Onwards With Maternity

Working in the maternity ward has been increasingly stressful for me.  I know, I know, I should be loving every minute of it, but for many reasons I'm kind of scared of working in Maternity.

So Much Blood

I walked into a new client's room one morning to discover a trail of blood from the bed leading to the bathroom.  In the bathroom was a poor mum lying on the floor.  I felt like I had walked into a scene from a horror movie.  

There were nurses around her taking care of her, but I felt like I was frozen in time.  I looked at the nurses working hard to ensure that the mom was okay and not did not pass out, I saw how pale and sweaty the mom looked, and I saw the look of fear on the husband's face.  He was holding his new baby close, but I don't think that made him feel any less terrified at seeing his wife unwell.  

Postpartum Hemorrhage

Long story short, it was a busy day.  I monitored her health every hour and learned a lot about bleeding in the first few hours after birth.  I learned that a full bladder can push the uterus to the side so that it can't contract as well to stop bleeding, about how inserting a foley catheter can help empty the bladder quickly (if there's risk of passing out on the way to the bathroom), and about drugs that can help the uterus contract in case the bleeding doesn't stop naturally.  

I'm not particularly scared of blood, but something about a lot of blood soaked towels and sheets frightens me. The cleaning staff did a great job of making the blood on the floors disappear quickly (thank you!), but it was up to me to make the blood on the mom disappear.  

Shaken Up

I thought I would see a lot of blood in surgery, but this is really my first experience in seeing and handling so many bloody things.  I think I'll get used to it after a few more experiences, but for now I'm rather shaken up.  It is scary to see someone bleeding a lot.

Thank God For Hospitals
I guess the good thing is that bleeding in the hospital is not such a big deal.  The moms eat food and drink liquids to replace lost fluid and nutrients, and they have IV's hooked up as well.  This means that they can get the proper fluids instantly through their IV, including blood products if they need it.  

While I was feeling jittery and lost, the mom I was taking care of seemed perfectly fine in no time.  It was as if nothing had happened.  The baby was fine too.  In the end, it was just another happy family leaving the hospital with their new baby.

It's amazing how resilient humans are.