Thankful Thursday

      Can I just say that I am so thankful I am a nursing student and have a chance to experience the most awesome things?   Yesterday morning, I finally got called in to see a birth to write about in my OB case study. And you can bet I am going to share every last detail (HIPPA compliant, of course!) with you guys because, let me tell you, it was an eventful birth!   I got called in around 9:30am yesterday right after I got back from teaching K-3rd grade in Spillville for one of my Community clinicals. I, of course, jumped at the opportunity, as I was told it was her 3rd kid and she usually progresses fast.   I arrived at the hospital around 10:30 and met my sweet, sweet (case study) mom.  Her and her husband had been there since Tuesday night around 9:30 and her contractions had slowed way down even though they had begun inducing her. I hung around and got some of the information I needed from her chart, took some vitals, easy stuff. Around 1:00pm, we let her go on a walk to see if we could start to speed things up again, as she wasn't really having hardly any contractions at this point.   They arrive back on the floor at 1:30pm and she said the contractions were starting to get stronger. We hooked her back up to the FHM and they were coming about every 3 minutes. I took this time in between contractions to get some last minute questions I needed in.    She was a trooper and wasn't going to use any pain medications, but we finally ended up giving her some Nubain (which sort of dulls the contractions a little, but not much, that's for sure!) and checking her cervix. She was dilated to about a 5 or 6 and 50% effaced. This was around 2:30pm. The nurse and I stayed with her some more while she was laboring and her husband had just gotten back from getting lunch (just in the nick of time!). Mom ended up telling us that with her last kid, she had a really strong contraction and was pushing and the baby was out within 15 minutes. Well, we better check her again then because these contractions were getting pretty strong!   Sure enough, the nurse checks and turns to me and calmly says to go tell the nurses to call the doc and tell him to get here right away. Apparently, the amniotic sac was on its way out with the baby right behind (too much info?). I tell the nurses and rush back in the room to the baby crowning away.  Needless to say, the baby was born with a nurse and myself in the room. The nurse only got the chance to put on one glove. The warmer wasn't turned on, let alone in the room. And the nurse that was coming on to take over didn't even get report on this patient.    Baby Girl was too cute, although she did have some trouble with her temperature and we had to put her in the warmer for a bit.    All in all, I was at the hospital from 10:30am-7:00pm and I can honestly say it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my nursing career so far. The family was so sweet and the mom even said I would make a great OB nurse (while she was contracting, no less) because I have a great personality for it.    I bet my Halloween beat your Halloween ;)     ...Oh yeah and I was back at the hospital today at 6:30am to start IV's in Same Day Surgery and visit with my mom again. 2/3 successfully placed, which brings my total to 6/9.