December 29, 2009

Catch

That was what I did last night at work, I had to catch. Not once, but twice and it was cool as hell! Last night was exactly what I needed to rejuvenate my spirit. With everything going on in the hospital, all the alternative agendas and politics on the unit, a merger happening in a week, anesthesia change and the fact that we are slow, going to work wasn't such a great thing. Moral is low to say the least. But last night was fun. It started out like a pretty normal shift, but soon we got a call from the ER that they had a patient that is pregnant, in labor and just told her mom in the ER that she was pregnant, as they are working her up for abdominal pain. No prenatal care. So she gets up to us, and I decide I better check her. Yup, complete with bag of water bulging out of the vagina. I grab gloves and send someone to call the city call doc since she didn't have a doc. Then the heartrate dropped, and the bag of water broke with a huge gush of thick pea soup meconium. Very soon after, baby is crowning and head is out. No cord, but the shoulders just wouldn't come. We ended up having to do suprapubic pressure to get the shoulders out. Babe looked to be full term, did well transitioning to extra uterine life and will make an adoptive family very happy. The second baby happened just an hour later. This mom presented in labor, didn't look to be uncomfortable and said her water broke and she just started having pain about an hour ago. You guessed it, she was completely dilated and after 2 contractions, the baby was crowning. This baby delivered easily. It was just awesome. Both moms delivered in less than 10 minutes of arriving on the unit. Neither doc had a chance to make it because we don't have OB's in house. After last night, I'm feeling more and more that I should get back to school at some point. Both of the deliveries were pretty easy, (although there was some mild shoulder dystocia with the first), and I know that it won't always be that easy but man, was that fun!

7 comments:

Taking Heart said...

Yay!

Paula said...

What lovely stories. I am glad to hear the first baby will be up for adoption. I have dear friends who are hoping and praying for a child to adopt, and it makes me sad that so many young women choose to either abort or try to raise a baby without adequate support.
I would love to have a quick labor! M

Becky said...

I am just so amazed that anyone likes to deliver babies. So gross to me and that's after having four of my own. But I sure am glad you're out there, otherwise I would have had to deal with that mess myself!

AtYourCervix said...

I think a certain calling is whispering your name...."midwife"!

maresi said...

A nurse caught my baby (LITERALLY, she flew out!) and it was very exciting! I was at 8cm when I arrived at the hospital, my OB wanted to finish her lunch at the office before she came down. I don't even care, except for that I still had to pay her. I'll never forget that nurse.

Cherry said...

I love reading you're stories. I'm in nursing school right now and plan on working a bit then going back for my midwifery degree, which by the time I get there will be a doctorate! Yikes! But it's totally my calling.

Joy@WDDCH said...

So I've heard of a few stories of women not even knowing they were pregnant to begin with. Does that happen often at your hospital? What do these women think and do when they hear, "Oh you're in labor having a baby!" I'd love to read a post on it from your perspective!