Day Before

Hey!

Similar to Eric, I too am new to blogging and have no idea how this website even works. I have attempted to share the link with family and friends so if any of you are reading this, great! As the hours left in the US tick away quickly, I still have almost all of my packing to do. The hospital that we will be working at provides 3 meals a day, but the group that went down last year stressed the importance of bringing food. As a result, my extra large duffle bag is filled with 1 week worth of clothes, sunscreen and bug spray, cereal, granola bars, trail mix, peanut butter and jelly, fruit snacks, and candy--I hope it lasts 7 weeks!

The preparation for this trip has definitely kept everyone busy and I can't believe we are actually leaving tomorrow. The last month has been filled with trips to the travel clinic for vaccinations and malaria medications, as well as IRB deadlines for the projects we will be working on and the final project preparations. Tomorrow we will head out from JFK and fly to Turks and Caicos, where we will enjoy a day and night in paradise before beginning our 7 weeks in Milot.

Eric did a great job describing what the Tufts in Haiti group is all about but I thought I would share a little more about what Sophia and I will be working on. After many months of brainstorming about possible projects, we have finally found a focus (we hope). Our project has 2 parts- a retrospective study of the birthing books that are kept at the hospital and a survey that we will give to women throughout the community and hospital. Below is a basic summary of both parts:

Retrospective Study: We hope to compare the outcomes of deliveries in the hospital versus those that occur elsewhere. Analysis of the gathered data may help identify complications and socio-demographic factors associated with delivery. The finding of this study will enable us to work with doctors, community health workers, nurse midwives and other community members to identify the locations that best ensure a healthy delivery. We aim to reduce the risk to both mother and child, in order to benefit the most vulnerable populations of Milot.

Using the data that we gather from the surveys, we hope to gain an understanding of the knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and practices surrounding pregnancy and birth in Milot. We aim to identify the obstacles that women face regarding hospital access during pregnancy and when they deliver their baby. We hypothesize that this study will make apparent specific areas where knowledge is lacking, perceptions and attitudes are hindering optimal care, and/or additional barriers to maternal care.

Well I probably should start packing the rest of my bags and preparing for my last dinner at home- I requested my mom's famous tacos! We will update again as soon as we can!

Thanks for reading,

Maggie