Saturday's visit was a little "31 Flavors" style (I hope that reference isn't lost on you - that would be tragic). I jumped in with a mama who was pushing and had been doing so for a long time. She pushed for almost two more hours while I was with her before they pulled out the vacuum extractor. I really, really tried to prevent the necessity for vacuum extraction but this baby was stuuuuuuuuck. We squatted, we got on all fours, we stood and swayed and then we squatted again - to no avail. In the end, she and her baby were just fine despite the vacuum. The baby was 8.5 pounds but looked more like 10.5. Chunky and crying loudly! After some high-sugar milo and a snack, the mother sat up and nursed.
I will never cease to be amazed at the way these women bounce back so quickly. That's testimony to God who designs a woman's body to undertake such a grueling task and then gives her the hormones and love she needs to tackle life so quickly afterwards.
I stuck around long enough to make sure the baby latched on and nursed okay. It was beautiful to watch mama so instinctively hold her baby and sweep her nipple into his mouth, top to bottom, forcing his little bottom lip open. I visited with her about her family and her newborn while I watched.
Also present this day was a mama carrying twins, although she wasn't actually in labor. One of the twins was in distress and so the staff were trying to decide if she should go in for a c-section. In the meantime, the woman was meandering around and all-smiles. I would have loved to be a part of her delivery.
Another's baby was breech in the morning and by the time I left, it had turned head down. I resisted the urge to give her a high-five although I strongly considered it.
One mama came in fully-dilated. The midwife broke her water and she delivered 2 minutes later! It was another woman, in that very same bed, who's delivery was the first I'd ever seen. It happened very much the same way. I remember being naively shocked at how quick labor was. Ha.
Another woman, in the usual fashion, waited hours before being taken for her c-section. Her baby came back to the ward looking very sickly and he was struggling to breathe. The young resident who brought him in wanted to make small-talk with me and it wasn't until a full hour later that the poor baby was taken away to the nursery. Next time, I won't stick around to watch. I think I was a distraction that may have made for a hard start for that little guy.
I often take babies from their mothers after they've nursed so that the mama can get some good rest in before she's transferred to the postnatal ward. I'm also not afraid to ask if I can take the baby and walk around. There are no identification bands or door alarms. Babies are identified by their blankets. I like the freedom and the trust given to me and on this particular day, I carried several babies all over while I checked in on different ladies. Mothers will admire a baby belonging to another woman and it gives this overall feel of camaraderie. It's really special!
Towards the end of the day, I popped my head into the postnatal ward and was greeted by a nurse I'd never met. She invited me into her little office, gave me a chair and we sat and "storied" for awhile. I felt honored to be treated like a friend. I think I'll go visit her again!
So, a day filled with a little of everything - always learning and rarely bored.
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