A neat little childbirth story. =)

Hi all. I don't know if this post really belongs in this forum, but it is a story about nursing (nursing school, particularly) and it's a cute, uplifting story (well okay, I don't know if I should have used the word CUTE ), so here ya go...

On November 18th, 2002, at around 12:30 am, my water broke. So I gathered up my husband and my belongings and headed to the hospital. Needless to say, I was excited. I had been waiting for this moment for what seemed like forever.

Once at the hospital, I was given my antibiotic (I was GBS positive) and then my pitocin was started sometime later because, though my water had broke I still was not in active labor. Soon however I started to have contractions that over time became stronger and stronger, but my baby refused to DROP. As my contractions became stronger and the hours passed, I was still only 3 centimeters dilated. Around 1:30-2pm I finally received an epidural (I had wanted to try to go without one), and at around 3:00, my doctor informed that since my water had broke so long ago, and since it really didn't look like the baby was going to come down the canal... she was going to have to do a c-section.

Well, around that same time... who should begin to arrive on the OB unit.. but my fellow nursing students.

I was going to have my baby in the middle of my OB clinical!! Actually, what was supposed to be my last night of OB clinical. And where was I supposed to be spending that particular evening? You guessed it! Doing my rotation in labor and delivery!

My classmates ALL wanted to be in the C-section room with me, but only two of them would be allowed in. So my friends Jennifer and Beth were able to help with the C-section (Beth was ALREADY an OB tech, so she knew what she was doing!). When it was over and I was wheeled into the recovery room, the two girls got me all cleaned up. So, they got to see a LOT of me! Do you think I cared? No. I was slightly doped up. :hatparty:

Meanwhile, some of my other classmates were helping to care for my new little girl. She was COATED in vernix, so it took them a long time to get her cleaned up! Then once she was cleaned up, my friend Tess put a little bow in her hair and took her picture.

After I was taken to my patient room... the rest of the evening is pretty much a blur, until that night when my little girl cried ALL night long. I tried to breastfeed and had a very hard time getting her to latch on.

I received an A for that clinical night. :Melody: And just think; my classmates were doing careplans based on ME, and my baby. It was a very neat experience and I love sharing it with my friends, and I can't wait to tell my little girl about it, when she gets older.