July 21, 2008
Just a great delivery
This a.m., there have been some nasty storms rolling through. Cool looking clouds, but very ominous. Luckily so far they've not amounted to much. Last week, I actually felt like a labor nurse. I had a patient who was being induced that had a back surgery when she was a kid and had rods placed. When she got to the point she wanted an epidural, she found out that she couldn't get one due to the risk involved with placing an epidural with the type of rods she had. So, she's 4-5 cm, first baby, very uncomfortable and getting ready to labor and deliver without an epidural, like she had hoped. Plus, she was on pitocin and our policy requires continuous monitoring while on pitocin, so I couldn't get her in the tub. But, she did awesome. I worked with her, got dad involved, she used the ball, the rocking chair, did the labor dance while holding her husband, we did counter pressure and massage and she did it. And I found I was having fun, and I felt like I was actually a support to her, instead of just being and interventionist. Something I noticed was the difference in her behavior when she thought she could get an epidural and after. She actually acted more uncomfortable, and moaned more getting to 4-5 cm than she did after she found out she could not have an epidural. It's almost like when you know there is no relief except delivery, moms handle the pain better and are in more control than when they know they can always bail and have anesthesia. Not that I blame them, I myself went for the epidural. After it was all over and she was holding her baby (skin to skin, no less) you could tell she felt like The Woman. If I had to wager a guess, I would say that when she's laboring with her next baby, she'll go sans anesthesia. It was a nice delivery in the middle of chaos going on all around the unit. But, that's a whole other long story I won't delve into this post.
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4 comments:
Hey great post! Yes I know what you mean about the "attitude" concerning pain expected. I had my children without pain meds. And I didn't think anything of it. I knew it was going to hurt or be very uncomfortable; but I knew the baby had to come out lol. I didn't fight it. I worked thru it. Yes I think you're totally right. I've had people come to my floor huffing and puffing like they're 10cms and they're 2cms. 2???? Come On!! "I want my epidural nowwwww!!".
Others ARE 10cms. And they're breathing and moaning, but they Want natural childbirth and thier partner (husband even) is helping them focus.
Very differant labors. You hit it on the head girl!
In my experience it's often the care provider that can change the attitude of the woman. Expecting that she will have an epidural is hardly condusive to normal childbirth. Epidural just isn't normal.
Nice post though.
I agree. Patients are told in the office that they can have an epidural at any point in their labor, so they expect that they will get one. Even some nurses expect that their laboring patients will get an epidural. The docs expect it as well. I also agree that an epidural isn't a normal part of childbirth, but the area I work, most women do get epidurals, partly I think because we do so many inductions. This state isn't supportive at all of midwifery.
most of our pt's get epidurals to, when they don't get one the doc asks, why don't they have it yet??? It isn't very often to have nice all natural deliveries any more. With the legal aspect of nursing, it is almost easier to have pt's with epidurals because there is so much time spent charting and double charting that you don't have time to be a good support. It feels great when you can on that seldome occasion!
Nice story!
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