woman had chosen to lay on the floor on top of two pagnes. She had her knees pulled up and was holding her ankles with her hands and pushing. There was no groaning, no screaming, no friends or family members encouraging her. The midwife said maybe five words the entire time. It took about three minutes for the baby to come. The midwife left the baby on the ground, gave the mom a shot in her leg to ensure there was only one baby, and then helped the mom birth the placenta. It was only while removing the placenta that the mom let out a very little, very small cry. The midwife said something harsh sounding and something seriously/ somewhat playfully swatted at the woman's face. Whatever she said made the woman laugh two short laughs and quieted her. I laughed out loud when the midwife asked me if I knew what the placenta was.
Placenta out, they moved the baby against the wall and wrapped it in a pagne. They brought in a silver metal toilet, put the two dirty pagnes inside of it, and the mom sat on top of it. Her friend brought in a bucket of water and gave the mom soap. I left the room at this point because I wanted to give the mom some privacy, and yes I see the irony in that comment, but mostly because I was feeling rather light headed by this unexpected event.
They gave the mom two pagnes and helped her to another building so she could rest. The midwife took off her gloves and called for the next mom-to-be and we resumed the weighings. The friend brought in two more buckets of water and some soap and cleaned the floor of the room, and it was over.
The women aren't supposed to cry because other people are just outside the window. They get little support during the birthing process and the conditions are terrible. As I mentioned, my village is the only one in the commune with a health center and only two others have a room for birthing.
The women here are amazing. They work almost every minute of every day, usually with a baby strapped to their back. They work in the fields under the hot sun all day, cook for their family, sweep the yard early in the morning, and carry five gallon buckets of water on their head. Many resume these activities only a few short days after giving birth. I have no idea how they are able to do all of this. It's almost one of those things you have to see to believe and fully appreciate.