A Day in the Life…

Day in the life of Midwife, Student Midwife (medical student) and Obstetrician at Amana Hospital

HI Team I am so tired it’s actually hard to articulate the days here. So I thought I’d do it with images

How a day usually starts…
Leave for hospital and arrive after a long “interesting” trip thru insane traffic to arrive at the hospital @ 0800 am.

Go to labour ward – upon arrival we find 4 deliveries taking place. One of the twins – cord prolapse – this wee baby dies (a wee boy) then the midwife go on break and I am standing in labour ward with 5 other labouring mothers and am standing at the delivery for the breech – second twin baby. Then a wee foot appears – footling breech – after debate with a midwife I asked for Dr. James.
Dr James arrives and carries out the delivery of the Footling breech (feet first) with a nuchal arm (arm behind its head and back).  The baby is resuscitated and doing well.

Great outcome | first delivery of mine that day (right) – she was a real little cutie pie – I went on and delivered 5 more babies | other 4 midwifes delivered the other 17 for that shift alone. Three perineal repairs and all went well. It’s hot and humid here and scrubs are saturated at end of the day from sweat. And when involved in a resus you have the heater above you as well!

Then another set of twins are being delivered both head first (cephalic) delivered beautifully – and good sizes 2.9 and 3.2 kg’s and term. I delivered the second twin – it took about 45 minutes for the second twin to arrive and FHR were good throughout.

Dr James has already been in the Operating Theatre (OT) earlier that day for other emergency Caesarean’s – all emergencies are in the main OR – The Obstetrics theatre is not operational because the light has blown! Working on getting a new one.
During the spinal anaesthetic being put in another doctor pokes his head into the door and says quicker Dr James we have PPH waiting for surgery (post LUSC) & an ectopic & a cord prolapse. No pressure James …..
James completed the (Caesarean) LUSC from first cut to completed in 38 minutes – baby outcome was good.

At about 2.30 pm Dr James gets called to Theatre for another Caesarean and I go to catch the baby and Chase comes with me. Edna the Tanzanian midwife takes us through all the process – you get to wear a set of OT cloths that everyone has been wearing all week (nice) – But only in OT so “considered” clean. You change into some boots and if lucky you get a set that actually is a pair or there are plastic slippers! Now later you’ll see that slippers are preferable for comfort but not for hygiene …..there is no drapes or fluid catchments pouches and the poor little suction pump is wheezing its way through basic fluids ….

It’s hot here under the heater. 20-30 deliveries per shift or 80-100 per day. Chase also did her first perineal repair; 1st degree, under supervision of Dr James Moir.

Chase also now gives all the oxytocin injections at delivery for the AMTSL (active management of Third stage) it contracts the uterus to stop the mothers from bleeding after birth. So she is now proficient in her IMI injections.

At almost the end of the operation I turn around and the surgeon (James) has stepped away from the patient – James had on boots too small of him and after 3 lots of surgery his toes were in agony – so the scout nurse gave up her slippers – so I turn around to see James happy in his slippers – Nice look!

Hows that look going Dr James!

Ambulance could do with some wheels

Doctor’s lounge is under a tree!  Kid you not.

And that was Tuesday! …how was your day?