Sunday, March 12, 2006

L & D

This week, my sleep schedule has been reversed, as I have been on rotation in labor and delivery, bringing humans into the world at all odd hours of the night. Weekends, I have off. Unfortunately, I am up all night. As a matter of fact, the sky is beginning to change colors as the sun rises. Beautiful...and this sure beats waking up to watch the sun rise.

So last week I delivered five babies. In other words, I was there to catch the babes as they vaulted from their mothers' bodies. I was just there to make sure no cords were stuck around necks, good suction was provided, cords were cut, etc.

During the scuffle of shuffling instruments in my hands and clamping cords, I miss out on the mother's moment. Not to be overly soft, but there is truly nothing like the gaze from a mother to her baby.

It's also funny to think about what's going through baby's mind...like "What the hell just happened??...Why am I choking?...and why am I needing to breathe all of a sudden??...Man, it's freezing in h...wherever I am...All I can do is SCREAM! SOMEONE just HOLD ME or something." You watch them blink and move for the first time...it's all kinda fun.

And then it's back to bitter doctor land, where there's always other stuff hittin' the fan. Where patients don't do what's best for them. Where you have the mandate to just not screw up. To document everything correctly. To interview patients quickly and with compassion when they are far too verbal or tangential.

Please, God, give me more patients....Ooops...patience. I need to learn.

And while you're at it...give me a few more friends so I can go see lots of Royals games. And some friends who can teach me new tricks...I'm gettin' older by the day.

Serenity please...and some somnolence...it's 5am, dude...sorry...Dude

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BTW...for those who were curious...turns out the girl from that prior post actually has a boyfriend--a detail I somehow did not pick up on during our brief conversation. Explains the discretion with which she handed me the note.

So...if you know any short women in the KC area...who are, using the female lexicon "gorgeous," (not 'cute') then let me know.

1 comment:

Kristen OQ said...

I think if I was going to work in a hospital -- L/D would be my pick. And there really isn't a better moment in life than being a mom looking at your babies for the first time. Your heart takes a picture.

Sounds like you are keeping busy! BTW, I like the new look of the blog.