Feeling Quilty but still Feeling Ill =(

Welp I still have this sinus sick thing going on. If it lasts another day I may go to the docs for antibiotics. But I hate to go to the docs lol soooo we'll see.

But I just called out for tonight again and I feel guilty as heck. Why? Because I know that by my not being there that the other nurses may have to pick up the slack. So I feel bad. BUT when I start feeling too badly I remind myself of the other night and almost not getting sent home at 5am because basically they forgot I was sick. I guess. You other nurses know how it is in the real world. They shouldn't want you there Ill, but they don't mind it if you push yourself harder; because they want your warm body there. It just doesn't work like that in the corporate world does it? Oh well. So I'm home tonight. Poor hubby. He said I was snoring like a Beast last night lol. I'm so clogged up.

But on a brighter note I wanted to share a neat birth story from a few nights ago. As you all know I'm relatively new to the L&D dept. Its been about 8 months now. And I've learned so much. I truly love my job. Especially the laboring moms. It's my fave. bit about my job.

So this night I sent my pt. to the OB ward and for a moment didn't have a patient. Yeah for a Minute lol. Charge nurse assigns me a mom laboring stuck at 9.5 cms. Just a lip left on her cervix. But you don't really want to push with a lip. Can cause all kinds of nasty swelling. So they had sitting straight up in the bed. She was Not a happy camper when I came into her room. She asked how long would she have to wait before pushing. So I checked her. Newp. Still had that darn lip. She almost cried...I felt bad, but told her we'd just try sitting for a bit more and I gave her an Epidural (PCA) bolus.

I left her for an hour and she didn't call out. So I went in and checked her again. Ick still had the lip. Now I thought for a few minutes and said "lets try some trial pushing". I knew that it might be possible to help streach the lip over the baby's head if she pushed effectively. So we pushed for about 20 mins. Now I didn't say anything to her but I felt lots of Capet. That's the skin at the top of the babys head that sometimes gives them a conehead because of prolonged pushing. The baby's head was very soft and pointy. I tell her to keep pushing and I'll be right back. I'm thinking to myself all the way to the desk about the situation. I knew I had to call the MD. I spoke with the resident at the desk about it and asked if this could do harm to the baby. Newp she said. Just makes em pointy lol. Then I call the MD. I tell him that I'm not sure she's really moving the baby down, and I feel lots of Capet. He says "Well she's had adequate time to prove herself. Just set her up for a section. Call me back when you know the OR is ready. Byeee!"
I hang up and think. Hhmp! So you think I'm going into this room and tell this 19yr old girl her doc said its section time for her? I tell the Charge nurse but go back and we resume pushing.

Well don't you know it. She makes progress!! I can fell the baby's head closer now and it feels rounder. Goood! So I put the nurses light on and tell them to call the doc but tell him we're delivering via vagina (not in so many words lol).

We push and push!! I can really feel baby moving now, and can see the famous perineal bulging that means the baby's head is very close to delivery. I know call out for Resident standby.

Pushhhhhhh!! Come on girl pushhhh!! THEN. Baby is def. crowning. As I reach for the sterile drape to support her perineum her doctor walks in. "You just made it in time" I say to him. He chuckles. Baby is born about 4 pushes later.

So I felt so good about this. I could of just had her stop pushing and let him come in and section her. But something in my gut (gotten always listen to your gut) made me want to try harder.

Personally, I feel as if I saved her from a section. I mean her doctor couldn't even be bothered to come in and check her himself. He was basically leaving it all to me to evaluate.

Well doesn't matter. I still feel like I helped her avoid getting cut. I know I did. And that was a defining moment for me.

I love my job =)