would anyone like to share their story of why chose to be OB nurse? (nursing studnet)

SmilingBluEyes · Jun 20, 2010

It all started when I had my son prematurely and he was born with a birth defect. I was terrified and so upset. The nurses were AMAZING and so KIND. They taught me how to breastfeed my preemie and respected my every concern and wish. I was a real pain I am sure, but they never showed it. They were nothing but kind and patient with me.

I thought; I want to influence others in the same way they did me. I kept that thought in my head til my son was 5 and then I became an OB nurse myself. I consider it a privilege to be part of their lives as their new families are being born.

It really is as simple as that, even 13 years later since I first stepped on the OB floor a new nurse.

klone, MSN, RN · Jun 20, 2010

After my first son was born 12 years ago, I joined La Leche League for breastfeeding support. I knew immediately that I wanted to help other women with breastfeeding. When he was a year old, I became a LLL Leader, and knew that I wanted to become a board-certified lactation consultant. Going to nursing school was the quickest route to doing that, so I decided to enter nursing school. At the time, I really didn't have any interest in being an RN, just lactation. While in nursing school, I fell in love with nursing as a profession, and anything birth-, baby- and breastfeeding-related was something that fascinated me. I got an externship in the OB department during my last year of nursing school, and I've been an OB nurse ever since.

The irony is that I consider myself primarily a labor nurse. As a labor nurse, I don't actually utilize my IBCLC certification that much. I could do more postpartum and couplet care so that I can work with moms more with breastfeeding, but I would rather do labor. The hospital I work at just posted a job opening for a fulltime lactation consultant, and people have asked if I'm going to apply. Nope, I'm a labor nurse!

laina chow · Jun 21, 2010

wow that so cool~~ I always want to help with the babies that are born with birth defect!!! I believe they need more love and care !!

GaLara · Jun 21, 2010

I'm just beginning school for my RN but eventually I would like to be a Cert. Nurse Midwife.

I have 2 kids. My first was delivered by a doctor (great Gyno, not a great delivery doc). She barely made it in the room in time to 'catch' and cut me with NO pain meds (I was au natural) bc she assumed that I had an epidural like everyone else. (Possibly the worst experience of my life, until I held my baby)

My 2nd was with a Nurse Midwife. I saw 2 Midwives and a few docs for my prenatal visits and was lucky enough to have the Midwife on call when I delivered. She LISITENED to me when I said I delivered fast, she STAYED CLOSE, TALKED to the other nurses with respect, and they RESPONDED to her. She was amazing!!! The two deliveries were night and day and I was really inspired by her! I have always been fascinated by pregnancy and I hope to one day help other women!

scarlettrose · Jun 21, 2010

I don't have any nursing experience as an OB nurse since I'm not even in nursing school yet (1 year until I will be), but I'm currently volunteering at the hospital and have been for many years. The last few years I've been in the labor and delivery department, and I love it so much there. I wish I could get more hands on experience, but I know I'll get that while I am in nursing school. I just love being there for the mothers, especially since they're nervous/scared. Labor and delivery is a very dramatic department. It can be happy because you're bringing a new life into the world and it can be sad if there are complications (such as the child dying or mother dying during delivery or if the mother had used drugs during the pregnancy). As crazy as it gets it's just amazing to me. It makes me feel great at the end of the day when I could be there personally for that family.

SmilingBluEyes · Jun 21, 2010

wow that so cool~~ I always want to help with the babies that are born with birth defect!!! I believe they need more love and care !!

Well here is a personal point of view for you: Having "been there" (as parent of a preemie child with a birth defect and a nurse of 13 years' duration): I would say, the FAMILY are the ones on whom you focus much, if not MOST---- of your nursing care ----in the days immediately after the birth of a baby with birth defects, premature or deceased. Trust me. It's not all that "cool"....it can suck you dry and it's very tough for all parties concerned. You will have to dig deep to be there for distraught family members in such encounters and you will go home physically and mentally exhausted.

NurseNora, BSN, RN · Jun 27, 2010

My story is a little different. I have no children because I never wanted any. I don't like kids and I find that I even prefer fetuses to babies.

From the time I was a very little girl, I never wanted to be anything but a nurse. I hadn't thought about what kind of nurse but when I was in nursing school, I did not expect to like OB or Peds. I was right about Peds, but I was surprised as all get out when I was present for my first delivery and suddenly knew that was what I was going to do for the rest of my life. It somehow felt like I'd come home. It's hard to describe, but 40 some years later, I'm still in awe of the miracle of birth. I still don't like kids and I'm not that fond of babies; if my coworkers see me rocking a baby, they talk about it for days. But being present for their birth, helping a woman find strength inside herself that she never knew she had, helping the baby latch on for the first time, helping the parents and baby get to know each other--I love it. I retired for a while and missed it so much I went back to work (part time).

edisongirl25 · Jul 3, 2010

My mom says I started talking about being an L&D nurse when I was 4....though I didn't call it that. I just wanted to help deliver babies. As I grew up, I bounced around with what I wanted to do, but always went back to L&D RN. When I was in high school, I participated in a health careers camp that took us on a tour of a labor unit and I fell totally head over hills in love. Several years and 2 kids later, I entered nursing school with the plan to work on an L&D unit right out of school....med/surg just wasnt interesting to me. Unfortunately, it's not always easy b/c nurses who love L&D really really love it and don't leave. I needed to work, but there were no openings, so I applied to a med/surg unit. I didn't get the opportunity to follow my dream until 3 years after I obtained my RN license....just a couple of months ago. I can't even put it into words how it is for me after all these years. Don't get me wrong...things are tough.....they can change in a millisecond and when things in L&D go bad, they go REAL bad really quick....but I love it! It's a lot of work and a whole lot of charting and sometimes I don't get to eat....but I love every minute of it.

Jamesdotter · Jul 15, 2010

I didn't even consider OB until I applied to work at a small (less than 100 beds) hospital and that was where the opening was. I discovered that I loved it and continued to work at that hospital and then a couple of others , all in OB, until I retired.

cheesewhiz, LPN · Jul 21, 2010

14 months ago, I gave birth to my daughter. I knew immediately afterwards that I just had to be a part of the whole OB process. I am passionate about children, women's health, and breastfeeding. I graduated with my BS in May, but am no longer interested in working in the field of my degree. I now have my heart set on something else. I am currently taking anatomy so I can apply to the RN program. I even got hired at the hospital upon graduation, and they will pay for my nursing classes.