Kuwentong Unang Yakap chronicles the first-hand experiences, inspiring testimonial and personal anecdotes of doctors, health professionals,

patients and other healthcare providers narrating their Unang Yakap stories. by Dr. Donna Capili Sept 13, 2010. It was almost half past one o'clock in the afternoon and my stomach r!mbled its complaint. I "!st finished clinic and was set to see my in#patients, ne$er mind my t!mmy. %rom a distance, I heard the siren. I didn't think any of it. I was on my way !p to the patients' rooms on the second floor when the !ndeniable peal of the siren seemed $ery tan ible...I retraced my steps downwards and saw that the amb!lance was by the emer ency room entrance. &hat co!ld it be now' (he amb!lance dri$er was sho!tin that his patient, a pre nant woman, was abo!t to deli$er her baby. )e opened the back door and my eyes *eroed in on the crownin head. I yelled for sterile lo$es, clamps and clean towels. It seemed like ma ic that a pair of lo$es appeared in my hand. I told my resident doctor on d!ty +,-D. to p!t on his own pair of sterile lo$es. /e0t thin I knew, I was doin perineal s!pport ## my ri ht th!mb and inde0 fin er formed a C#shape, pressed inward and down 1 pict!rin Dra. Cynthia's demo in my head...I didn't do any of the massa e nonsense. It was 2!ite 2!ick. 3!cky me4 I held o!t my hand to hold the baby's head down as he made his entry into the world. 5aby o!t4 I slipped him into the towel and p!t him on mom's t!mmy. (he ,-D started to dry and stim!late the baby. (he baby then let o!t a scandalo!s cry and I knew he was oin to be alri ht. (he baby was positioned f!rther !p on mom's chest. 6eanwhile, I felt for her !ter!s and started to massa e ## no complicated di in mo$ements b!t "!st nice and simple circ!lar motions. 7 $oice 2!ipped that ice was on its way, to which I 2!ickly added, 8/o ice. Don't need it.8 +Dr. )oward Sobel wo!ld ha$e been so pro!d.. &hat was the ne0t step' /!mber 39 c!t the cord. It was a ood 3#: min!tes when that was done. ;h#oh, I hope he doesn't et too "a!ndiced. /ow, where was I' )mm, e0cl!de second baby< It didn't seem like there was anyone else in there. I asked the mom if she was "!st e0pectin a sin leton to which she replied =>es.? -k, so no second baby. Confidently I ordered to i$e her o0ytocin 10 $ia I6 please. +(hanks to o!r recent meetin s, I appeared to know what I was doin . I rolled the cord !nto my clamp and applied traction and co!nter#traction steadily. 7t first, it felt like I was oin to tear the placenta o!t of there b!t it didn't4 I "!st needed to be patient. I e0amined the perine!m and lad to see that there was no tear +$ernac!lar9 rat#rat.4 I e0amined the placenta and its membranes and it was 8clean8, smooth. &hen I finally raised my head, I saw that the baby was latched and s!cklin away. >ipee4 7 smart boy for a chan e4 (ime9 abo!t 30 min!tes post deli$ery. )e stayed with his mother and a$idly breastfed. I told mom that'll be the only way we feed her baby in this +my. hospital. -h, did I say, that all this happened at the back of the amb!lance' 6other and baby were bro! ht down and into the hospital. (he ,-D was already instr!ctin for I@ fl!ids. )e looked st!pefied when I said, 8/o I@.8 and I added, 8we'll talk abo!t the CAB for !ncomplicated $a inal births later.8

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC DD 6other was act!ally en ro!te to a pro$incial hospital after bein asked to lea$e another 3B;#r!n hospital, citin that the baby will be born preterm and they ha$e no inc!bator. +certainly, they need to know abo!t E6C.. Aediatric a e was 3F weeks, birth wei ht 2:G0 rams. 5oth mother and baby are well and d!e home.DD

Dr. Donna Capili completed her s!bspecialty trainin at the )ospital for Sick Children in (oronto, Canada. She is a practicin /eonatolo ist in 5!lacan and a Co#Con$ener of (eam HI/C.