MamaMadge ADN, BSN

Nope! Started in Mother Baby, then within a few months cross trained to L & D. Almost 14 years later and no regrets! If L & D is your goal, full speed ahead!!

I am 56 and have been a L&D nurse for almost 14 years. I am considering a change as well but I'm still hanging in there. I work part time in a busy L&D and have at least 9 years until retirement!!

Just collecting info. How much time did you have to orient to L & D? Does it vary if you are a new RN or experienced but new to L & D? Did you have classroom time and floor orientation? Thanks for any input!!

When I sat on an interview panel for new candidates for our department, I really wanted to hear that someone was passionate about Labor and Delivery. It is a tough job, it can be like an ER sometimes, you can get yelled at, pinched and scratched. Y...

If she was having serial ultrasounds for multiple gestation, and the provider was aware of such a big discrepancy in size, they should have induced her before the discrepancy became that dramatic. Sounds a little fishy to me too!

If you can find the head (or presenting part) slide your fingers around until you find a circular ridge. If you can't get your finger inside at all, she is closed. If you can't find it, slide it behind the baby's head where you will find a posterio...

If you can find the head (or presenting part) slide your fingers around until you find a circular ridge. If you can't get your finger inside at all, she is closed. If you can't find it, slide it behind the baby's head where you will find a posterio...

I agree 100% with the side lying, head flat, top leg up for turning an OP/OT baby. As far as laboring down, FANTASTIC! The only thing I see occasionally is, if in high fowlers sometimes the cervix can become edematous. I like side-lying for labori...

I work for a small hospital and we do not have docs or anesthesia in-house. Yes, it can be challenging, but all of our docs live close by and in an emergency, we can have a doc and CRNA there within a few minutes. Conversely, we have had nurses who...

I have 6 years experience and started at $40.00/hr night shift. I now make $52.00/hr base plus night shift diff. of $6.00/hr. I work in a small town one hour north of San Francisco. The cost of living is very high. Median home prices are around $...

Fentanyl IV push, 100 mcg. q 1 hour up to a max. of 6 doses in 24 hours. We push is very slowly, like over 3-5 min. Some RN push it over 3 contractions but I think that could take too long. I agree that it doesn't work all that well if they are re...

Alianeco, I completely agree with you! The atmosphere at night is wonderful! No managers, no doctors hanging around, no meal trays! Heaven! I had a really tough time adjusting to nights at first. I could not sleep during the day! I finally have ...

I have also experienced vaginal birth (twins born vaginally) and a c-section. I would take that vaginal birth over and over rather than try to recover from major abdominal surgery while caring for a newborn! OUCH! Having your belly cut is never mo...

Hi everyone, I just got back from a 2 day Conference on EFM by Lisa Miller, CNM, JD. She had lot's of info. on Pitocin management. She said everyone who is administering Pitocin should thoroughly read the ACOG Practice Bulletin called "Dystocia an...

I delivered my twins vaginally 18 years ago, Twin A Vertex and Twin B frank breech. It was successful and my beautiful girls are now beautiful young women.

I had a multip the other night that went from 6 to complete in about 15 minutes and pushed once. Thank goodness the CNM was in house!! It happens and you shouldn't feel bad about it....what a nice easy birth for the moms!! GOOD JOB!

Presla, great idea on the internals...sometimes the patient is having lot's of contractions with insufficient montevideo units.

I just had one....the MD had us keep the patient flat on her back with an ice pack on. It went back up inside by the time her recovery was finished (2 hours). When she got up to the bathroom it was completely resolved. Fundal checks were done care...

The very tricky thing about a seemingly "dysfunctional" pattern with u/cs every 1-3 minutes is that sometimes there is coupling or trebling and increasing the pitocin will break that pattern. Once you break that pattern you will see that the u/cs ar...

TXMama, Thanks for sharing your stories! Your personal experiences will serve you well when you become an L & D nurse! I think once you have been doing this for a while, if you have to ask yourself "is this too much bleeding?" your instincts ar...

Starsgirl78, THank you so much for your story. I know it takes alot of courage to share such painful memories.

Definitely OB tech or OB intern is a great way to get your foot in the door. Also, do you speak any second languages? In No. California, we have a very diverse population, so being bilingual has always given me an advantage. I think enthusiasm and...

Clean gloves where I work too. During C-sec, surgeon places baby onto warmer on sterile crib blankets. We pass the wrapped baby to the nursery nurse.

rxbunnie, congrats on graduating and taking the NCLEX! Yes, I have heard people say that L & D isn't "real" nursing....they have obviously never been near a Maternal-Child unit! We deal with very sick women, trying to balance their well being ...

I am so lucky where I work. Our docs and midwives are great about coming in. I wouldn't wait to call when a multip is 8cm. They just seem to go so fast at that point. Most of our providers like to be called when a multip is about 7 or sooner if s...