Another client in labour!? Busy, busy!

[Natalieboo]

I have a multip due Sept 30th and she called me this a.m. saying she thought she was in real labour. Contrax were not regular, but she had a doc appt later in the afternoon and was sent to the hospital for high bloodpressure. She is 2 cm dialated, baby not engaged.

She delivered her 1st baby 1 month early and her 2nd 2 months early.. so being pregnant this long, she has set a new personal record

Anyways, she will be delivering at a hospital I have never attended a birth at. She went in tonight for a non stress test and blood work, and was able to leave with normal blood pressure. However, she said a nurse told her she bets she will be in real labour tonight and she thinks if not then definately this weekend.

Is there anything I should know about a patient with off/on high blood pressure? What to expect and what is the point where they would induce, etc.? Also she has a huge history of false labour this pregnancy, and I can tell she is becoming really anxious. I have a sneaking feeling this won't happen for another week or so, how do I get her to calm down?

Ok sorry to ramble on, but I just love chatting with you guys and gals :)

[SmilingBluEyes]

Lots of info abound concerning pregnancy induced high blood pressure and preeclampsia. I would just take it one step at a time and see what is going on w/this patient before I jumped ahead of myself here. An isolated high blood pressure reading may be just that; and it can vary by position and environment. I have seen many patients referred to us w/ high b/p in the office who once I settled down and dimmed the lights and provided aquiet environment, do fine. It is a whole-picture concept. The b/p is usually accompanied by other symptoms and signs to be a diagnosed a problem. One step at a time. Good luck!

[Natalieboo]

Well her water broke this morning and she went to the hospital. They called me and she was only have sporadic contractions, so I told them I would meet them there in an hour. Well, she had the baby 5 min before I got there! AMAZING!! She was 2cm upon admission and in an hour had the babe. She said a nurse almost delivered, people were hitting emergency buttons and running around like crazy. One push to pop that babe out! I'm so upset I wasn't there, but now I know for multips to be there before they get there LOL! she said the labour was "fast and furious" :chuckle

[SmilingBluEyes]

Well even for a multip,that is purty fast. looks like you had not a choice in the matter. sorry for your disappointment. there will be many others, hon.

[mother/babyRN, RN]

Hey, here is something. Not too long ago had an ante partum term pt who developed a HA. Vs were stable and she was afebrile. No s/s of toxemia etc...I go home. Return to discover this pt had gone home that morning but had returned with a splitting ha..PIH labs were drawn and were normal. She was ruled out for everything, and they did a spinal tap just because they ran out of tests and all the other ones were normal. Guess what, she had viral meningits! Natalie, question. What happens if you have more than one patient in labor. Can you be a doula to both? How does that work?

[Natalieboo]

mother/babyRN -

Hi! Right now to avoid having two in labour I do my best to schedule clients more than 2 weeks apart from each other. Right now it's working out to about one client per month. The closest "call" I've had is a client due June 28th and then one due the first week of july. well, the first client ended up having baby 1 day before her due date, and the one due in july ended up going a week overdue.

Right now I don't have another one due until Oct 18th. I'm going to visit family from Sept 17 - Oct 1. She's a primip so I'm really hoping she doesn't go early!! However, I have a list of volunteer "back up" doulas that I can call if the mother wants. I ask them ahead of time if they would want me to find them a doula if I can't make it.