Kiwi Ali

I'd love to have said this the other day ... "your wife came to see me to discuss her cholesterol results and CVD risk, I dont give a damn about yours and what statin you're on, SHUT THE F*CK UP so your wife can a word in edgewise and tell me HER story"

I like 12 hour nights because people are awake when you come on shift! I work part time in a samll rural hospital birthing unit. Yes and agree with the water, keep hydrated :-)

I live 2 hours north of Whangarei, which makes it my closest city. Personally I hate big cities and Whangarei is 'just right' in terms of size. I have worked and trained at Whg hospital, its the main hospital for northland, and is a great place to work. The delivery unit is always crying out for staff :) There is an attached postnatal/antenatal ward and a SCBU. Any complicated births get booked or transferred to Whg from the outer lying smaller, rural hospitals (like the one I work at).

In NZ, its definately out of the norm to be circumsized nowadays. Can't say when I last heard of a male infant having it done. I dont even know who does it here.

My birth mum comes over every year, and she usually brings cash and changes it here, I think she finds the exchange rate is lightly better, she usually looks at the exchange rate on the ANZ bank's website before coming. (anz.co.nz)

I work in a small rural hospital, primary care birhting unit only and a BFHI accredited ward. So there is NO nursery and pretty much all babies have skin-to-skin and are fed within the first 30mins-1hr. The first bath appears to be at the LMC discretion. One group do the bath after the skin-to-skin and neonatal check and another group dont bath at all until the next day. All babies room in 24/7 (with the occaisonal break out cuddling with staff if a baby is fussing and mum is absolutely knackered!). We also have a high breastfeeding rate with only a few choosing formula from the word go. Our birth rate is only 184 in the last year out of nearly 300 admissions, with 46 transferred to secondary care and the rest transferred back for PN care.

Cool Might catch up with you at an inservice sometime all going well. Ali

Hi Sharron, I believe SCBU is staffed seperately, and mostly by RN's. I also know that at present Whangarei are desperate for midwives! Here is the email for Lynn Wardlaw who comes to Kaitaia for maternity meetings and may be the one to talk to about vacancies .. [email protected] otherwise try this page http://www.northlanddhb.org.nz/careers/ I'm not sure about nurseries (we call them daycare) in Whangarei, but I am sure there will some good ones, you may be able to ask Lynn for help with that. I hope that helps some :-) Ali

My now 19 yr old was born by caesar for foetal distress and they cut her ear, she had three stitches, can hardly see the scar today.

Alot of women use water for pain relief, either a spa bath, shower or the birthing pool. LMC is Lead Maternity Carer, the midwife who sees them thru pregnancy, labour, birth and to six weeks post partum.

I think all my three had formula in hospital, that was in the days when hospitals just did it. Now their has to be a medical reason to supplement and consent must be signed by the parents. However, when we got home, not one of my three would take a bottle in any way shape or form, no matter what it had in it. They all weaned straight from breast to sipper cup. Our policy here is breast within an hour of birth and I've seen some midwives hurry it up if theres a bit of active bleeding happening too. (ecbolics aren't routinely given here, they are discussed and consented for and usually only given if too much blood for the midwives comfort zone, or a long drawn out labour/2nd stage)

Hi, I'm from NZ, can you tell me what WIC is?? Thx

oh yeah and no formula is ever given without informed signed consent for 'medical' reasons. If mum wants to AF then she brings her own formula and bottles.

We do things a bit differently here - we've been accredited with the BFHI (Baby Friendly Hospital Inititative). Babes are skin-to-skinned at birth, fed within first hour (not many that dont) and then 'room in' 24/7. There is no nursery! Even in our bigger hospital, post caesar, they are put to breast in recovery room. (unless of course the babe or mum aren't up to it)

I should add, a midwife working shifts on Delivery Suite in our larger hospital (the one where our non-normal births go to) would also care for an referred inductions, and probably for the emergency caesars too. They can call in the obstetrician and peadiatrician as required also. We refer to them as a secondary facility. Their cut off date for deliveriers is 32 weeks, any younger go to a larger hospital again. The secondary facility has a SCBU (Special Care Baby Unit) for prem or sick neonates. If we need to send a babe out at birth, we call for the helimed and usually a nurse from SCBU and a paed will fly north to us to retrieve the babe. Same goes for a woman who may get transferred via helimed, they either send a midwife with the flight team, or the LMC will accompany the woman. If going by road in the back of an ambulance, then the LMC goes too (2 to 2 1/2 hour trip).

Hi, yes, LMC is a Registered Midwife, usually an independant midwife or working with partners in a collective group. None here work for the hospital, in the bigger areas they do, they can be 'core' midwives who see from antenatal to six weeks post partum or ones who work rostered shifts in Delivery Suite for those 'just in case' mums who turn up with no care throughout pregnancy. Gas is entonox (nitrous oxide mixed with oxygen), Pethidine is an opioid, sorry, not sure what you know it as. Its different to morphine.

Gotta love 'google' lol ... Cabbage Compresses Published studies and anecdotal reports recommend using the leaves from the common cabbage, as a compress to reduce swelling and milk production. References to cabbage for drying milk date back to the late 1800ís. The natural ingredients in cabbage decrease tissue congestion by improving the blood flow in the area. Herbalists believe that cabbage has both antibiotic and anti irritant properties. Cabbage is not recommended for individuals allergic to sulfa or cabbage, or if the skin is broken (i.e., cracked, bleeding or blistered nipples). http://hometown.aol.com/davisrnclc/myhomepage/dryup.htm ... http://hometown.aol.com/davisrnclc/myhomepage/cabbagecure.htm

The outside green cabbage leaves, fresh from the fridge. Does work :-) And not pumping, or expressing any - what you use, you will remake!

Hi, I'm an RN, i work permanent 12 hr nights in a birthing unit at a small rural hospital. There is one of us on duty at a time :-). We can assist the LMC (lead maternity carer) in labour and delivery, as she directs. We are mainly here for postnatal care of well mums and bubs. Typically on this unit, in fact in a lot of hospitals in NZ, there are NO doctors at delivery. Most women choose to have an LMC during their pregnancy, and get all their A/N care from her, then they will meet up with said LMC at the hospital (or home) when birth is imminent. Anything other than a 'normal' pv delivery is transferred out. The occaisonal breech and twin birth has been delivered here. We (the LMC) can offer gas, pethidine or water for pain relief. We have two delivery beds, a birthing pool and 4 postnatal beds, plus a day bed for use when A/N's come in for monitoring or assessment, and this bed can also be utilised if ward fills up.

definitions: of a nappy: super duper pooper scooper of a bra: over the shoulder boulder holder of agony: a flea sliding down a razor blade using its b***s for brakes of impossible: a fly trying to wipe an elephants backside with a piece of confetti I remebered those from when I was a kid :rotfl: Ali

Hi, I can't tell you too much as I live up in Northland, but I lived in the Waikato as a kid (Huntly). I know there is a major hospital in Hamilton City, which is a lovely city. The climate is nice - cold and frosty in winter, warm and sunny in summer, lots of green grassy areas and farmland in the Waikato. There are smaller hospitals in some of the outlying towns also, such as Matamata. Its a nice place, close the beaches on the east coast, nice roads, close to the ski fields and touristy holiday areas too. Heres a couple of websites for you ... http://www.waikatodhb.govt.nz/ http://www.nzs.com/region/waikato/hamilton/health/hospitals/ Hope that helps a little, hope you get some good reply's. Ali :-)

Well, thats a big question with a wide range of answers. There are probably thousands of schools in the north island. It depends whether you are talking primary or secondary. What ages are your boys? Are you looking at hospital or private nursing? Do you want an coastal area, rural area or city area? If you give some more info, we may be able to help. Also are you talking private or public schools? Thx Ali

Hi, As NP is new here, I'm not that up to date, but I believe from what I've read, that prescribing is related only to your area. For instance, in my town, there is an NP who travels in a mobile clinic, and her prescribing is limited to aged care and child family health. I think the pay rates will be above the senior scoping rates for hospital RN's - above $65000, I think I read somewhere around $80000 PA. Have a look at the NZNO website, as they have been negotiating wages for hospital RN's for the last 2 years, and have just won a Fair Pay contract nationwide. Alison

Pay rates from 1-7-05: (per annum) divide by 2086 for hourly rate. Step 1 - 37000 (new grad) Step 2 - 41200 Step 3 - 44000 Step 4 - 46180 Step 5 - 50000 Nurses scoped as senior (Clinical Nurse Educators, Charge Nurses, Specialist nurses) will be on higher than Step 5. (up to $65000 I believe) And if you do a PDRP (Professional Development Recognition Portfolio) at Proficient or Expert level you get $2500 or $4000 respectively on top of your base salary. Hope that helps :-) Alison

Hi Darrin, There is a government 'social welfare' type pension available to all NZ'ers (and if british, you receive the british one with a top-up from the NZ one - or at least my Dad does). The governments are looking at Bill's to pass that will make compulsory savings for pension schemes, and I think the NZNO (nurses union) is looking at something similar being re-instated throughout District Health Boards, as part of the new MECA negotiations for Fair Pay (Multi-Employer Contract Agreements). Hope that answers your questions :-) Alison