Why should I listen to you?
What exactly do you have to offer me,
that I can't get from myself?
honestly, what?
I am done, and sick
and tired and just plain
OVER IT'
Stop talking at me, and try hearing me!
You are my friend
be my friend
stop telling me
start hugging me
Please.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Home birth and other things
Well, I have now caught two babies in their homes, and I am more committed than ever to the beauty and wonder that is homebirth. It rocks. Life has not been the most wonderful thing ever in my home of late. BA has been having some personal stuff, and I want to take a moment to tell her I love her, just cause this is my blog, and I can. The Mad Rocker, also known as my OH, was made redundant unexpectedly last month, along with beginning my post grad study. Slowly. And on the work front, I have had a difficult run of breastfeeding problems and the like to distract me from the wonderful world of the internet.
I am very happy to announce that I am officially on holiday (well, sort of, I have no babies due now till May, so have very little work to do!) and will be heading off to the bottom of the North Island for a rest and recuperation period. REALLY looking forward to that.
So, for a momentary commentary on how I realised that I really am a midwife now. I was called to a birth, just as I was eating my lunch. I finished my sandwich and dashed to second time Mum's house upon hearing that she was "doing stuff" from her very excited sister. That would not normally be enough to drag me from my food, as any who know me are surely aware of. But, I had a feeling. So I went, and quickly. this was a planned hospital birth, and when I arrived at Mum's home, I quickly realised we were nearing "now or never" transfer time. So I asked if I could do an examination to determine that my gut was telling me the truth. Upon VE, Mum was six cm's dilated, with a nice low head and a very buttery cervix. This from about an hours worth of good contractions. I told Mum it was go now, or have a baby at home. She decided to have a baby at home.
As it played out, that was a very good call. I had a second midwife on the way, but the baby couldn't even wait for that, and withing half an hour of my announcement to mum, she was pushing. Spontaneous rupture of membranes occurred, revealing thick meconium liqour. Bugger. vertex was already visible, so no time to change plans now. I quickly manoeuvred my Oxygen and suction bulb just a bit closer, and poised to catch a beautiful squirming boy child. Who proceeded to Not Breathe. Noone else there, purpling baby boy, meconium everywhere...... Double Bugger.
Thankfully a bit of suction and some free flow oxygen were enough to get him to gasp, and further stimulation got a cry. But seriously, I knew what had to be done, and did it, but GODDESS I did not like it! I am glad we were at home. I am glad I had all my supplies easily reachable. But I do not want to do that again! The second midwife arrived moments after the placenta delivered by maternal effort.
But, I am a Midwife now, because Mum and dad had no inkling of my heart palpitations. They knew baby needed some help to get going, as I explained it all to them as I went. But they felt calm and trusted me to do what needed doing, and I did not panic or run away: so I am a midwife. I was with woman, and did my job, despite my desire to be anywhere else in the world but there!
As to my earlier comments on horizontal violence in midwifery. I am building a little list, which I anticipate being done with in the next few days. It links in to recent posts by Barb about midwifery education. so watch this space, more to follow soon!
I am very happy to announce that I am officially on holiday (well, sort of, I have no babies due now till May, so have very little work to do!) and will be heading off to the bottom of the North Island for a rest and recuperation period. REALLY looking forward to that.
So, for a momentary commentary on how I realised that I really am a midwife now. I was called to a birth, just as I was eating my lunch. I finished my sandwich and dashed to second time Mum's house upon hearing that she was "doing stuff" from her very excited sister. That would not normally be enough to drag me from my food, as any who know me are surely aware of. But, I had a feeling. So I went, and quickly. this was a planned hospital birth, and when I arrived at Mum's home, I quickly realised we were nearing "now or never" transfer time. So I asked if I could do an examination to determine that my gut was telling me the truth. Upon VE, Mum was six cm's dilated, with a nice low head and a very buttery cervix. This from about an hours worth of good contractions. I told Mum it was go now, or have a baby at home. She decided to have a baby at home.
As it played out, that was a very good call. I had a second midwife on the way, but the baby couldn't even wait for that, and withing half an hour of my announcement to mum, she was pushing. Spontaneous rupture of membranes occurred, revealing thick meconium liqour. Bugger. vertex was already visible, so no time to change plans now. I quickly manoeuvred my Oxygen and suction bulb just a bit closer, and poised to catch a beautiful squirming boy child. Who proceeded to Not Breathe. Noone else there, purpling baby boy, meconium everywhere...... Double Bugger.
Thankfully a bit of suction and some free flow oxygen were enough to get him to gasp, and further stimulation got a cry. But seriously, I knew what had to be done, and did it, but GODDESS I did not like it! I am glad we were at home. I am glad I had all my supplies easily reachable. But I do not want to do that again! The second midwife arrived moments after the placenta delivered by maternal effort.
But, I am a Midwife now, because Mum and dad had no inkling of my heart palpitations. They knew baby needed some help to get going, as I explained it all to them as I went. But they felt calm and trusted me to do what needed doing, and I did not panic or run away: so I am a midwife. I was with woman, and did my job, despite my desire to be anywhere else in the world but there!
As to my earlier comments on horizontal violence in midwifery. I am building a little list, which I anticipate being done with in the next few days. It links in to recent posts by Barb about midwifery education. so watch this space, more to follow soon!
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