The other side

After baby number four I finally made it to bed at 2am. This was after a 17 hour long, very mentally challenging work day, with one 30 min break - where I stuffed myself with hospital toast. It was a day full of questions, politics, worry and understaffing issues that impacted on the woman’s care and made my ability to advocate for her all the harder.

It will take some debriefing and lots of analysing to sort this one out in my head. It’s a few days on now and the family are doing well, also working through things.

The very next morning, a mere six hours later the birthing goddesses threw me a bone. Instead of our scheduled antenatal visit my client rang to say she was in early labour. With a previous speedy first birth the plan this time was stay home if she felt there was no time to get to the birthcentre. When she first rang she was not quite in established labour so I was just heading out to do my postnatal round, but planning on staying close by when they rang back. The poor husband hadn’t even had time to find out what he was supposed to tell me.

I asked “What does she want to do? Head straight to the birthcentre - or shall I come round and check?” At least he was honest... “Oh I don’t know, she just told me to ring you, I didn’t know anything was happening till ten minutes ago.”

Then I heard some shouting “DO YOU WANT TO GO TO THE BIRTHCENTRE BABE?” In the background I heard her shout back.

“I don’t think I’ll make it!”

So I hung up on him, grabbed the toast I’d been mashing the avo on, told my student who had turned up for the paostnatal round to run and we leaped in the car. A two minute roar round the corner, a screech of brakes and cloud of gravel when I stopped, grabbed the birth bag, the oxygen tank, the Doppler and BP cuff from my antenatal bag, my computer and a pen and we raced inside. Hi in passing to the toddler in the couch who couldn’t believe he was allowed Bob the Builder at this time of day.

My student managed a quick listen to baby and a pulse check of the woman who was in the shower, whilst I set up the gear. We had a quick chat and got a better rundown of what had been happening from the woman inbetween contractions while the dad was looking for towels (yes just like the movies) we bunged a couple of these in the dryer to warm them for baby). I then started the notes, after grabbing a pad off the dad. All he had was a notebook he used for work so we flicked to the back. Needs must, there was no time to race back to the car. That will entertain his workmates later.

I managed one line about her history and the obs before the next contraction hit and I could hear the sudden gush on the shower floor and a shout from the mum as her waters broke. I quickly text ‘come’ to my backup. Wrote the time and ‘SROM’ in the notes (Spontaneous rupture of membranes) then I stepped into the bathroom to find my student on her knees in the catching position but the woman was behind a skinny shower door which would not of worked for access. I shouted to the dad to come, got mum out of the shower and she stood with her arms around her man and breathed out her baby into my students hands.

8 minutes after our arrival.

An hour after her first contraction.

Then we all sat down to catch our breath on the tiny en-suite floor amidst lots of laughter. Perched on the loo I looked down and realised I still had my shoes on! A handy thing, as the floor was swimming in her waters and my students socks were sopping - what a lightweight 🤣.

The placenta turned up 2 minutes after my backup arrived. She was happy though, even if she’d missed the action, as the dad gave her a tour of their ‘good life’ garden. Whilst we settled mum into bed to feed.

A couple of hours later when mum and baby were all happy and we’d had some excellent coffee and home made biscuits we headed off on the postnatal round that had been bumped from the day before. Home by 6pm.

Shattered.

Tried to talk to teenagers as they were actually chatty! Maybe they missed me? Then into bed by 9pm after sorting all my paperwork.

The rest of the week was busy but manageable. A bit of a foggy haze. It took till Saturday to feel recovered. But with only one baby to go for October it feels like job done really. Definitely made it to ‘the other side’.

Touch wood of course 😉