What's it like in maternity clinicals?

Wuzzie · Jan 5, 2018

It was so long ago for me that I can't speak to specifics. I just remember it was like Christmas every day because you know...babies!!! :dummy:

emmjayy, BSN, RN · Jan 5, 2018

It can be a little boring if nothing is going on. My first day of clinical on L&D there were no deliveries, just some moms in very early labor. I watched the strips at the nurse's station and correlated them to what we'd learned in class (figured out the fetal heart rate, assessed variability, monitored for early/late/variable decels, figured out duration and frequency of contractions). My instructor also had us go over our patient's charts with her one on one and look for things that we would flag as putting mom or baby at risk (GBS+ status, RH- mom, PROM, HIV status, level of prenatal care, results of glucose tolerance test, how close mom was to due date, etc.) It was actually nice to have a slow first day because it really helped to bring everything we'd learned in class forward with actual patients, but without the stress of doing that while monitoring a mom in active labor or doing newborn care.

My second day I got to see a C-section delivery of twins which was amazing! We did newborn care (injections, assessment, vitals) and monitored the babies and mom with the RN until they got transferred to the postpartum unit. It was really intense to be put in charge of making sure this baby didn't get too cold, was eating, was getting it's little heart rate/respiratory rate assessed every 15 minutes, etc. and felt like a much bigger responsibility than anything I'd ever done before. I really enjoyed it though. My second time around in L&D, I got to see a lady partsl birth and do newborn care again. Again, a huge privilege and responsibility to get to witness that and to be involved in such a big day for that family :)

BookishBelle · Jan 5, 2018

Wow!! I'm jumping in my skin! Can't wait!! Love love babies. Love their smell, their feel, their sounds... Thanks for the nice detailed response, emmjayy, and the reminder about the babies, Wuzzie! (I also love moms- such a pivotal time in their lives and want to help them through) can't help feeling that this is going to be much more fun than copd and dementia (in LTC last semester)

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jan 6, 2018

I found it to be boring, overall. We spent most of our time in post-partum and got one day each in the semester to rotate to L&D and one day in NICU. We also occasionally got to attend scheduled C-sections. I remember having to go in for an extra clinical on a Friday evening because there were no deliveries in my day to rotate to L&D.

BookishBelle · Jan 6, 2018

I found it to be boring, overall. We spent most of our time in post-partum and got one day each in the semester to rotate to L&D and one day in NICU. We also occasionally got to attend scheduled C-sections. I remember having to go in for an extra clinical on a Friday evening because there were no deliveries in my day to rotate to L&D.

yeah, I was wondering how much action I might get to see, but there is a full moon on my 5th clinical, so hoping! It's great they gave you the opportunity to come see a c-section at another time!

Ohm108, MSN, NP, CNM · Jan 6, 2018

Lots of fun. Full moon will bring in a lot of labors. Yes, there is no empirical information that specifically points to the fact that more births happen around the full moon but if the L&D floor at my hospital is any indication during full moon, there is some influence especially if you see how packed the hospital gets with births around that time.

BookishBelle · Jan 6, 2018

Lots of fun. Full moon will bring in a lot of labors. Yes, there is no empirical information that specifically points to the fact that more births happen around the full moon but if the L&D floor at my hospital is any indication during full moon, there is some influence especially if you see how packed the hospital gets with births around that time.

I so agree! My last two kids I noticed my labor started right around the full moon. I was lucky to get a room at the hospital- multiple women had beds in the hallway! I figure if the moon can affect the ocean tides it can probably affect other natural processes.

adventure_rn, MSN, NP · Jan 12, 2018

Lots of fun. Full moon will bring in a lot of labors. Yes, there is no empirical information that specifically points to the fact that more births happen around the full moon but if the L&D floor at my hospital is any indication during full moon, there is some influence especially if you see how packed the hospital gets with births around that time.

I don't know about full moons, but in the Southeast we used to see a lot of hurricane babies. Something about the barometric pressure changes...

Do Hurricanes Really Make Pregnant Women Go Into Labor? - The Atlantic

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Jan 12, 2018

My main takeaway from OB was that when a woman tells you the baby is coming, believe her, even if the doctor says it couldn't possibly be time.

NICUmiiki, DNP, NP · Jan 12, 2018

I remember it being gooey.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Jan 12, 2018

I don't know about full moons, but in the Southeast we used to see a lot of hurricane babies. Something about the barometric pressure changes...
Do Hurricanes Really Make Pregnant Women Go Into Labor? - The Atlantic

I was almost 2 weeks overdue with D2 when I went to my OB. He said "sorry, you haven't started dilating at all." I was heartbroken. That night a severe cold front came through and my water broke when I got up to go the bathroom. I was the first to come into the hospital that night in that situation, but by the next morning, the unit had so many women there that they were putting them on stretchers in the hallway! I was so grateful to have one of the luxurious birthing suites. The nurses said it was a common occurrence from lowered barometric pressure.