Thursday, March 26, 2009

special delivery


The day I have been waiting for ALL semester... a clinical day spent in Labor & Delivery (L & D)!! Yesterday was it... 5:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. I shadowed two nurses and observed 3 deliveries and assisted in the measurements/care of one of the newborns! The first delivery was at 7:09a.m., they came into the hospital at 6:05 a.m. and baby girl was born at 7:09a.m.!! Mom was, in her husband's words 'Sheera'! She had no pain medicine until afterwards, wasn't enough time for it to take effect beforehand. All I heard out of her were a few grunts and a squeek. About 20 minutes of pushing, baby was here!


Now all semester every girl in the class has been concerned about the only GUY in our class rotating through L & D. He puts up w/ a lot from us in class, but a woman in labor? Him and I were in the first delivery yesterday morning and i'll have to say he did a GREAT job! He was really interested in helping take care of the baby, which is the 'Star' Nurses job. I placed him behind me against the wall, JUST in case he should pass out, the wall could catch him, and I wouldn't have to! I told him to 'watch his facial expressions'...i didn't want him making a 'grossed out' face so mom in labor could see! As the baby is coming, I look over and he's bent down trying to find a better view around the Dr so he can watch the birth! Then he was right up at the warming table with the star nurse taking care of the baby! He did wonderful! And later admitted he thought it was cool, but will stick to his original plans of becoming a Nurse Anesthesist and just give these ladies their epidural!


HE did fine....everything is over, Dr. is taking care of mom, nurse is taking care of baby, mom and dad are overjoyed, I have tears in my eyes b/c it is SUCH an amazing experience and priviledge to be in the delivery room! And then it hit me! All of the sudden my skin went ghost white, I felt like it was 100 degrees in the room, I was seeing stars, everything was looking darker and my legs were getting weak.... I was on the road to passing out! WHY? I HAVE NO IDEA! Nothing grossed me out, I kept moving my legs and didn't lock my knees....I just knew i HAD to get OUT OF THE ROOM! But how was I going to do that with weak legs...I don't know, I just DID! I slipped out quietly and made my way to the nurses desk and sat down, took some deep breaths, looked at the floor and kept telling myself 'DO NOT PASS OUT...DO NOT PASS OUT!!' I went and sat in the bathroom for a while and ran cold water over my hands/wrists. Once back out at the desk one of the other nurses saw me, my color being more white than a ghost, and took me back to get some orange juice and crackers. She asked me if I ate breakfast. What kind of a question is that?! OF COURSE I ATE BREAKFAST! I don't LEAVE the house w/o food! It had only been 2 1/2 hours since I ate, but she said that was just enough time for my blood sugar to start to drop. So my instructor found me and said that with some people, it just happens. Even though I wasn't conscioulsy thinking anything, chemically and subconsciously my body PROBABLY couldn't handle the situation of another human in so much pain.


Then I was just mad at myself! How rediculous is this?! A NURSE who ALMOST passes out....I can't be doing that?! So I made it a goal to observe as MANY deliveries as possible and overcome this crazy thing! And I watched 2 more births! NOT a problem with either of them! Watched the whole thing and felt fine!


The sight of a baby being born is unlike anything I've ever experienced! My baby being born was an amazing experience, she was a c-section, but it's different when you're JUST observing! I had tears in my eyes with each delivery, performed deep breathing techniques and even held my breath and 'pushed' when the mom's did! The human body is so intricate and detailed! God is AMAZING for creating us the way He did! How it all works blows my mind! As much as I liked being in L & D, I don't think I want to make it my occupation. I would rather work on the new mom and baby floor, after all of the most critical stuff is over! :) If someone asked me to be a part of her labor and delivery, I would be there in a HEART BEAT...but for it to be my profession, no thanks! Maybe at a later time.

No comments:

Post a Comment