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Another day that started at 4 AM
Feb. 23rd, 2009 07:27 pmI was absolutely dead to the world, my CPAP in place, my husband gently snoring next to me, and a gentle rain tapping on the roof, when the phone rang. It was a nurse at labor and delivery.
"She's an anterior lip, and she wants to push. I think he better get down here, now!"
"Who? Who's in labor?"
My patient hadn't bothered to call; she simply showed up at labor and delivery and that was her presenting exam. I groaned. I told the nurse that they had better have the residents standing by, because it was unlikely I was going to get cross county in time to deliver her. With that I hopped out of bed, quickly brushed my teeth, slapped on my glasse, s threw on some clothes and was out the door. It was a bloody monsoon this morning as I made the drive to the hospital. Have I mentioned how much I hate driving in the middle of the night in the rain?
Much to my shock, I arrived at labor and delivery with my patient still undelivered. WTF? In general, after a baby or two most women have an exit sign on their cervix that reads "This Way Out". This however does not abrogate the need to push. The child is not simply going to fall out. My patient had on some level decided that without my being present she was not going to push.
It's always amazing to me just how different different people are. The vast majority of women at that point in their labor have an uncontrollable need to push. My patient had spent 45 minutes putting literally almost no effort into pushing at all. I then watched her through two contractions, as the two residents sat at the foot of the bed, coaching (or perhaps a better term might be pleading) for her to push. I shook my head, and asked if they minded if I sat down at the foot of the bed. This patient was after all mine.
And with that, she began to push in earnest, delivering an 8 pound baby girl half an hour later. Mama and baby are doing just fine, and I was able to get under way to the office in time to see patients.
I am however still trying to convince myself that sleep is highly overrated.
"She's an anterior lip, and she wants to push. I think he better get down here, now!"
"Who? Who's in labor?"
My patient hadn't bothered to call; she simply showed up at labor and delivery and that was her presenting exam. I groaned. I told the nurse that they had better have the residents standing by, because it was unlikely I was going to get cross county in time to deliver her. With that I hopped out of bed, quickly brushed my teeth, slapped on my glasse, s threw on some clothes and was out the door. It was a bloody monsoon this morning as I made the drive to the hospital. Have I mentioned how much I hate driving in the middle of the night in the rain?
Much to my shock, I arrived at labor and delivery with my patient still undelivered. WTF? In general, after a baby or two most women have an exit sign on their cervix that reads "This Way Out". This however does not abrogate the need to push. The child is not simply going to fall out. My patient had on some level decided that without my being present she was not going to push.
It's always amazing to me just how different different people are. The vast majority of women at that point in their labor have an uncontrollable need to push. My patient had spent 45 minutes putting literally almost no effort into pushing at all. I then watched her through two contractions, as the two residents sat at the foot of the bed, coaching (or perhaps a better term might be pleading) for her to push. I shook my head, and asked if they minded if I sat down at the foot of the bed. This patient was after all mine.
And with that, she began to push in earnest, delivering an 8 pound baby girl half an hour later. Mama and baby are doing just fine, and I was able to get under way to the office in time to see patients.
I am however still trying to convince myself that sleep is highly overrated.
