It's been a wicked busy week back in babyland....had clinic Monday afternoon and a group Monday evening...clinic and admin time Tuesday & Wednesday...taught my Nursing class at the University (got guest speakers to come in from the methodone clinic...love guest speakers...makes my job a piece of cake...but need to prepare their first exam for next week now!) then clocked in at noon one day for a big poobah meeting and ended up not clocking out until after 10:30 the following morning.. (yep...count em up...that would be 22 1/2 straight hours!) and yes...everyone... midwives and doctors and nurses have to punch in and out where we work...but i digress...
Hospital was an EXTREMELY busy overnight last go round.....had lots and lots of labor check walk-ins (no labor for you..go home!)...two transports in from outlying villages...and FIVE...count them FIVE laboring moms who all delivered. And NOT ONE of them had an epidural...even the two first time moms! They were outstanding...brave, strong, beautiful young women! So proud of them I was...especially the teenager! She was scared to death but she really toughed it out! And afterwards, they were so proud of themselves...so filled with that sense of "womanpower" that ..."ohmygodicantbelieveijustdidthisandnowmybaby'shere" sort of grand madness and wonder that can happen with birth...in all circumstances..it's really all about having a good and satisfactory birth experience for YOU..I'm all for pain management, meds, epidurals, cesarean..whatever it takes to have a healthy mom/baby/family... ... but non-epiduralized first time moms, especially tend to get the midwife mojo going......
My night was spent walking, rubbing, breathing, dancing, moving bellies around, coaching, cajoling, soothing, charting, breathing, walking, flipping moms back and forth like pancakes, breathing, coaching, scolding baby daddies, breathing, dancing, charting......I think I finally had a cup of coffee and an instant noodle soup at 5am....needless to say..
5 babies..3 of them between 6:30a and 7:30a.......all healthy moms and babies.....i get such a rush from what i do. it makes me smile when i write this.
After leaving hospital, I had to go back to clinic for a bit for a pre-JCAHO walk through inspection and a going away brunch for our overnight tech who retired after 11 years of the 11p-7a shift! I'll miss Myra......I could always count on her to call me in the middle of the night if my residential moms or babies needed anything! .......She's moving to rural Louisiana to stay with her daughter......it's going to be a culture shock for everyone involved I think....Good Luck Myra...Watch out for the alligators!
Upon arrival home, I realized I left my knitting bag.....and my current reading material (The Hummingbird's Daughter) in the hospital breakroom. I didn't touch either of them all night and totally spaced it after being so busy. Oh well....I "think" there might be plenty more yarn and needles etc here at home.
The man is off on another sojourn...this time a documentary for Greek TV on the impact of oil development on the indigenous people of Alaska. He's all over the state...starting in Barrow and now in Nuiqusut. They will be filming in several more communities over the next couple of weeks. And he ran off again with MY CAMERA. I had planned to get him one of his own for father's day this weekend, but since he won't be home...i think I'll just get it and keep it for my very own self :)
Hoping to catch up on some zzzzzsss over the weekend.....and none of my "private" patients are due for at least 3 weeks so hopefully will get a bit of gardening and knitting done ...oh yeah...and laundry and housecleaning......before Monday rolls around again.
Here's the garden update...pics taken on 6/10 when I ret'd from SF! Can you see how much it's grown since 6/2?
The man enjoying the sun June 10.
The creeping phlox is beginning to bloom.
The Lady's Mantle wasn't even up when I left....
Bleeding Hearts...there are no words...i enjoy them so...
Take care; and have a great, knitterly weekend! And to those taking time off....aaahhh...bliss..enjoy yourselves!
11 comments:
FIVE??? That's amazing!!!
What a lovely outcome of being so busy! Enjoy your time to rest.
Cate
hmm..why was I not expecting a perennial garden in AK? It's fabulous, what a cool place to escape.
Your garden is lovely!
I'm so happy to find another knitting/blogging CNM! Sounds like you had an exciting night! Nice to "meet" you!
~Your sister in stitches and in baby catching
P.S. Sorry about the deleted comment. I'm having Blogger issues!
Five!!!!!!!!!!
No wonder you forgot your knitting.
I love bleeding hearts too. I see a lot of eeny little wild ones on my walk.
Happy Father's Day, honey, you can keep my camera. I got myself a new one. ROFL
I'm back to say:
WOW!
I just read all about your trip:
WOW!
Oh, and my favorite part was when you and Bonnie were playing "name the pathology." I'm warped like that.
You did a great job. You do know that if you'd left your knitting at home, it would have been dull as hell at work.
So, when you are through lollygagging at work, keeping banker's hours, knitting, reading, shooting the breeze, eating gourmet meals and being bored to tears, do you go home and take a nap??? ;-}
My bleeding heart bloomed a couple of months ago even after that very hard freeze. Yours are outrageous!
OMG, 5 babies?! How exciting!
I didn't have an epidural either. The morning nurse who came in the next morning wanted to check my epidural site, and was surprised when I told her I didn't have one.
Staying up for 22+ hrs straight is tough. I've only had to do it once for 28+ hrs at work (long story) and that was a doozy. I hope these long days aren't a regular thing for you...
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