a trip down memory lane: ob/gyn

since i'm focused on boxing up my apartment while watching various talkshows (i get the most done between the view and oprah during the soaps), there isn't very much to post about. however, i thought i would take a trip down memory lane and pull some material from my old blog or emails i've written to people during medical school. for today, here are some reflections after my obstetrics and gynecology rotation over a year ago.

ob/gyn is over, and now that i'm done, i can say that it was a good rotation. i learned a lot. if caught on a plane with a woman in labor, i might even be able to handle an uncomplicated delivery. it's not that hard, the mom does all the work. doctors basically just catch the baby with some style. however, when there are complications, things can get pretty crazy.

what else did i learn? labor is not always a beautiful experience for everyone involved. sometimes it's not a beautiful experience for anyone involved.

there are lots of body fluids involved. i didn't know this before. i figured there would be blood and mucous, but some women poop as they are pushing the baby out. the baby's head is coming out, and there's a wad of poop underneath it. everyone in the room knows you're pooping including your husband who hopefully will not look too horrified. if you have an epidural, they don't really want you to walk and go to the bathroom. one woman had a pretty full bladder, and they thought it was impeding the progress of the baby. so, they got the medical student (me!) to straight cath her in front of five people (i put a tube into her urethra and let the urine come out into a box). not beautiful. people giggled because urinating in front of two nurses, two doctors, your husband, and a medical student is not fun.

someone might be holding your legs up wide. holding your legs up and wide open can sometimes help the baby come out. if you can't do it yourself, two people (likely some med students you just met) will be holding your legs up and out so your genitals are fully exposed to whoever walks past the curtain.

after the baby comes out, you still have to deliver the placenta. placentas are freakin' big. sometimes they look as big as the baby, and sometimes they make you push that through, too.

mom is the last person to hold the baby. there are exceptions to this rule, but first the doctor holds the baby. she hands it to the nurse who dries it off. then the pediatricians take a look. then they hand the wrapped baby to whoever else is around, usually some random friends or relatives, while mom is pushing out the placenta. everyone else is cooing; meanwhile, mom is tired and wondering if the baby is cute. she's stuck in the bed with her legs still wide open while some resident sews her vagina (hopefully not her rectum, too) back together because it probably has a big tear in it.

oh yeah, your vagina will tear. ok, it might not, but i didn't see a delivery without a tear. vaginas heal well, but when people think about the few minutes after giving birth, they never tell you that we're hoping you have a good epidural while we sew you back up.

consider a midwife. everything i learned wasn't negative. midwives are really quite wonderful, and if your delivery is expected to be uncomplicated, you might want to consider a midwife. i think they respect the birthing experience more, so things are more calm.