Had to share with others who have been here too. I had a 21 week primip 36 year old. Cerclage pt last week. Came in, turns out membranes ruptured. The doppler had excellent heart rate, but she had quite a bit of fluids leaking. I then went to do the next doppler of my shift and found....nothing. MD was there at 0100 am for another delivery, so we did us and baby had passed. I had this pt 2 days in a row, and held her hand and prayed with her, as her husband was out of town and our weather kept him away. When I left that night, we had just given her the cytotek. I had a meeting the next day, so I stopped in to say hello to them. I could tell they appreciated it.(FOB was there by the time she delivered) As I went to leave her room, she told me good luck and best wishes, as my wife is 25 wks at this time. I truly do not cry often, and I've had my share of demise pts, but It just hit me. Anyway, I was just thinking that we have a rare and awesome job among healthcare workers in that we can be in a delivery room welcoming life into the world one minute, and the next be seeing an ultrasound that shows another life never will be welcomed.
Sorry to drone on. I guess there still isn't much point to this entry, just needed to tell this. Thanks if you've made it this far!
One of the saddest situations I have ever seen was a premature 21 week birth.The lady was delivering with bulging membranes. The amniotic sac was intact and coming out. The baby was devlivering feet first,and you could see the litte feet in the sac. The baby had no idea he was being born and was just kicking and moving.Vibrant and very alive.His birth was his little perfect death.It still makes me sad to this day. He didn't know.We seldom know.
I had the exact same situation a few weeks ago...down to the gestational age, feet first, all that etc, etc. I had just found out the week before that I am pregnant again, so needless to say, it was a highly emotional day for us all.
To the OP, I hate it when these things happen, but kudos to you for taking great care of her. She will always remember the compassion and care that you gave her. One bright spot in an otherwise horrible time in her life.
Specializes in Emergency Nursing, CPEN, Pediatrics, Obstetric.
OP here, and just wanted to say thanks for looking at my posts. This was the saddest, but there were several others over my short OB career so far, and all seem to get to me, but we all know we have to put that mother first, so we do as we are taught-not as nurses but human beings. They can teach anyone to check cervixes(is that a word?) or how to do so and so, but we that feel good in this field and those who are good with patients seem to have that inner desire to put others first. You see it all the time, which nurses are there for what reasons. Anyway, my first IUFD was a 39wk primip, diabetic acidosis, was in ICU 3 days before being induced. This is the maddest I've been, and not at the mother, who may or may not have brought this on herself(who cares at this point). No, during delivery, the Dr., instead of handing the baby to me to wrap and give to mom, tossed(and I mean tosed) the baby into the waterbasin.:angryfire:uhoh3: I'll never forget the look of the poor babies body just sprawled into the basin. Then, as if he hadn't done enough, he:devil: tells the mother in front of all of her family(who probably didn't know the whole story) "Sorry about the outcome, but I'm really sorry we couldn't impress upon you the importance of what we were trying to do." Then he threw his gown down and stomped out. He lost two patients that day, the baby, and the mom who wouldn't even let him round on her the next day. And, the other nurse with me actually defended all his actions!
I've never been more horrified of the medical profession. If I ever get that way, God help me!
That is disgusting. At my facility the OR scrubs C-sections. I work in the OR, FWIW. I was called in for a full term IUFD placental abruption, 3 prior sections, mom contracting. Doctor handled baby same as all of our other sections, baby was cleaned and given to dad to hold, doctor (and staff) prayed with the family. There were tears. And that is the routine were I work....I am not sure that I would be able to tolerate it any other way. If you can't be respectful of those with no voice and their families, how can you be in this line of work?
Anyway, my first IUFD was a 39wk primip, diabetic acidosis, was in ICU 3 days before being induced. This is the maddest I've been, and not at the mother, who may or may not have brought this on herself(who cares at this point). No, during delivery, the Dr., instead of handing the baby to me to wrap and give to mom, tossed(and I mean tosed) the baby into the waterbasin.:angryfire:uhoh3: I'll never forget the look of the poor babies body just sprawled into the basin. Then, as if he hadn't done enough, he:devil: tells the mother in front of all of her family(who probably didn't know the whole story) "Sorry about the outcome, but I'm really sorry we couldn't impress upon you the importance of what we were trying to do." Then he threw his gown down and stomped out. He lost two patients that day, the baby, and the mom who wouldn't even let him round on her the next day. And, the other nurse with me actually defended all his actions! I've never been more horrified of the medical profession. If I ever get that way, God help me!
Oh dear God. If I ever saw that happen & could actually pry my lower lip off the floor, I just might be tempted to ream that MD a new one, my job and my license be damned.
I'm so sorry you had to watch that and completely share your anger.
Specializes in Emergency Nursing, CPEN, Pediatrics, Obstetric.
:)An update on the original post patient that caused me to have my most sad day. Last week I was called out of another labor to our front nursing sation. There stood the patient who had delivered the fetal demise through her circlage. She looked to be doing well, and had come up to tell us how much she appreciated our care. The whole ob department got a large box of assorted sweets, and a nice card. Then she gave me, personally, a larger box with cupcakes, and a personal card, thanking me in particular and wishng us luck on our first pregnancy. How selfless of her, and it had to be very very hard for her to come back to the place so soon after the devastating loss, and seeing the one person whose face she probably most associates with the tradgedy. It made me feel really good, and came on a day where I thought maybe my career wasn't quite as for me as I thought.(due to other reasons) It goes to show us how much we can give these patients, but in the end we get it back, in this case by her reaffirming for me that I am doing what I am supposed to do.
The doppler had excellent heart rate, but she had quite a bit of fluids leaking. I then went to do the next doppler of my shift and found....nothing.
MD was there at 0100 am for another delivery, so we did us and baby had passed. I had this pt 2 days in a row, and held her hand and prayed with her, as her husband was out of town and our weather kept him away. When I left that night, we had just given her the cytotek. I had a meeting the next day, so I stopped in to say hello to them. I could tell they appreciated it.(FOB was there by the time she delivered) As I went to leave her room, she told me good luck and best wishes, as my wife is 25 wks at this time. I truly do not cry often, and I've had my share of demise pts, but It just hit me. Anyway, I was just thinking that we have a rare and awesome job among healthcare workers in that we can be in a delivery room welcoming life into the world one minute, and the next be seeing an ultrasound that shows another life never will be welcomed. 
landonsles
165 Posts
I had the exact same situation a few weeks ago...down to the gestational age, feet first, all that etc, etc. I had just found out the week before that I am pregnant again, so needless to say, it was a highly emotional day for us all.
To the OP, I hate it when these things happen, but kudos to you for taking great care of her. She will always remember the compassion and care that you gave her. One bright spot in an otherwise horrible time in her life.