Two pushes lady

[whitewriter]

IVF baby this time around
IOL for IVF (kid you not, that's the reason why we were inducing) at 40+0 (the one time a kid is actually born its calculated due date)
26 yr old with zero risk factors.

Why the IVF you ask?

G3... p0... ? (one may assume 2 miscarriages, -- I haven't yet mentioned Hx endometriosis - which is the reason for IVF) but if you delve deeper into her file it was
1x termination (TOP)
1x m/c last yr

Did she know she'd have trouble conceiving before the TOP? (probably not)

Don't know what the story was in 2014, I didn't get a chance to ask because I took over at 13:45 after the dramatics of the morning (the in-the-room handover in front of the woman painted a rosy picture; but the at the nurses station handover the handover was: "I had to put emla cream on her hand to get the cannula in. We couldn't start the IOL until after the epidural was in, the VE was horrendous" acopic is what we'd say for short.

Then I realised the next VE was due.

The woman was squirming around in the bed, pressing the epidural top up button heaps making her right leg go numb (because she was also laying on her right). Saying how much pressure she was feeling in her bottom and we're all around saying "thats good! we want pressure! thats the baby!" and "if you don't fight it and just let it go it should feel better..." (although I don't want her involuntarily pushing so- and she's like I don't understand - I can't think of another way to describe it so we let that go for a bit).

Anyways.

It's VE time (I've seen "It's birth time" written on mugs owned by midwives, but I'd like an Its VE time on a mug.)

And I go in there, and the head is at +1

I kid you not.

So I part the labia with my fingers and pronounce that the baby's got pale coloured hair (like; pale brown - could be blonde)
and the woman's like what?!

I'm like your fully my dear.

and she's like huh?

Your fully dilated. And she says "oh".

So I'm thinking do we passive decent at +1? like seriously, how much more passive descent can we do? (+3 and it's all over).

I tell her to stop fighting the urges, and to just go with it (and she's like omg thats so much better zing! That's what I meant. She didn't look like she was involuntarily pushing either.

I flap around getting shit ready.

I let the incharge know we're at fully. She's like just get started. If the kid is low its low. And the trace was boarderline yellow zone (blue is okay, red is bad).

So I get started. I tell the woman the same thing I tell all the others. She chooses the side because she feels better 'not fighting it' when she's on her side.

So I'm like cool we can do that.

Take a big breath in, and bear down like your doing a poop, I say.

The head descends like 3cm in the space of one push.

I'm like holy shit. Hold it lady - I rush to get my gloves on and some drapes down.

She waits for me. (Epidurals can be amazing)

And she can't really feel the contractions anymore (like she could before, and was "fighting them" and when she stopped fighting it's like she coudn't feel them" but at A pre pregnancy BMI of 19; and zero abdominal fat - I could feel them for her without problems (so good)

So next one, she goes again. Head descends like a champ.

We started at 15:15,

And at 15:27 (ish honestly, I wasn't looking at the clock, my focus was below it on the woman) the baby's head was fully out. And the incharge was somewhere I don't know flapping about - -
and I just can't deliver the shoulders on the side position. So I get her to tilt back on her back, and put her legs back a bit.

And we're good again.

15:28 live infant female with a cord 2x around the neck (not tight but not really loose either)

I put it onto the drape and was like undoing the cords like it wasn't a big deal (which I think it would have been for me; say, 2 months ago). I counted aloud as I unwound it. Oneee... Twoo... and sorta three around the body - but it was definitely 2 around the neck.

It's the incharge that's terrible at delegating thats on; but she's really good at telling you what to do (micromanaging is how some people might call it) - and she's questioning everything : I swear it was three x around the neck (dude I counted it) why did you open the episiotomy stuff? You can't do that on your own (yeah I know lady but I like to have it ready ; and you were barely in here anyways - and it wasn't like I was gonna do it because the kid came way too quick anyhow so relax. After my last 3a tear I always open it to have it ready... I didn't use it). Deliver the placenta into this kidney dish your gonna want it on your drape (oh yeah, thanks). Have you seen the signs of separation? ( yeah - but I'm feeling for that sheering feeling on the abdo) ok put some traction on it (cool thanks for letting me do my job ) - 3rd stage done - ok you should change your drape (sighs, why.) It's cleaner (fine) - and your gloves too (why - there wasn't any mec and I'm just inspecting the vagina and surrounds - and I haven't touched anything but the baby and the placenta) -- and she's like ok you don't have to (lol. cool.) So I inspect and I love that she inspects with me because I always want a second opinion on the peri. I thought 1st deg at the bottom vaginal wall- turns out its a small second but I'd call that close to nothing (amazing) considering others I've seen.

She gets the doc for sutures.

I tell the lady she gets an A++ for the pushing because for most first timers with an epidural we're looking at 2 hours of pushing. She looks shocked and says: really?!

In my head: I'm like you saved me 2 hours of my life.




It's petes' Dad's Christmas today with his grandma and whilst I contemplated calling in sick to go; with the whole new outbreak thing; and him needing the car to go 2 hrs up to his Dad's fam (which means It'll take me about 1.5 hours to get to work, maybe even 2 hours via public transport in the rain - on a Sunday rather than a 40 min zip down the highway- that thought alone is making me want to call sick and just stay home ) - and me wondering how I'll explain that I got covid (if it happened) whilst on sick leave rather than on a day off or at work -

So I've chosen to be a good girl; avoid any family dramas (likely to be present) and not see them.

I'll wear a mask on the train. Its 930 now and I start at 13:30 means I should leave soon.

I feel shitty. Like I'm a bad daughter in law.

Pete didn't let on if he was sad I chose work over his family (but also; if anyone is high risk for covid, its me - and his grandma is quite elderly. She'd probably rather I didn't come. Pete entertained the idea that it might be unsafe for him to attend for about 5 mins and in that time period I was happily considering if I'd get the car for today... (Thinking of myself first as always). But no - he only sees them once a year so I can't be that bitch. I have public transport as an option, and he doesn't).

You try getting a swap on a Sunday (I did try anyway) this close to Christmas - everyone's family has something on- so no one is going to be happy to swap.

I wanted him to take the dress I made for the 6 yr old; but because I hadn't prepared a gift yet for her 3 yr old sister; Pete refused stating that the 3 yr old will chuck a tantrum or get depressed and ruin the family dynamics for the day. If covid cancels his mum's christmas I'm going to have to post the dress over. Or find another 6 yr old to give it to.

I heard women in the hotspot local government area (LGA) who are birthing at a private hospital with their private obstetrician out of area; are not being allowed to leave the area to give birth and therefore getting diverted to the local; 60/40 public/private hospital-- and that obstetricians who live in the hotspot LGA aren't being allowed to leave to tend to births in non-hotspot area that are close by.

I can't imagine being a woman, who paid 10 grand for xyz obstetrician to be at their birth ; at xyz hospital ; going into labour right when the border closed (and there's this really dramatic picture of how the govt is doing it: I'll show it below - there's a bridge that cuts off a main road and they've literally: lifted the bridge) --

[Close your legs ladies. and hope you don't need an induction.]

--and her needing to go to another location; they've never been to before --- her files won't be there- the records will need to be transfered (public and private have completely different systems: and even public hospitals in different area health services- like I can't access MSH files from MICH -- well... some I can, but not obstetric ones).

Some of my old classmates (now midwives) are working in this situation.

It sounds like a nightmare. I'm waiting for them to fill us in on how it all pans out.

I'm going to have to walk 1.5 km in the 1st or 2nd highest crime rate area in Sydney to get a train on a sunday night at 22:00

Why does this seem like a bad idea...