Maternity Class

Sour Lemon · Apr 9, 2018

Any other guys hate maternity class? I feel like an alien in there - like I don't know what's going on at all. I've got a solid B, but the whole thing is so uninteresting to me that I'm having trouble forcing myself to study for it now that the end of the semester is here. I guess I'm not really looking for advice, just wondering whether or not this is common. There aren't many guys in my class.
Ironically, my girlfriend (soon-to-fiance) is going to be an OB/GYN. lmao.

I'm female and absolutely hated OB. As a male at least you have the benefit of being potentially banned from births due to patients' gender preferences. I was not so lucky.

barcode120x, RN, NP · Apr 9, 2018

I did not care much for lecture. Mostly because I could not grasp the female reproductive anatomy and the cycle. I carried a 79% the entire class. I did enjoy clinical for maternity (though post-partum was boring). Was fortunate to see the regular V-birth as well as a C-section, tubal ligation, and an epidural. I had a really good clinical instructor and the clinical site, the nurses, and the patients were all welcoming towards me (being male and all). Funny thing is I think like 7 out of the 10 clinical students were us guys. We were very fortunate.

Ohm108, MSN, NP, CNM · Apr 15, 2018

I personally love all things maternity and am looking forward to my maternity rotation. I am most likely the minority in this as a dude but the female reproductive system is way more complex then it is for males. While postpartum is not as exciting as birth and L&D, it is actually an important time for both mom and baby where they receive education on lactation and danger signs for both mom and baby post discharge including post pregnancy depression and nutrition. I switched from being a birth doula to mostly a postpartum doula over the past year and a half and the new mothers with first time babies are the ones who welcome the information and the ones that need it the most especially the ones without outside support or are young first time mothers. We just have to prompt them with a few questions and some idea topics and the floodgates of questions, worries, and concerns will come pouring out. We in turn do our best to support them and help to address each concern that they have.

Postpartum is important for the health and long term well being of both mom and baby.

Medic_Murse, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Apr 18, 2018

Bruh! Maternity was the worst, I hated it so much, I ended up repeating it! Maternity and Peds were the two classes I did not want to take because I have no interest in either field. To poor salt on the wound, not only did I have to retake maternity, that meant two maternity clinicals...wait it gets better. Since the hospital I was assigned to didn't have a pediatric unit, I got to do maternity clinical a third time! Thankfully, I stuck it out and graduated, but man I never hated life more at that point.

labordude, BSN, RN · Apr 20, 2018

I'm female and absolutely hated OB. As a male at least you have the benefit of being potentially banned from births due to patients' gender preferences. I was not so lucky.

Fewer patients have gender preferences than you would think.

Source: I'm a dude that works in L&D, OB Emergency, and Lactation.

Silver_Rik, ASN, RN · Apr 28, 2018

I've liked clinical better than lecture. I'm exam average is 2 points under failing. Luckily we have quizzes and a teaching project to pick up some extra points. I'll still can't afford to fail either of my last two exams.

I'm the only male in my clinical group, and it hasn't been a problem at all. I understand it's touchy to share personal stuff with patients, but I told my first patient in L&D that I have children and have seen all of this a few times. It wouldn't have mattered, she was totally cool with whomever in the room. By the time the baby came there were 15 people in the room with her! The rest I just said "Hi, I'm so and so, I'm a nursing student at... do you mind if I (take care of you/observe/help/whatever?" Even one who didn't want any students in the room for her delivery was cool with me helping with postpartum care.

I agree, postpartum can be boring but I lucked out by getting a great mentor who took me around doing everything with her. Unlike my classmates who got 1 mom each, I had 4 including a newly arrived on the unit post C-Section and a post-hysterectomy. I looked at it like postpartum is really not that different from PACU. The typical acuity is not as high, but the same potential problems exist.

I regret that I had a chance to see an epidural and missed it, and haven't been able to observe a C-Section (2 classmates were selected to see one). We have one more clinical day - coming up this week. I'll be on newborn which everyone who's already done it has loved.

My wife says she could definitely see me working maternity. I feel like I need to get my grade up to a B at least.

GaCaneFan, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN, NP · Apr 30, 2018

Hated OB/GYN...Both times. First as RN in my OB rotation and then again in grad school but I had to learn it, didn't have a choice. So I got what I needed out of it and moved on...it is what it is.

longdistancehiker · Apr 30, 2018

Great to see I'm not alone! Haha. Our professor is great - she is one of my favorites out of all I've ever had - but it just doesn't interest me that much. Had the last clinical for it today, though, and the final on Thursday.

NorCalKid · May 6, 2018

Fewer patients have gender preferences than you would think.
Source: I'm a dude that works in L&D, OB Emergency, and Lactation.

I kinda felt like it was the significant others that had the problems more than the actual pts.

Silver_Rik, ASN, RN · May 7, 2018

I kinda felt like it was the significant others that had the problems more than the actual pts.

The only no-male patient in my OB clinical was like that. The father actually threatened violence if a male student was in the room.

As an aside when I worked LTC I had a woman who was no-male at her husband's insistence, and the husband was an equal opportunity groper.

bryanleo9 · Jul 1, 2018

I hated maternity in both LVN and RN clinicals. Expect to not be allowed to witness some births... sometimes the pregnant mom doesn't want you there, other times it's the husband/father. Just don't take it personal. Witnessing c sections won't be an issue in my experience but seeing birth the old fashioned way was. When the woman says "no students" she usually means no male student. I was able to witness a lady partsl birth by being polite and asking if it would be okay for me to be with you throughout all of this. Expect rejection, but push forward and change patients. It's very common for us men.