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OB/GYN: wk 2, day 6 (sunday night-monday morn)
first day of night float. as soon as i step through the doors of the unit, a resident grabs me. "are you the medical student? there's a delivery going on in room X. why don't you go in there are help out."
i'm a bit scared and nervous, but what the hay, i go in.
i don't really know how to describe the scene. the husband is looking scared and tense, the mother is sqeezing with all her might, and crying inbetween pushes, the doctor is yelling out, "that's good! push! push! push!" it was so intense for me, and i was so scared, that i only made it one step past the door, nowhere near the action.
then, to my horror, i see something coming out. the tip of the baby's head.
"aiiihhh!!!!!" the mom cried out.
"don't push so hard, now! the baby's coming out!" the doc yelled.
slowly, the head was squeezing out, and then, with a small plop, the head was sticking out. it was shaped like an egg, it was all wrinkly, it didn't make a sound, and to my horror, it was purple. oh, no! i thought! is the baby dead?
the doc suctioned out the baby's nostrils and mouth, but still, no sound from the baby.
the whole time, my face was fixed in a brows wrinkled, mouth open position, and i was still only one step into the room, frozen with terror/horror/worry.
then, the doctor grabbed the baby's head and said, "small push!"
slowly, painfully (the mother was screaming and crying), the shoulder appeared. then, with another loud plop, the whole baby came out, and the doctor swept it out and above, and on top of the mother's belly. then, to my amazement, the baby suddenly came alive, and started crying. it was too much for me, and i left the room.
when i was in the hallway, i was thinking, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG. the nurses and staff saw me and started laughing. i guess my mouth was still open, i had a shell-shocked expression on my face, and my hands were trembling. oh, dear God. does EVERY woman who bears a child go through this, i wondered?
my mind shot to genesis.
"I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing;
with pain you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you."
-genesis 3:16
today, i understand for the first time, this verse. and how terrible yet wonderful this statement is.
******
after taking 30 min to calm down, i introduced myself to all my patient's on the unit, who were basically waiting to deliver soon.
2 hrs later, i was called into one of the rooms. my patient's cervix was fully dilated, and she was in the process of pushing. so this time, i was going to be in the action, up close and personal, and helping with the delivery. i braced myself and went in.
with every contraction, the mother bears down with her chin to her chest, and pushes for 10 sec, three times. so it goes like:
*contraction*
push! 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!
big breath IN! and...
push! 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!
big breath IN! and...
push! 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!
OK! relax!
my duty was to help her hold one of her legs up, her knees pointing toward her chest, legs apart, so that when she bears down, most of the pressure will translate to the pushing of the baby.
the pushing went on for 1.5 hrs. each cycle of pushing moved the baby in minuscule increments, except when the mother got particularly mad or agonized and was able to give a BIG effort.
with each push, we looked to see how much the baby had descended. i was somewhat uncomfortable with this, since the patient was not really old, and b/c i obviously looked young. however, the attending kept calling my attention to that region, pointing out anatomy, the changes during pregnancy, asking me questions about this, that.
what i noticed the most about this second experience of mine was the husband.
this man looked worried, to be sure, but he was so calm. the whole time, he held his wife's left hand, whispered things in her ear, and really was with her the entire way, without irritating her or demeaning the pain she was going through. really, this couple was the most beautiful thing i had ever seen. it was not wild or angry. the process was painful, but together, and there was only love flowing between the two, and overflowing, filling the room. there is something pure about this moment.
inbetween pushes, we...waited. and waited. so i was able to check out the room.
it was VERY nice. nicer than a lot of hotel rooms, even. see with me: dim lights, 2 beams of strong light from overhead, focused on the area of delivery, low-color toned walls with several paintings (some really good ones, in fact) a large room with a bed in the middle, hardwood floor, plush chair for the husband, in-wall 29" TV, and sony stereo system right below, softly playing classical music. MUCH nicer than my own room. in fact, other than the wall at the head of the bed, which had lots of little knobs (O2, vacuum, outlets, etc), and the bed itself, there was little about the room that was medical at all. it was simply a nice room. whoever had designed it had done it with great consideration for the patient.
after 1.5 hrs, the baby knocked on the door to the world, and came out. how do you describe happiness? imagine a couple who are filled with joy inside, so much that they seem to glow and radiate happiness, and that is what i saw. thank you, God, that i was able to witness and be a part of this.
yakob at 2:03 PM
-----------------
first day of night float. as soon as i step through the doors of the unit, a resident grabs me. "are you the medical student? there's a delivery going on in room X. why don't you go in there are help out."
i'm a bit scared and nervous, but what the hay, i go in.
i don't really know how to describe the scene. the husband is looking scared and tense, the mother is sqeezing with all her might, and crying inbetween pushes, the doctor is yelling out, "that's good! push! push! push!" it was so intense for me, and i was so scared, that i only made it one step past the door, nowhere near the action.
then, to my horror, i see something coming out. the tip of the baby's head.
"aiiihhh!!!!!" the mom cried out.
"don't push so hard, now! the baby's coming out!" the doc yelled.
slowly, the head was squeezing out, and then, with a small plop, the head was sticking out. it was shaped like an egg, it was all wrinkly, it didn't make a sound, and to my horror, it was purple. oh, no! i thought! is the baby dead?
the doc suctioned out the baby's nostrils and mouth, but still, no sound from the baby.
the whole time, my face was fixed in a brows wrinkled, mouth open position, and i was still only one step into the room, frozen with terror/horror/worry.
then, the doctor grabbed the baby's head and said, "small push!"
slowly, painfully (the mother was screaming and crying), the shoulder appeared. then, with another loud plop, the whole baby came out, and the doctor swept it out and above, and on top of the mother's belly. then, to my amazement, the baby suddenly came alive, and started crying. it was too much for me, and i left the room.
when i was in the hallway, i was thinking, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG. the nurses and staff saw me and started laughing. i guess my mouth was still open, i had a shell-shocked expression on my face, and my hands were trembling. oh, dear God. does EVERY woman who bears a child go through this, i wondered?
my mind shot to genesis.
"I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing;
with pain you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you."
-genesis 3:16
today, i understand for the first time, this verse. and how terrible yet wonderful this statement is.
******
after taking 30 min to calm down, i introduced myself to all my patient's on the unit, who were basically waiting to deliver soon.
2 hrs later, i was called into one of the rooms. my patient's cervix was fully dilated, and she was in the process of pushing. so this time, i was going to be in the action, up close and personal, and helping with the delivery. i braced myself and went in.
with every contraction, the mother bears down with her chin to her chest, and pushes for 10 sec, three times. so it goes like:
*contraction*
push! 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!
big breath IN! and...
push! 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!
big breath IN! and...
push! 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!
OK! relax!
my duty was to help her hold one of her legs up, her knees pointing toward her chest, legs apart, so that when she bears down, most of the pressure will translate to the pushing of the baby.
the pushing went on for 1.5 hrs. each cycle of pushing moved the baby in minuscule increments, except when the mother got particularly mad or agonized and was able to give a BIG effort.
with each push, we looked to see how much the baby had descended. i was somewhat uncomfortable with this, since the patient was not really old, and b/c i obviously looked young. however, the attending kept calling my attention to that region, pointing out anatomy, the changes during pregnancy, asking me questions about this, that.
what i noticed the most about this second experience of mine was the husband.
this man looked worried, to be sure, but he was so calm. the whole time, he held his wife's left hand, whispered things in her ear, and really was with her the entire way, without irritating her or demeaning the pain she was going through. really, this couple was the most beautiful thing i had ever seen. it was not wild or angry. the process was painful, but together, and there was only love flowing between the two, and overflowing, filling the room. there is something pure about this moment.
inbetween pushes, we...waited. and waited. so i was able to check out the room.
it was VERY nice. nicer than a lot of hotel rooms, even. see with me: dim lights, 2 beams of strong light from overhead, focused on the area of delivery, low-color toned walls with several paintings (some really good ones, in fact) a large room with a bed in the middle, hardwood floor, plush chair for the husband, in-wall 29" TV, and sony stereo system right below, softly playing classical music. MUCH nicer than my own room. in fact, other than the wall at the head of the bed, which had lots of little knobs (O2, vacuum, outlets, etc), and the bed itself, there was little about the room that was medical at all. it was simply a nice room. whoever had designed it had done it with great consideration for the patient.
after 1.5 hrs, the baby knocked on the door to the world, and came out. how do you describe happiness? imagine a couple who are filled with joy inside, so much that they seem to glow and radiate happiness, and that is what i saw. thank you, God, that i was able to witness and be a part of this.
yakob at 2:03 PM