Fridays......

We have great cases and happy deliveries all week.

Yesterday for some reason I just had the urge to drop by the "Safe Motherhood" Maternity Ward in the late afternoon. Everyone was like why did you come back?
I told them that I wanted to check on the lady who was sent from 75 kilometers away for "placenta previa" who turned out to be in labor.
She delivered a beautiful healthy baby.
Then as I was there talking with the midwife and nurses, a lady arrived. Everyone stated that she is an alcoholic or "drunkard" like they say. She is a G 10 which means she has been pregnant 10 times. Then they told me she was just released from jail and she is HIV +. Maybe compliant with treatment.  Wow!!
So I checked her as everyone is running around. She is 10 cm dilated, complete. She is cephalic (the baby is head down) but I said the baby's head feels small, her abdomen appears small. Well too late to worry.
As I step away to put on the protective apron that we wear, She yells out in pain and states the baby has moved abruptly. the midwife informs me that the baby is now breech.
What??????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then she gives a huge push and 2 feet pop out of her vagina!!!!
What?????!!!!!!!
So I tell everyone, OK let us prepare the Operating Theater.
No, Doctor, this baby is coming fast and these feet are too small and we should not use the theater for this.
What?????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then the lady starts pushing, Thank God I remembered breech face up can flip them on top of the mother to keep the head flexed.
So this is what  I do. Thank God it works and this lady delivers a double footling breech.
The kid is about 26 weeks, so very unlikely to make it here.
We suction the baby, warm him and let him stay with his mom, skin to skin. He died 12 hours later.
So this is why I felt called to go to the hospital.
Because if I was not there the head probably would have been entrapped and a big mess.

Then today a lady arrives and delivers a very abnormal baby.
The baby had gastroschisis (born with the intestines outside the body. Very low set ears, abnormal shaped head. Very pale. Very thick neck. I just realized this child even in the USA may not do well, so I suctioned the baby and let the Mom hold the baby. The baby was having occasional gasp for breath but not breathing.
She asked me to baptize the baby, So I did. She wanted to name him John.
"I baptize thee John, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I claim this soul for Jesus Christ".
That was very sacred to me, the parents were very pleased.
Now these are the stories that I want to get off my chest but every day we have beautiful deliveries, funny deliveries and great deliveries.
Blog coming soon....
All night parties for the dead........very interesting