The Great Nile River
We met the Nile River at it's source on Lake Victoria and then found ourselves on an impromptu rafting trip down her massive rapids the following morning. It was absolutely a day that will go down in history for its excitement, laughter, and fear! Our raft flipped on the second rapid of a series of five class 5.5 rapids and we swam (more like drowned) through the following 3. It was awesome! Now we are back to work in the clinic and hospital which holds plenty of adventure as well!!
babies!
The word is out that we are in town.......all the mama's are coming to have us help them with their births. It's been great. We stayed at the hospital last night and had two more babies. So far there has been a flood of boys. The moms are happy to have boys. It's a hard life for a girl in Uganda.
We are taking Sunday off to go to the head of the nile river. It sounds amazing.
We are working on getting a few pictures up loaded, but so far no luck.
All is well. We are both healthy, safe, and in love with Africa!
We are taking Sunday off to go to the head of the nile river. It sounds amazing.
We are working on getting a few pictures up loaded, but so far no luck.
All is well. We are both healthy, safe, and in love with Africa!
Uganda
AMAZING!!! We are so blessed to be in this wonderful rural village. The people, especially the children, are so friendly and happy to spot us mazungas! We already have many friends who visit nightly for dinner and sweeties. We have had the privilege to attend one birth so far. We were woken in the middle of the night by the night guard (complete with bow and arrow) to attend the birth of a grandmultip (being her 8th baby)!! It was certainly exciting... after 8 babies the uterus likes to bleed. The clinic has been very busy, treating mostly malaria (around 60people a day). With the money we raised at our fundraiser we were able to buy hundreds of dollars worth of medication upon our arrival in Kampala which has been going to use very quickly! Though we love the little clinic, we have been in search of more births happening in the area and just secured ourselves a volunteer midwifery placement in the maternity ward of a nearby hospital. We are so excited and will wake up early for our shift in the morning since we have to catch a boda boda for the 30 min bumpy ride to get to the hospital. Did we mention its the rainy season...
amsterdam
An amazing adventure to start off our journey. We had a blast exploring the... interesting winding streets of the red light district. On our arrival back at the airport after are day long layover we found out our flight to Kenya had been cancled and we were put up in a very nice hotel for the evening including great wine and a fancy dinner. That was the last we saw of efficient electricity and pluming...
Kwaheri!
In a little over a week we will departing on a very exciting journey into Africa. Our hope is to offer our skills and love to many women, babies, and families while working at the Sally Clinic Project in Uganda and then in South Africa. Please check back here often for updates, stories, and pictures.
All our love,
Kate & Bee
All our love,
Kate & Bee
Welcome With Love April Babies
Lena Rowe to Erica & David
Rorrie "Mountain Man" to Karen & Ed
Kovanni Freddie to Kima & Koa
Rorrie "Mountain Man" to Karen & Ed
Kovanni Freddie to Kima & Koa
You're Invited!
PachaMama Mother Blessing
A blessingway ceremony in celebration of pregnancy, birth, and mothers everywhere!
A blessingway ceremony in celebration of pregnancy, birth, and mothers everywhere!
Held the first Wednesday of every month from 6-7:30pm
at the home of PachaMama Midwifery - 3141 Browns Valley Rd, Napa
This is a free event open to all pregnant mamas, new mamas
(babes in arms welcome), and all the women who love them.
(babes in arms welcome), and all the women who love them.
Make Your Own After Baby Bum Bath!
Sitz Bath Herbs:
Calendula flowers: used for their vulnerary and anti-inflammatory action.
Comfrey root: the plant contains a substance that increases cell proliferation, leading to increased tissue repair and growth. It also acts as an astringent, emollient, and anti-inflammatory.
Yarrow flowers: a very effective botanical anti-inflamatory, astringent, antimicrobial, and vulnerary. The volatile oil is an important active constituent in these actions.
Rosemary leaves: the actions of antiseptic, astringent and circulatory stimulant make this herb a useful addition to this medicated wash.
Lavender flowers: the flowers contain large amounts of volatile oils, which act as antiseptics, antimicrobials and analgesics. A clinical trial has shown lavender oil as a bath additive to be most effective between the third and fifth days of the postpartum period.
Mix together all of the above ingredients in a jar: use one handful to a pint of boiling water, cover and steep until warm. Use as a sitz bath or in a peri bottle as a perineal wash for cleaning after urination or in sutured areas.
— Excerpted from "Herbs for Use in Pregnancy, Birth and Postpartum," by Mary Bove, ND, LM
Calendula flowers: used for their vulnerary and anti-inflammatory action.
Comfrey root: the plant contains a substance that increases cell proliferation, leading to increased tissue repair and growth. It also acts as an astringent, emollient, and anti-inflammatory.
Yarrow flowers: a very effective botanical anti-inflamatory, astringent, antimicrobial, and vulnerary. The volatile oil is an important active constituent in these actions.
Rosemary leaves: the actions of antiseptic, astringent and circulatory stimulant make this herb a useful addition to this medicated wash.
Lavender flowers: the flowers contain large amounts of volatile oils, which act as antiseptics, antimicrobials and analgesics. A clinical trial has shown lavender oil as a bath additive to be most effective between the third and fifth days of the postpartum period.
Mix together all of the above ingredients in a jar: use one handful to a pint of boiling water, cover and steep until warm. Use as a sitz bath or in a peri bottle as a perineal wash for cleaning after urination or in sutured areas.
— Excerpted from "Herbs for Use in Pregnancy, Birth and Postpartum," by Mary Bove, ND, LM
Nourishing Nettles
Nettles Leaves (Urtica Dioica) are packed with Vitamins A, C, D, and K, calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, protein, silica, and sulfur! The list of pregnancy benifits is even longer...
Nettles increase fertility, nourish mama and baby, ease leg cramps and other spasms, help diminish muscle pains (especially in the uterus and legs), help prevent hemorrhage after birth, reduce hemorrhoids, and increase the richness and amount of breast milk!
Steep 2 teaspoons of dried nettle leaves in a cup of boiling water for fifteen minutes then strain.
Enjoy as often as you like!
Nettles increase fertility, nourish mama and baby, ease leg cramps and other spasms, help diminish muscle pains (especially in the uterus and legs), help prevent hemorrhage after birth, reduce hemorrhoids, and increase the richness and amount of breast milk!
Steep 2 teaspoons of dried nettle leaves in a cup of boiling water for fifteen minutes then strain.
Enjoy as often as you like!
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