Because it's on my mind..

Today was my final day at a hospital for OB. Last week I got to see my first vaginal birth. That's it, just the birth. The mother was having her seventh baby! She pushed three times and the baby was out. It was amazing! It was really neat to hear the dr announce the baby's gender. I could never wait till that day. The parents were so happy, it's a beautiful thing to see.

Then today at a smaller hospital than the one I was in before there was one pt. She was having her 8th baby! She agreed to let me be in the room watching. They had planned on having their baby at a birthing center but a non stress test showed the baby's heartrate to have no variability. The midwife thought it was best that she go to the hospital. Except for a short time in the morning her baby was doing great! 

I got to see her through all the stages of labor. She knew exactly how her body responded to labor, she was telling us what her reactions would be in transition and such. She got to a point that she felt like she might have to push. The Dr was there in between other things he had going on and they were discussing giving her a straight cath since it had been a while since she'd voided. She just starts pushing. The baby's head was out after one push! (If I hadn't had kids myself I might expect that this is how labor and delivery goes. Two super fast deliveries, they really made it look easy!) The baby came out face down like she was supposed to and the Dr guided her head to the mother's left where I was standing and I saw it. The baby was still covered in vernix but I could tell she had a complete cleft lip. I'm sure the dr knew when he was suctioning her and said that it was a cleft palate as well. He very calmly stated that the baby has a cleft palate in the same tone of voice that he told them it was a girl. I think everyone in the room was just shocked. The baby was about two pounds lighter than her previously lightest baby, the cord was very small. They had to study it to make sure there were three vessels. But the baby was stable. She obviously had problems latching but the nurses and midwife worked to get them information and the right kind of nipples for the baby. 

I was in the room when they were making calls to family to let them know that the baby was born and that it was a girl. The father gave all the major information then just threw in that the baby had a cleft palate. When the mother made a phone call her voice cracked on those words. Some words I'm sure she couldn't believe were coming out of her mouth. After we moved her to her postpartum room the mother stated that with all things considered (at one point they were thinking the baby was going to die) this is a good outcome for them. I'm not completely sure how the father is dealing with it. He was pretty stoic. I don't remember him holding the baby. Maybe that's the way he is or maybe he was still in shock. Not the joy that I saw with the first delivery. Mom did bond with the baby though she spent some time in the nursery because of her blood sugar and her temperature being low.