The Day I Delivered a Baby

Happy day!

How do I even begin to describe the events of the day? It was just the perfect storm of events that I asked for that culminated in my first delivery.

I walked into the delivery ward this morning and immediately asked, "Sarah, can I catch a baby today?" Her positive response was all I needed to set the day off with a good start. The labor beds were all full when I arrived and my chances of a delivery soon were looking good.

I was paired with Sandra, one of the lead midwives, for the day. This made things so much easier, as Sandra is so knowledgeable and speaks the best English out of all the midwives. She was going to make sure I got to deliver a baby. Throughout the morning, I helped monitor patients, testing urine and checking IVs and the fetal heart rate. 

BFFs

While I had my eye on a patient who was 7 cm dilated when I arrived, she had not delivered by the time the medical students began arriving around 10:30. All of a sudden, Sandra said, "She's full! Get dressed! Quickly!" Not willing to miss this for the life of me, I ran to get on the plastic apron, boots, elbow gloves, face mask, and goggles. I was sweating already.

Geared up and ready to go!

The next few minutes were the longest and shortest of my life. (Luckily, Sandra videoed the whole thing!) The midwives showed me how to protect the perineum and feel around the head, pushing it down to help it exit the birth canal. After 5 minutes or so, the mother gave birth to the head, which I quickly wiped clear. Sarah had me feel for the cord, which was wrapped around the neck, but apparently not tightly enough to need to be cut. The body came out all at once in a glorious mess. I helped guide the baby onto the mother's stomach and then clamped and cut the cord all by myself!

It's a girl!

I helped lift the baby to show the mother--it's a girl!--and then weighed her (3.1 kg ~ 6.8 lbs) and put her in the warmer. Afterwards, I delivered the placenta all by myself too! And it was all over--15 minutes after it began. And it was amazing.

And then I ate a PB&J. 

What a morning!

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Not to be outdone, the rest of the day was just as eventful! 

A few hours later, a woman walked into the ward and laid down to be examined, but before the doctor reached her, she was pushing out a BREECH baby right on her bed! Instead of the usual cephalic (head) presentation, this baby was coming out folded in half, butt first. It looked so bizarre, but the midwives took it in stride. Sandra untucked the baby's legs then helped to pull his head out. Breech babies are dangerous because instead of the largest part of the baby (the head) coming out first, the butt or legs do, and the head can get stuck, the cervix closing around the neck. Because of this, Sandra pulled pretty forcefully to unlodge the head and the baby and mother were both fine. I am so so glad I got to see this, as breech babies in the US are usually delivered via c-section due to possible complications. 

Finally, another woman gave birth on the floor next to her bed. There seems to be a trend with people not making it to the delivery tables! Certainly keeps things interesting!

Goofs

Today was the best day by far and if I was ever unsure about midwifery before, there is no hesitancy now whatsoever. This was the first of many deliveries to come! Any takers? :)

Baby count: 11

Babies caught: 1!!!!!!