This week has been one for the books for me. I don’t even know where to begin writing this up to be honest!
When I wrote my “Midwife Mondays” post on Monday evening last week, I’d had a really gentle week. I had no idea what the following few days were going to have in store for me – apart from anything else, if I had, I would have had a nap in preparation!!
As usual, I have changed the order of the events from this week so as to protect confidentiality – here goes – the things I have been up to in this particularly crazy week:
- Assessment results
After submitting my first academic essay over the Christmas break, and then doing our group presentations in our first week back, I have been anxiously waiting for the results of my first module – this week we got our marks back! In my first degree, I didn’t have to do the same form of academic writing, with referencing etc, so this was my first proper academic essay, and to not just pass but to get an actually decent mark for it – I’m really really chuffed! Yay! - Birth Plan Appointment
One of the ladies on my caseload got to 36 weeks this week and so she had her 36 week antenatal appointment where we talk through her birth plan. I really like these appointments – it is the appointment where everything seems to come together and it’s really lovely seeing the excitement in their faces as it starts feeling a bit more real too – very special! - Starting Module Two
Our second module is a more detailed continuation of what we were learning as a bit of a theory foundation in our first module – this week we have had lectures exploring a bit more into the second stage of labour, the general mechanism of labour, and the hormones in pregnancy and labour. It’s been really good to explore everything with a bit more detail this week – though we only have two weeks of this theory before we go back out onto placement again! It’s all a bit mad! - Introduction to Skills Module
In our last trimester, we had several skills sessions to cover the real basics. This trimester, we start our official skills module, learning more detailed skills like venipuncture and catetherisation. We had an introductory session to let us know a bit more of what to expect in this module this week – then we start the module officially a week today! Exciting stuff! - My Fourth ‘Catch’!
This week, I finally got the call – the first of the ladies on my caseload was in labour and in the hospital! So I hopped in my little car, drove down to the hospital and pulled on my scrubs.
There is something so special about turning up to the hospital to support a woman who you have been in touch with throughout her pregnancy. To turn up and be a familiar face for her and to be with her and her partner through that experience, having got to know them as their pregnancy has progressed – I found the whole experience very emotional.Spending that time with the pair of them in the hospital, supporting them both through her increasing contractions over the following hours, and monitoring the baby, was just a really lovely experience.I don’t know if it was because I knew them already, or because I am just feeling a little less like a rabbit in headlights generally when caring for a woman in labour but this was definitely the most relaxed I’ve felt in a delivery situation. I really felt like I knew a bit more what I was doing, which is a great feeling to have knowing I go into the Birth Unit for a full delivery placement in just over a week’s time! I know I’ve still got so much to learn, but I still felt a real sense of pride at how far I’ve come since witnessing my first delivery only 3 months ago (read about that here)! Several hours after I arrived, and after a long and exhausting labour, she delivered a beautiful baby girl straight into my waiting hands! I always find it emotional, but I was definitely a little bit teary at this catch – it was just so special to have met this couple months back (we actually met on my very first day of placement in the community back in October – read about that week here) and then to be there for the moment they became parents for the first time – and to pass them their beautiful new daughter – it’s a feeling I can’t even begin to describe. It really was an amazing morning!
Overall, It has been a fantastic week – I’ve been sleep deprived, my brain has felt like it has been overloaded with information and there have been moments when I have felt overwhelmed or simply like there just isn’t enough time to learn everything that needs learning – but it has been so so worth it! Such a great week – I’ve been on a high all weekend!
I’ve got another lady on my caseload due in the next 10 days or so, so who knows, I might have another mental week in store! 🙂
Image by Rebecca Cairns
To read last week’s “Midwife Monday’s” post, click here
No Comments