Can’t believe I’m in the final few weeks now – really getting close to finishing now!
I had two shifts last week – and on both I was pulled to the delivery unit to help out as the birth centre was fairly quiet and the delivery unit needed more staff.
On the first shift, myself and my mentor headed over and collected a lady from the antenatal ward who was having an induction of labour. Within an hour I had broken her waters and she was off the monitor again to mobilise. After a few hours, she was starting feel small contractions, but nothing much, so we started the hormone drip to stimulate contractions. This woman had warned us that she labours quite quickly (for her second she had come into the hospital at fully dilated and pushed her baby out within 40 minutes of arriving!)
Within 15 minutes of starting the hormone drip she was contracting regularly and strongly and only an hour and a half later she was feeling the urge to start pushing – she did say she had quick labours.
Her instincts completely took over at this point and within 12 minutes her baby girl was born into my waiting hands. The couple were both really lovely the whole day and we had talked about midwifery training etc so they knew that their baby girl was my 39th catch, and were so positive about it and kind about their experience of my care – always reassuring to hear that the work I’m putting in is helping!
My second shift of the week started with a few postnatal discharges and a NIPE check, and then we were assigned to another induction of labour who we collected from the antenatal ward and settled in to the delivery unit. I broke her waters (something which I found really difficult when I first started, but now I can do without much trouble at all – yay!) and then encouraged her to mobilise for a couple of hours to see if her contractions would start by themselves. After a couple of hours however she was still very comfortable, so I cannulated (first time, again – yay!) and we started the hormone drip.
By the point, our shift was coming to an end, so we handed over to the night team, said our goodbyes and headed on home.
The next day was a big day in the world of this student midwife – our last day in uni and paperwork deadline day!
On our first day of first year, we had each picked a coloured ribbon, written our names on it and tied them together in a big loop; and so on our last day in uni, we all got together in a circle and untied our ribbons again. Needless to say it was very emotional for everyone; we’ve all been on such a journey together and have changed so much over these three years, so untying our ribbons from the circle and hearing all the things that each person is going to take away from this experience was really moving!
We also had some presents for the lecturers and they gave us some final words of advice before we go out into the world as midwives. It all kinda hit me then; I’ve done it, I’m going to be a midwife! Eek!
Once we had all pulled ourselves together, it was time to go and hand in our practice assessment documents for the last time. Each year we have had a book with all our skills to get signed off and our placement grading, but this year it also had our final sign off which states that we have met all the proficiencies and criteria to enter the NMC register as a qualified midwife! Eek!
We took a few photos outside the uni with our books and then handed them in to the desk – really nervous moment but so exciting too!
Now I’ve just got two weeks placement to go – and one more baby to catch – and I’ll be a midwife! Can’t quite believe it. This course has been such a huge undertaking and there have been really tough times; but I’m so close now – just can’t believe it!
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1 Comment
Connie Liu
September 2, 2019 at 12:38 amCONGRATULATIONS!