Ahh, I feel like a labor nurse again.

Monday night I actually felt like a labor nurse again. It was nice. I've been spending so much time filling in as charge nurse when I work or on postpartum, that it seems like lately my labors/deliveries are few and far between. Some days I wonder what it would be like to work in a bigger hospital where you work in one area. Monday, I admitted this mama, first baby, and she was one of those who aren't quite sure if they want an epidural. She was 6 cm on admission. She told me she will probably want one eventually, but was okay at that point. She was doing fine sitting in the bed, closing her eyes and breathing and relaxing with each contraction. She seemed so relaxed you couldn't tell she was in labor. Things started progressing, and she got to that point where a lot of women get when they don't have an epidural: she started saying "I can't do it". But she was. Checked her, she was 9cm with a bulging bag of water. Just knowing she had made great progress in an hours time seemed to help. I then helped her onto the birthing ball, and showed her husband how to do counter pressure around her lower back and hips, which seemed to help. When it came time for delivery, she did great, did what her body told her to do and delivered a healthy baby, with just a tiny little abrasion on the vaginal wall. After it was over and she was holding her baby, she was so happy she had decided against the epidural. It's so satisfying to feel like you're supporting moms while in labor, whether they get and epidural or not.