EMERGENCY child birth in the AMAZON jungle Yes, monkeys, pink and grey dophins, slothes, snakes, caimans (gators), jaguar tracks near our camp, wild pigs (peccary), even for camp meat as well as fresh fish from the rivers. Lots of sun, rain, in fact, lots of rain (it's a rain forest ya know?). It was full contact with the Amazon. I was summoned out of a deep sleep by my wife Delicia at 4:00 A.M. "What is it now?", I asked. I was needed to solve another field problem in our small encampment. I was advised of an emergency child birth situation. Everyone was scared and panicky. It's Lilla (a young widow of the chief's son from the village (Pucarqillo) 100k klicks down river from our position. It was a suprise as the baby was not expected for another month. There is no such thing as prenatal care out here in the frontier wilderness. Shit happens. A new baby was about to enter the world in the middle of nowhere. She had just stepped off the platform of the hut she was sleeping in, and grabbed the platform as I arrived on scene. She assumed a squat position, as is the normal and natural way for child birth for most indigenous folks. No screams, no grimace. "Just inhale and exhale", I told her with the usual support pep talk. I put a more or less clean towel under the "drop zone", and put the father in the "quater-back position" and told him to let me know when he felt the head. And not to pull on anything! I told Delicia to boil a pot of water. Everyone ask "Why?". I said, "I'd like a cup of coffee", I answered. As usual, there is time for a cup of coffee while I prepare my med kit (as I am a certified rescue paramedic, and this was to be my 5th emergency child birth in the field.)  I started a pressure point massage like "shatsu" that I learened in, believe it or not, martial arts.   The father caught the baby boy of 3 kilos. I tied off the cord with a piece of Chambira Palm Fiber. I made the cut on the cord 4 inches from the childs tummy.  The baby was named Jason after my friend who I managed to wake up in the process to take a few photos. During the final minutes, I told the father to place the child next to the mothers bare chest and heart.  I was up at 4:00 a.m., baby came at 4:30 a.m., I got my coffee at 5:00 a.m. Jason, my friend, and Willito, went hunting at 6:00 a.m. The mother was up washing clothes after two feedings at 10:00 a.m. 
Another day in the Amazon jungle had just began. I am an American Naturalist and Expedition Leader living and working in the Peruvian Amazon Jungle since 1994. I'm based out of Iquitos Peru, and run "Custom Wilderness Adventures" Anyone interested in a real jungle adventure please contact us at aukcoo@hotmail.com. Anyone wishing to sue me contact wellington, Huite & Lopes in Peru or Swartz, Swartz & Swartz in Miami. Your jungle friend Richard AUK-COO Fowler |