Making cotton balls in the labor and delivery room can be compared to hanging out in the eye of a storm, perhaps a cyclone if you will or maybe more like a tornado, Either seem to describe the atmosphere in the labor and delivery room. In the eye, the air is calm, there are clear sunny skies (in my mind) and there is a slight wind, provided by the fans whirling above.Very pleasant indeed. But it never lasts very long. Today, as I left the labor ward, there were 16 women present, in a space equivalent to about 2 labor and delivery room sizes in Canada! I ran out of there before the birth storm hit.Those poor night shift midwives!!!
Making cotton balls, then packaging them in newspaper so they can be sterilized makes me reflect on all the things we take for granted as midwives in Canada. I mean, who makes our cotton balls???? I am hoping a machine and not a small child slave Asia or Africa somewhere.
The lack of resources means that nothing is wasted. For example, gloves are re sterilized. It also means that there are no cloths to clean a patient after a delivery or to wipe away bodily fluids. I have to use newspaper sometimes to clean messes. I wish I could just magically materialize some blue pads, I miss those. And also unlimited laundry! O the good ol' days of working in our wasteful Canadian society.
Today I had my first catch as a newly graduated midwife. The woman was a 35+5 week multip. Prenatal complications included severe IUGR and OLIGO. The delivery went fine, tiny baby but breathed on its own.I didn't mean to catch him but Lyanne and I glanced down and the head was out!! Now I know that if an Indian women is acting like shes in well established labor, it means the delivery is imminent. Later I realized she probably was telling me for 20 minutes, " hey lady, I have to push!" while I just smiled and nodded and held her hand doing absolutely nothing. Later I went to visit him and he was in an incubator. Doing well considering his living situation for the past few months.
A plus tard! Leah
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