in all fairness, i almost entitled this " hysterical daddies", but realized that, though that is largely the scope of hysterical phone calls regarding people in labor in my experience, it doesn't , in all fairness apply to everyone or to all patients. that said, i just felt i had to share....other night ( and by the way, this is my fifth night in a row, one off and 4 on, so i am a little loopy and confused.:) ), i am at work and we have just ( thank goodness) transferred out 39 week twin multip mom with ruptured membranes. received another pt at the same time and couldn't find a doc. also had one nurse on call who was at home at the time..get through that mess, even calling the er to alert them to the fact that this was going to happen so they wouldn't be even more shell shocked than they were bound to be. doc located, twin family to specialty institution , call nurse in and some calm, until i answer the phone. hysterical dad on the other end insisting wife in labor . calm down i gently try to say. what???? she is in pain! ( i can hear her screaming). how far away i ask ( half an hour). has her water broken? how the hell should i know is the screamed reply. you know how it goes, sometimes it isn't as terrible as it sounds...what baby is this i continue. 6th! ok, now it is beginning to sound as bad as it sounds...i meekly ask, does she feel like pushing ( muffled sounds as he asks her) yes yes yes, i hear her scream. i sigh, then offer that they should put the phone down , and call the ambulance. he tells me he doesn't think so. she is more comfortable coming to us. i tell him even if they chose not to call an ambulance, they should go to a hospital which i know is only 5 minutes away. he tells me they will be coming to our facility and hangs up....i cannot believe it. i again call the overstressed er ( sorry cathy and all you er folk, you know how you hate maternity patients :) )...anyway, i also had the presence of mind to call admitting to generate some paper work because you just know they aren't stopping there.......set a table, get everyone mobilized and.....no patient. about 15 minutes later i get a call from the mother of the patient, who called her from somewhere on the highway where she was stuck with worsening contractions behind,of all things, an overturned truck. her question to me "what are you going to do about it?" i can hardly believe it and instruct her to call her daughter back and tell her to call 911 or have the hubby get out and grab ( well, not literally) a police person.....she says she isn't sure she can remember the cell phone number. i tell her i know that i don't know it....
finally the screaming mother and father to be arrive with the nervous state police and are rapidly assessed, settled and found to be, you guessed it, 4/c/0 and intact.....for goodness freaking sakes........and that was just part of my night....never boring in delivery for sure........just felt like sharing. would love to hear similar stories, or stories in general....
