Senior Project Reflection

(1) Positive Statement
What are you most proud of in your 2-Hour Presentation and/or your senior project? Why?

Being able to retain so much knowledge and sharing that with my peers is what I am most proud of in my 2-Hour presentation. I am proud of this because it shows the hard work and dedication that I have put in order to have a successful senior project and senior year.  I am really happy that I was able to remember all the information that I had to give during my 2-Hour presentation because I hardly looked at my notecards which I thought was going to be a problem for me.  For example, I have managed to remember all the dosages and purposes of the medications that are given to women who are going through preterm labor which is something that only obstetricians, registered nurses, or medical students only know. 

(2) Questions to Consider

A. What assessment would you give yourself on your 2-Hour Presentation (self-assessment)?

  The assessment that I would give myself would be a P. The reason on why I would give myself a P is because although I was strong in the information that I presented on, I felt that I could have done a little bit more. Perhaps by not saying "um" as much would change my perspective on the grade that I would give myself for my 2-Hour Presentation. 

B. What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?

The assessment that I would give myself for on my overall senior project is an AE. I feel that I deserve this grade because I believe that I have worked harder than my peers to fully educate myself on Obstetrics and Gynecology. Although there was no possible way to learn all there is to know about Obstetrics and Gynecology in 9 months, I believe that I have strived to know so much more about my topic than my peers which shows through the interviews that I have conducted and as well as my research binder. 

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?

The component that has worked for me in my senior project has been research checks. I think that this was very vital to the senior project because I had the opportunity to into more depth with my topic. I would take advantage of all the research checks that we had in class because I knew that I wasn't going to have time with the other duties that I had to do such as ASB, mentorship, or my college class.  Although most of the time I didn't end up finishing my research checks at the end of the block, I still managed to learn more about certain topics such as gynecological cancers or premature birth. 


(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would have you done differently to improve your senior project if you could go back in time?

Something that I would have done differently to improve my senior project is to look for more opportunities where I could see more examples of a doctor and patient interaction. I would have really liked to see these types of consultations because it is very interesting and also very useful for my 2-Hour presentation and when I leave I-Poly.  Although, I volunteer at an amazing hospital, I would have liked to have more interactions with doctors because I would have been fascinated to learn more about why they got interested in medicine or why they still like practicing medicine instead of changing careers. 


(5) Finding Value

How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors? Be specific and use examples.
My senior project has helped me in my future endeavors by providing me with the skills necessary to be an effective researcher. I feel and have seen that my researching skills have matured since the commencement of senior project. When senior project started, I felt that I would just do a simple google search and I was done, however as the senior project progressed, I upped my game and I was able to acquire research for this project from several refutable sources such as the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology or the Centers for Disease Control. Learning how to effectively acquire good research will help when I go to college in a couple of months because since I will be majoring in biochemistry, I need to have good researching skills in order to complete assignments for school or an internship.  In the long run, this project has helped me in my future endeavors because I am confident in pursing a career in the medical field whether I get to be a doctor which is my dream job or a physician's assistant, I know that I am really interested in pursing this career option. Also this project gave me a glimpse of what to expect in a medical environment. I know that this might be happening 10 years from now but I think that its important to get a glimpse of what you want to do with your life so that you fully commit yourself to it, especially if its medicine because it is a time consuming career. 

Mentorship

Literal

• Service Learning Log
• Contact Name and Number: Leila Chong, (626) 856-5156

Interpretive
What is the most important thing that you have gained from this experience? Why?

• The most important thing that I have gained from my mentorship experience is that I got to see firsthand how a medical team works. I feel that this is important because it has prepared me for the future. Although I am thinking way ahead of myself, I believe that now that I have got the opportunity to experience the environment of a hospital and how medical teams work, I will be definitely be pursuing medicine as a career. Before senior year I was very confident in focusing my career on something that dealt with the medical field. As senior year progressed, I realized that medicine is indeed for me due to what I have experienced at the hospital. Also I realized that in medical teams, you have the opportunity to work individually but in a group as well, which is something that I really enjoy.  Another important aspect that I have gained from my mentorship experience is how to treat patients when they come in for visits. Customer service is incredibly important when seeing patients, no matter if its early in the morning or if you are ready to go home. This is a skill that not only applies to my future career in medicine but to a job that I might get in college or just in everyday life. 

Applied
How has what you have done helped you answer your EQ? Please explain. 

• This experience has helped me answer my essential question which is "what is the best method in modern obstetrics that lowers infant mortality?, because I have seen my first answer being applied almost everyday. My first answer is that women should receive prenatal care in order to reduce the rate of infant mortality. When I go to volunteer at Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park OB/GYN department, I see countless of women coming in to receive prenatal care. This is incredibly satisfying because more babies are beating the odds of suffering from infant mortality just because their moms got the adequate care that they needed while pregnant. Another way that I can tell that moms are receiving prenatal care, specifically at Kaiser is when I have to resupply a cabinet with prenatal packets which is a constantly. 

  

  This is a picture of the first newsletter out of 10 that compile the prenatal packets. 

Mentoship Update 5/14/2013

Today when I went to the hospital, I asked Jannette the Lead LVN for Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park OB/GYN department for some help for my 2 hour presentation. She gave me really good information regarding my second answer which was that she gave me three additional medications that obstetricians use for premature birth.

Medications

• Terbutaline: this medication is a smooth muscle relaxer and because the uterus is a smooth muscle, this medication will help stop contractions. However when given this medication, obstetric health care teams have to watch the heart rate because if the woman has a heart rate of over 100, the medication cannot be given.

• Procardia (AKA Nifedipine): this medication is also given to stop contractions in order to delay premature birth. However if a woman has a blood pressure of 100/60, this medication cannot be given. 

• Lactated Ringers: this medication is given intravenously (IV). The purpose of this medication is to hydrate the patient since hydration and uterine infections can cause preterm labor. 

Jannette also gave me some additional information on previous medications that I have already researched.

Previous Medications

• Betamethasone: this medications will be given to patients who have gull stones which are made from cholesterol and other things found in bile. These gull stones range in size since they could be the size of a grain of sand or a golf ball. Betamethasone is also given when patients are going to be induced. This medication will given to make sure the baby has a chance to survival outside of the womb.

• Magnesium Sulfate: This medication is given to help stop cerebral perfusion. Premature babies have a tendency to have brain bleeds. This medication is given to woman how have high blood pressure which will dull the central nervous system and will make an effort to prevent seizures. 

• Hydroxyprogestrone caporate (AKA 17P): This medication is given to women who have had previous preterm births. This is routinely given at 16-34 weeks and can be adjusted at the discretion of the physician. Also women who have had a cerclage which is a procedure in which sutures are used to close the cervix, might receive 17P.

Exit Interview Questions

(1) What is your essential question?  What is the best answer to your question and why?

• My essential question is what is the most important development in modern obstetrics to lowering infant mortality? Some of the best ways to lowering infant mortality is by reducing the rate of premature births and teen pregnancies. However, the best way to lowering infant mortality is by women receiving prenatal care. By women receiving prenatal care, it allows obstetricians to detect any abnormalities in the mother or fetus. Such abnormalities can include infections in the cervix or vagina in the mother and as for the baby, abnormalities can include down syndrome. By detecting such abnormalities as early as possible, obstetricians can help as best they can during the remaining stages of pregnancy and in the labor process.

(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

• The process that I took to arrive at this answer was not too difficult.  When I was reading an article on infant mortality done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, I noticed a link on prenatal care. I decided to do further research because I didn't have much knowledge on this topic. Sources such as the Mayo Clinic and the March of Dimes helped me understand at depth what exactly goes on during each prenatal care visits per trimester. After figuring out my second and third answers, I decided that prenatal care is the best way to lower infant mortality because it acts as a preventative measure so to speak.

(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?

• A problem that I faced in the beginning of senior project was finding mentorship. During the summer, many college and high school students are trying to acquire volunteering positions at hospitals for several reasons so I definitely had competition where ever I went.  With that being said, I had to look for hospitals that were a little out of my reach but to no luck I couldn't find mentorship.  Such places that I looked for mentorship include, San Dimas Community Hospital, East Valley Medical Center, Pomona Valley Medical Center, Huntington Hospital, and Queen of the Valley.  I resolved this problem, by applying for a volunteering position at Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park. I got called in for an interview and when I went, they accepted me on the spot. 

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

• One of the most significant sources that I used was the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. This journal helped me acquire research all throughout my senior project. In particular, this journal helped me better understand my senior answer because sources 72-77 in my working bibliography are mainly about preterm birth. Another significant source is Jeanette Garcia, the Lead Licensed Vocational Nurse in the OB/GYN department at Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park. She was my interviewee for my third interview and I cannot stop saying good things about her. When I interviewed her, she was extremely knowledgeable and helpful and when she didn't know a question to my answer, she would go ask one of the doctors nearby. 

(5) What is your product and why?

• My product is that I learned how to find "good" research. What I mean by good is acquiring sources that are credible and reliable. For example, the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mayo Clinic, and Beck's Obstetrical Practice and Fetal Medicine are excellent sources that I would recommend to anyone researching OB/GYN. Although it is time consuming when trying to find good pieces of research, it is definitely worth it in the long run because I managed to get research that only a small percentage are able to read and fully understand. I feel that before the commencement of senior project, my researching skills were mediocre so when research checks came along, I was a little lost because I didn't know what constituted as good research. However, as research checks progressed, I felt that little by little I was getting better at finding good research. Although good research sometimes means printing and reading 8 to 10 pages, I felt that it was definitely worth it because most articles gave me a deeper understanding of my topic whether it be from a foundational perspective or for a specific answer. 

2014 Interview

Content:

1.  Who did you interview and what house are they in?

• I interviewed Kim Gonzalez and she is in East House   

2.  What ideas do you have for your senior project and why?

• I don't have a finialized idea for my senior project but a few ideas that I had in mind was to do something in law or psychology or  something related with kids and helping them. Maybe I could do something in social work. The reason why I would like to do my senior project on one of these topics is because I feel that it is a job that will always be needed and I am very interested in law because it is very important. 

3.  What do you plan to do for your summer 10 hour mentorship experience?

• Right now I don't know who I am going to be doing my service learning but I know a family member who works in human resources so I might do my 10 hours with. 

4.  What do you hope to see or expect to see in watching the 2013 2-hour presentations?

• I expect to see something different because I know some years a lot of people do similar topics from previous years. I heard already that there aren't people doing something that I want but I want to have an open mind when I see the 2 hour presentations. 

5.  What questions do you have that I can answer about senior year or senior project (or what additional information did you tell them about senior year or senior project)?

Q: How is senior year different from the rest of the years that you have been at I-poly? 

A: Senior year is different from the years prior because it is a lot more of individual work. Freshman through junior year, its just mainly group work but once your a senior, a lot of the responsibility goes to you. With that being said, all three years people tell you not to procrastinate but you do so anyways. Well in senior year, you really cannot afford to procrastinate. Once the senior teachers have said that an assignment is due, then it is due. They don't really give you an opportunity to turn it in late. 

Q: Do you think that I can handle a job, senior project, and college stuff?

A: Well personally, I don't have a job but to be honest I don't think that I can handle it. My life right now is mostly centered on school and I don't think that I could be able to handle it. However, if you are looking to work somewhere throughout senior project, then it all depends on your personality/characteristics. Also it depends on how well you can manage your time. 

Advice given:
Make sure to acquire mentorship early so you don't suffer the consequences later! 

Final 3-Column Chart

Final 3 Column Chart

Independent Component 2 Update: 4/27/2013

Today I took a quiz about sex hormones, the menstrual cycle, and sexual development.

For Quiz #2, I got 17/20, which is an 85%. 

Independent Component 2

LITERAL
(a) I, Marilyn Garcia, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.

(b) Human Sexuality Lecture Course at Cal Poly Pomona Patrick Kidd email: pdkidd@csupomona.edu 
Mentorship hours: Leila Chong at Kaiser Permanente email: leila.b.chong@kp.org 

(c) Independent Component 2 Log

(d) When I did more mentorship hours, I helped make prenatal packets and third trimester packets. Prenatal packets are handed out to patients who are starting prenatal care because it gives detailed descriptions of what each week of pregnancy is like and it also touches on topics like weight gain, gestational diabetes, or exercising while pregnant. The third trimester packets, have handouts that focus on postpartum and labor.  In the Human Sexuality Lecture Course at Cal Poly Pomona, I learned about the female and male reproductive anatomy, sex hormones and the menstrual cycle, and gender. Since this was a lecture, the professor talked for most of the two hours but he did assign group discussions. 

INTERPRETIVE 
By doing more hours of mentorship, I got the opportunity to read the prenatal packets that I make. As mentioned before, these packets contain numerous topics. One of these topics was premature labor, which is my second answer. It had some information about 17-P which is a medication given to women in order to delay contractions so the baby can come at a later time. Also the course that I am taking at Cal Poly Pomona, which I would like to mention is an upper division course, meaning that only juniors or seniors at Cal Poly are allowed to take it, is a challenging course. Not only do I have to take a plethora of notes, but I have to read Human Sexuality 4 Edition by Simon Levay and Janice Baldwin, take multiple quizzes throughout the year, and study for midterms and finals. Although this class starts at 6pm and ends at 8pm, I would like to point out that I have worked hard so far get a good grade in this course while still trying to get good grades in my core classes. Below you can find pictures of the packets that I do at my mentorship and the notes/quizzes I take for the Human Sexuality Course. 

This is the first newsletter of the prenatal packet that I make at Kaiser.

This is the first page of Lecture 3 that I took.  This lecture was about the male reproductive anatomy.

This picture shows the score of the first quiz that I took for my Human Sexuality Class.  The score that I received was an 18/20 or 90%. 

APPLIED
By doing more mentorship hours and taking a Human Sexuality course, I got to understand more about the foundation of my topic and a little of my first and second answer. By making prenatal and third trimester packets, I got to sneak an opportunity to read a little more about how prenatal care is so important to the well being of the mother and most importantly the baby. The course that I took at Cal Poly helped me extremely to learn more about human sexuality. I thought that I learned enough in Mrs. Cancino's Sex Ed class but this course has really opened up my eyes because Professor Kidd during Lecture 5 talked about sexual development,  fertilization and production of the conceptus, development of the human conceptus, and the stages of prenatal development. This lecture in particular, has helped me understand the foundation of my topic better.  

Independent Component 2 update: 4/21/13

Here is the result of my first quiz that I took today. It encompassed lectures 1-3 and chapters 1-4. 

Independent Component 2 update: 4/15/2013

Below are pictures of the notes that I took during my third ( and most recent) Human Sexuality Lecture;

in this lecture, I learned about the male's reproductive anatomy.

Independent Component 2 Update 4/9/13

For my independent component 2, I am taking a Bio class at Cal Poly which started on the third of April. So far it has been really informative and although the timing of the class is in the evening, Professor Kidd keeps the lecture very interesting! 

This is the book that I had to rent for my class! This book is very educational as well as contemporary . 

Mentorship Update 3/17/2013

Even though, this post is a month late, the update regarding my mentorship, is very interesting!

To begin, a representative from Coopersurgical, came in to do inventory on the pessaries.  While doing so, she told me what they were, which is a device worn in the vagina to support a displaced uterus. Afterwords, Jannette, the lead L.V.N told the Coopersurgical representative that I asked very good questions during my interview with her and gave me some good advice on being a physician. She said that in order to be a good physician, you had to be smart, knowledgeable, and have experience. She said that a good example, is Dr. Cheng because is a really bright but also has a great attitude. An interesting fact about Dr. Cheng is that she is the Assistant Chief of Department so she would be an excellent choice for an interviewee.  

Three Column Chart First Draft

Three Column Chart-First Draft

Mentorship Update 3/16/2013

Today I have had the opportunity to do an update on my mentorship. With that being said, below you can find a few pictures on what I have been doing or what I have encountered at my mentorship.

This picture is a handout that the nurses at Kaiser give out to patients. It basically talks about what  the 17P-injectable progestrone shot is, who should get it, the side effects of the shot, and what happens if someone should miss a dose. I decided to add this picture to my blog because it relates to my second answer which is reducing preterm birth. 

This is a picture of a ultrasound machine that doesn't work, however I  thought that it would be interesting to share it because I have never seen an ultrasound machine up close until the day that I took the picture. 

This picture is of the cover of the 3rd Trimester Packets that I make in the OB/GYN department. I constantly  have to  these packets because the nurses are always using them! Inside these packets, there is useful information to the patient which includes a handout about taking a tour of the L&D department, what to do after the baby arrives, along with other useful handouts. 

Senior Project and ESLR's

1.  What ESLR have you excelled in most in your senior project? 
I feel that I have excelled in the effective learner category.

2.  Please explain why you think you have excelled in this ESLR.
I have excelled in this ESLR because throughout the senior project, I have assumed responsibility for my own learning. Also I feel that I have gone above and beyond for acquiring more resources that could help me understand my senior project topic better such as getting more legitimate research such as articles from the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and also doing extra interviews. Also there have been a few occasions where I choose to better my senior project. One of them was when I changed my EQ. The first EQ that I had centered around gestational diabetes and after doing my third interview, I found out that the answers were going to be self explanatory and I wanted to challenge myself so I went looking for help and I came across infant mortality. I feel this is one of the best choices that I have made because it challenges me everyday. In the articles that I have gotten which relate to infant morality  it usually talks about the medication that they administer to mothers or babies which is complex and usually hard to remember or learn about. 

3.  Provide evidence from your senior project to support your claim (evidence is a photo of something you are doing, photo of something you made, etc).
The evidence can be seen through my Working Bibliography. Another piece of evidence that I have is picture of the book called Primary Care in Obstetrics and Gynecology. I got this book out of my own free will because it seemed as if it would provide a great overview of my topic, which it did. It was really helpful in making me understand what types of situations OB/GYN's go through which was great because it helped me get a better perspective on the foundation of my topic.

Mentorship Update: 2/26/2013

Now that I have had more time on my hands to update my blog on my mentorship, I thought I would share some pictures of some of the things that I was assigned to do while volunteering at Kaiser.

While at the hospital, I had to put these congratulatory cards in envelopes to mail/hand out to patients who had their babies at Kaiser. I thought this was a really nice gesture of the OB/GYN and L&D department because of the message that it had inside which was very thoughtful.

These are the Healthy Beginnings Newsletters or prenatal packets.  These packets consist of a newsletter numbered 1-10 which outline how far along the mother is depending on the newsletter. For example if the mother is in her first trimester, she would read the 1-3 and near the end of her pregnancy or third trimester, she would read newsletter 7-10. Every time that I go  to Kaiser, which is Tuesdays and Thursdays, I always have to make a new batch of packets because they are constantly running low. One time I made  two sections of packets in about 30 minutes which is about 50 packets overall, which resulted in REALLY dry hands! Although it might seem weird that I like making these packets, they are actually very informational because they have helped me learn more about prenatal care which is my first answer to my EQ. 

2-Hour Meeting Answer #3

1.  What is your essential question?
My essential question is what is the most important development in modern obstetrics to lowering infant mortality?

2.  What is your third answer to your essential question (write your third answer in a complete sentence)?
My third answer to my essential question is reducing the rate of teenage pregnancies.

3.  What are three details to support or justify your third answer (details are examples or facts)?
The three details that justify my third answer are although the rate of teenage pregnancy has dropped, it is still important for teenage girls to learn which form of contraceptive is useful to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. According to the CDC website, specifically the section about teenage pregnancy, "Pregnancy and birth are significant contributors to high school drop out rates among girls. Only about 50% of teen mothers receive a high school diploma by 22 years of age, versus approximately 90% of women who had not given birth during adolescence." This means that it is vital that teenage girls know the importance of contraceptives if they are having sexual relations and if not it is still important to educate girls. Also from the CDC website in the teenage pregnancy section,"Prevention of teen pregnancy requires evidence-based sex education, support for parents in talking with their children about pregnancy prevention and other aspects of sexual and reproductive health, and ready access to effective and affordable contraception for teens who are sexually active."

4.  What source helped you prove this answer is justified for your essential question?
The source(s) that helped me prove this answer is justified for my essential question are:

• http://www.cdc.gov/TeenPregnancy/PreventTeenPreg.htm
• http://www.cdc.gov/teenpregnancy/aboutteenpreg.htm#resource
• http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_23/sr23_031.pdf
• http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6013a5.htm?s_cid=mm6013a5_w

5.  What do you plan to study next and why?
I plan to study more about teenage pregnancy because I haven't gotten a lot of research on this topic. Also I think by getting more research, I could fully comprehend the overall aspect of teenage pregnancy.

Fourth Interview Questions

Content:
1. What is the most important development in modern obstetrics to lowering infant mortality?
2. What are the necessary steps obstetric health care teams can do in a premature labor situation?
3. What are the differences between a normal and premature labor?
4. What are the physical/physiological differences in an at term and premature baby?
5. Do you know the race/ethnicity that goes to prenatal checkups less often than other races/ethnicities?
6. How closely do doctors observe premature babies?
7. Is there any type of medication/drug that is given to help mom in premature labor?
8. How many premature babies have been born at this facility?
9. Besides prenatal care, what is another way to lowering infant mortality?
10. What do obstetric health care teams do, if the mom is limited in resources/
11. What is the chance that a premature baby survives?
12. How does a woman go into premature labor?
13. How many cases of teen pregnancy are there at this facility?
14. How do obstetric healthcare teams handle teen labors?
15. How does 17 alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate work?
16. Why is breastfeeding vital to the growth of a newborn or premature baby?
17. What is your philosophy about pregnancy and premature babies?
18. What are some of the complications that could arise during a preterm labor?
19. What is the procedure for an episiotomy?
20. What is the procedure for a cervical cerclage?

2-Hour Meeting Answer #2

Content:
1.  What is your essential question?
My essential question is "What is the most important development in modern obstetrics to lowering infant mortality?"

2.  What is your second answer to your essential question (write your second answer in a complete sentence)?
My second answer to my essential question is to reduce premature births. 

3.  What are three details to support or justify your second answer (details are examples or facts)?
The current rate of preterm birth in California is 9.9 which is low compared to Mississippi, who has a 17.6 rate of preterm births. However it is an important factor to infant mortality because preterm babies are more susceptible to dying before they reach their first birthday. Also maternal age is very important in determining whether the baby is going to be premature, that is why many OB's instruct mothers to have their babies before age 35 to reduce the risk of birth defects or complications during labor. Another way to reduce preterm labor is to educate many teens to prevent unwanted pregnancies because this group is less likely to go to their prenatal visits and not take care of themselves adequately especially during pregnancy. 

4.  What source helped you prove this answer is justified for your essential question?

• http://www.reducinginfantmortality.com/uploads/post_edited_version_Reducing_Infant_Mortality.pdf
• http://warrencountyny.gov/healthservices/docs/9ways.pdf
• http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr61/nvsr61_01.pdf#table01

These sources really helped figure out that preterm labor was a factor that contributed to infant mortality. Also the graphs from the CDC website were great in showing me the rise or decrease in preterm labor throughout a six year span. 

5.  What do you plan to study next with your second answer and why?
I plan on studying more about premature labor in order to understand what it is exactly and how mothers can decrease their chance of going into premature labor. I plan on doing more research in order to educate myself more and also to have good information to give to my peers during my presentation. 

Independent Component 2 Plan Approval

(1) Write a description of what you plan on doing for your independent study component.
For my Independent Component 2, I plan to take a Bio 301 Human Sexuality Lecture course because it covers the different topics that can also relate to OB/GYN. I will also do more mentorship hours. 

(2) Describe in detail how you think your plan will meet the 30 hours work requirement.
I plan to meet the 30 hour requirement by going to the class Monday and Wednesday from 6:00-8:50pm which is 4 hours per week. I will also record the times that I study for the test(s) for this class. For the additional mentorship hours, I will record the times that I go to my mentorship. 

(3) How does your independent study component relate to your working EQ?
In my perspective my independent component 1 related more to my EQ so Independent Component 2 will actually be about my foundation because I haven't really gotten a lot of information on it. 

Independent Component 1

LITERAL

(a) I, Marilyn Garcia, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
(b) Mentor(s) name and contact information or the main source you used to complete the independent component.
Bradley Method class: Jaime Castillo Phone Number: (909) 373-6605
Kaiser Classes: Victoria Ortiz Phone Number: (626) 851-5943
(c) Independent Component 1 Log 

(d) Explanation of what you completed.
I completed various classes that taught me about natural birthing options as well as a hospitalized birth. Also these classes taught me a lot about prenatal care and what the process that obstetric health care teams take in order to ensure a good labor whether the mom has a c-section or a vaginal birth. 

INTERPRETIVE 

Going to these classes definitely wasn't easy because some of them went late into the night usually by the time that I would go and sleep. However, these classes were very informative because they taught me things that I never knew before such as how to wash a baby when you bring him/her home, the procedure that doctors take to perform a c-section, and how carefully women have to take care of themselves especially if they have gestational diabetes. I think the most significant part of these classes is when the instructors showed how babies pass through the pelvic bone in order to get through the birth canal. This part was really interesting because I got to see a visual of it and I realized how fascinating the human body is especially when moms are giving birth to their child. Below I have included some pictures of the notes/handouts that I took during the classes. 

Certificate of completion of a class that I took at Kaiser!

APPLIED
This component helped me understand the foundation of my topic better because it helped me learn more about my first answer which is prenatal care. Also in the classes that I took, I got to compare the Bradley Method with moms being treated at the hospital and after analyzing everything that the instructors taught me, I came up with which method I think is best. During the prepared childbirth class that I took at Kaiser, it really helped me learn tools to use during labor which are: cleansing breaths, focal point, relaxation techniques, and breathing techniques. Also I learned about the baby's presentation, which means what position the baby is in during labor. I think these things would be good to mention during my presentation and in the future I could possibly use these techniques that the instructors have taught me. 

Mentorship Update: 1/23/2013

A while ago while I was volunteering in the OB/GYN department, I asked the Lead L.V.N, Jeannette, about this really big machine that I saw earlier that day. I explained to her that this machine made a big whoosh sound and she told me that it was a Fetal Doppler Machine which listens to the baby's heart rate. Jeannette said that every whoosh I heard was the baby's heart rate and I thought this was pretty cool because I was actually hearing a baby's heart rate which I rarely hear. Also another interesting fact that I learned was that whenever a baby is born they play a lullaby for about 10 seconds and while at the hospital I heard it about 4 times in a single day which means that a lot of babies are born at Kaiser! 

Rough Draft of 30 minute presentation

Rough Draft of 30 Minute Lesson

Third Interview Questions

1. What is the best way an obstetrician can manage the pregnancy of a woman with gestational diabetes?

2. How can a women lessen her chance of acquiring gestational diabetes?

3. What kind of monitoring is done when a woman has gestational diabetes?

4. How does a woman get gestational diabetes?

5. What are the effects that insulin can cause to the mother and baby before and after labor.

6. What are some of the symptoms that pregnant women feel when they have gestational diabetes?

7. What is the process of induction during labor?

8. Are there any side effects from having an induction for the first child?

9 . How would a women go through labor when having gestational diabetes?

10. What are the psychological effects that gestational diabetes has on women?

Independent Component Update 1/12/2013

For my independent component I have decided to switch class locations. Before I winter break, I took classes at Claremont but due to the long drive that I had to take, I decided to take classes at Kaiser in Baldwin Park. The classes that I will be taking at Kaiser is generally the same information that I was learning at Claremont. 

Blog 11: Mentorship Hours Check

Content:
1. I am doing my mentorship at Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park
2. My contact is Leila Chong
3.  I have done 124.5 hours at the hospital
4. While at the hospital, I have helped the OB/GYN department with making prenatal packets, third trimester packets, copies for the receptionists, making urine cup baggies for the receptionists  or refilling the pitchers in all modules with water. On the weekends when I have done concierge, I have helped patients get to their destination and I have also helped the Health Education Department with directing patients to a particular class in the hospital's basement.