Had a fabulous week doing rural medicine. I got to see different things each day, and finally got to see two vaginal deliveries! This was exciting to me as I entered med school wanting to do obstetrics/gynecology or pediatrics mainly. Due to a negative teaching experience with obstetrics I didn’t return, and spent my time elsewhere in other specialties. So I thought that seeing some deliveries would help me determine whether or not I actually had ruled it out or not. I always find that things that I think will help me decide never really do. Like, “After this X I’ll know…” Be it a day, an elective, a couple week period…and I never do.
So I’ve learned interesting things from the delivery experiences and the labouring observations.
1. I’m not sure if I’d want an epidural or not. On one hand, it can make the experience more of a positive than negative experience. On the other, it delays labour by ~1 hr so would prolong it. I will have to compare more deliveries to see, and make that decision when contractions are experienced! (One day…far away)
2. Prenatal classes with the partner? Definitely.
3. Hopefully 2 will teach my partner to not say dumb things during labour. Encouragement and support, yes. Weird jokes during, no.
4. It’s a total complete mess of every single bodily fluid.
5. The baby looks dead when it comes out. Be warned. I discussed this with other students and we all were like, “Why did no one ever tell us this?” That’s why our faces are always shocked the first time. I also teared up.
