The case of the missing underwear...

A couple of nights ago I stupidly watched tv too long - until midnight. I knew it was a mistake. 15 minutes later my client rang to let me know her labour had started, but I should go back to bed. This is the WORST sort of phonecall! It’s generally impossible to go to sleep afterward. I raced around and found clothes to wear so I could go in a hurry then I nearly achieved the miracle and was almost asleep when exactly 15 mins after the first call she rings again. Ready to go!

Really shouldn’t have watched that movie.

I got there first and was finished setting up when I heard the staff midwife greeting her and asking the COVID screening questions. “Have you got any symptoms of COVID-19?” Her response was short and sweet “Nup! Have you?”

They were a bit later than me to arrive because they were stopped at a police checkpoint just outside the birthcentre to see if their travel was essential - that poor policeman, I bet he backed off in a hurry to hear her groaning and see her bulging puku in that tight onesie. In fact I’m sure she set him straight! You don’t get much more essential than her reasons for travel 🤣.

So it was in the pool, shower, bed, pool, toilet, pool, toilet, bed - nowhere felt right! She vomited in most of those places too. An intense hour after their arrival we had a baby on the bed in the old fashined semi reclined position. I did ask her if she wanted to move when it became evident baby was coming. But she informed me in a few choice words there was no chance of that!

The actual birthing was beautiful, baby crowned nice and slowly, and was welcomed by a waiata from her mum. There was soon a discussion around baby names as this client always incorporates a flower in her children’s name. Dad’s name started with a Y, he wanted a Y flower. I thought this would be a hard task but we googled and it came up with Yarrow and Yasmin! So Yasmin it is.

When it was time to transfer to the postnatal room she realised she had no undies! Which is a bit catastrophic after you’ve had a baby, so they decided to go straight home. Sweet I said, just bring the car seat in and we can warm it up first - Whoops, no car seat. This was becoming a bit of a comedy of errors!

So stay they did, until family could deliver the car seat in the morning. I washed her undies in the basin and staff were going to put them in the dryer and bobs your uncle 😊. Home again by 4.30 am and back in my bed asleep before hubby got in at 6.30. Once again no one knew I had even been out and welcomed a baby into the world in the middle of the night. Which is sort of cool.

Today we found out that next week we move down to Alert Level 3. Which as one of our politicians explained is basically Alert Level 4, but with KFC. So no real difference for me at work, still phone consults where possible and masks when I deem they are appropriate. Hopefully though it means more peace of mind when I’m out and about. Or less? Who knows really what is the right move here - the government doesn’t. They can only try their best based on limited info and hope! at least after a birth I can now get hash browns!

I‘m also crossing my fingers that it means I can have my third year student midwife back! I miss her - not only for her cleaning up skills - but for her company, the laughs and the challenges when she asks me questions. I often don’t know why I decide to do something at work. I can put it down to gut feeling, but it’s not really that, although that’s the easy answer! Experience and research and anecdotal information from colleagues all contributes to your decision making along with your intuition. LMC life can be a lonely one, we see lots of clients throughout our day but don’t get to be with our peers very often. So an awesome student asking me questions is sure a bonus!

On the home front we are still ticking along nicely. Apart from no.1 son‘s issue of not being able to go to the shop willy nilly for junk food. We have tried to assist with his cravings by buying a box of lemonade cans for the family to share. It didn’t take long to figure out we needed to name and date them as below!