OB Rotation is Hell

OK... for my first-ever post here, I'll relate what no doubt is not a unique story... but for my clinical group 2 semesters ago, it was pretty funny.

First day on the OB floor at a small community hospital (which itself was in fear of being taken over by a big conglomerate but ended up being rejected); three - count 'em -- three patients for 8 students. OH, but that's the way it goes with OB, right? Anyway, the instructor, herself an officer of the local Le Leche League chapter, pairs us up for the day, so two students in the nursery, the other 6 for the three patients on the floor at the time. Now, I'm the only male in the group. My partner and I get this really nice lady who just came in about an hour ago, and as they're trying to get the doctor on the floor for her, get her started in labour (at which time her water had broken but she wasn't too far dilated yet), her mother-in-law was in the room with her, but no husband. Didn't think anything of it, myself and my partner, we continued to help out, get stuff we were asked to get, and generally made fumbling nuisances out of ourselves (ah, happy days ).

Fast forward a couple of HOURS... and by this time she's pretty much dilated and ready to go, in walks her husband followed closely behind by the doctor. Now, realise my partner & I have been helping out, IN the room, no problems at all from the mom-to-be and the mother-in-law about having a male SN in the room... the husband takes one look at me in the room with the rest of the staff (all female) and after my partner and I left to take care of something, our instructor pulled me aside and told me the husband came out and told the charge nurse, quote, "I don't want no man in there with my wife." This, I was told, was the husband's exact sentence (since both the charge nurse and the instructor seemed to take a wonderfully light-hearted view of the apparent mismatch between the wife's more cosmopolitan demeanor compared to the rather backcountry "wadin' boots & huntin' rifle" appearance of the husband. Needless to say, I was pretty much 'kicked out' of the first patient's room I encountered! Apparently the husband didn't take into account that BOTH the doctor, and the resident who was monitoring his wife before the doctor arrived, were both MALE.

And so, there you have it. So, any 'nursing-guy' who hasn't hit his OB clinical rotation yet, my advice is don't sweat the small stuff. Take it both seriously from the point of view of learning all you can about the specialty, and light-hearted from the point of view of realising that your patients' family members will probably have a more dim view of your presence than anyone else, including the patients themselves... they're there to get rid of the pain of childbirth, and I doubt very much that they care as much as their family does who's in the room, and what their gender is.

~ NursingGuy

Wow its been a pretty funny read. When I was a hospital corpsman in the navy. I was on comb ob, mother baby ward for around 3 years. I think the worst thing was helping a mom with breastfeeding with implants. Then her husband was like half a foot away from me. I was more nervous then they were about it. I think its all about how comfortable you are with them.

In the 3 years I did it. I only had one pt that did not want me to take care of them. Hell get it over with it will be done before you know it.

This thread was a great read...made me think of the OB rotation in a different light. I'm a 49 y/o female and did have both younger and older males in my L&D and mother/baby rotation. I will say some patients did ask the males to leave, other's didn't care, and some didn't even know/care (I think) who was there. But as 49 y/o female with a 19 y/o son who did his L&D rotation at the same time...it was the best form of birth control/sex education I could have asked for - for him! He did come home a little shell shocked with the birthing process and a new found respect for females.

But, his instructor set the tone for all students by saying you will see at least 3 vaginal deliveries period...so get in there. The nursing staff also sounded very supportive of this and also set the tone with patients by introducing him and saying he would be working with them. If there was any hesitancy by patients he didn't mention it. After reading this thread, I'm grateful his rotation was so positive.

Amen to what the OP said. Just get through OB alive. If your peds class is with your ob talk to your instructoer about the bad experince then ask to go to the NICU peds ICU for your peds rotation thats what i did and it was great.

I am not saying dont try and learn form your OB experince, but i am no crusader to end gender bias. I dont belive guys belong on an OB floor, woman handled this for 1000+ years befor some male doc stuck his nose in and as far as i am concered they shouold have left it for the midwives.

Just finished my OB rotation and I actually enjoyed it!! I did the exact same stuff as the gals!! I was dreading it, hearing how some guys get treated. But it turned out to be a great time. Are you going to find me in a labor/deliver unit or postpartum, not on your life,lol but ti was a good experience. All I have to say, it is good to be a guy!! Women can have the experience,lol

hi, I'm a male graduating nursing student and at the same time I'm a registered midwife. The only thing Ihate about being in the OB ward is the smell. I hate the LOCHIA's smell,hehe

Wow. You're a rarity. Are you in the US?

I'm here in the Philippines. I'll be graduating this MArch 28 and soon will take the licensure exam for nurses this june

My experience was positive.

I was observing outpatient surgery for a day. Not OB. the surgical nurse informed me that there would be a c-section on OB.
the anesthesiologist escorted me to the surgery with him. I introduced myself to the mother and asked if it was alright for me to observe.

she was fine with it. her mother was with her. It probably would've been different if she brought the father, or if it weren't her 3rd child (2nd c. section)

Amazing experience.

Finished the OB rotation today. I actually enjoyed it a lot although it was often boring for the students, standing around waiting for nature and pitocin to take its course. We weren't really allowed to do much except stand and watch. I think if I were a female though it would be a pretty good place to work as the nurses were plenty busy and being a specialty center you never knew what would roll in the door next.

What I was most afraid of is not being welcome in the rooms, but I don't think there were any problems with any of the four guys in our clinical group being in the rooms.

We had three excellent instructors and they made sure all of us saw at least one vaginal and one C-section birth. We had 5 days in Labor and Delivery and 2 days in Post-partum.