#TRUE STORY#
...This happened during one of my night shifts,,I heard a shout, nurse I am in labour!! I jumped up, assisted her to the labour ward and did the usual physical examination.
My patient was a young primigravida(pregnant for the first time),who seemed nervous about delivery.I did all I could to alley anxiety, she was doing fine. Labour was progressing as contractions were effective and cervix dilating adequately.
I was the only midwife in the facility and i had no reason to worry...'I can always handle it,the labour is progressing normally,i have always done this on my own' I thought to myself..I heard a sound of gushing water and that snapped me out of my thoughts..The membrane just ruptured,the amniotic fluid was clear and the head visible.. I commenced conducting delivery, the head was born, no need for episiotomy('cut'),as the baby wasn't too big.
Quickly checking the neck, the cord was double weaved round it, i unwove the cord and the shoulders were born with the rest of the body following. Alas! It was a female baby,3.5kg. Now I had to deliver the placenta,i applied traction on the cord gently, The placenta wasn't forth coming, the clock was ticking,, I applied pressure on the fundus of the uterus(womb),yet there was no improvement .30minuites,45 minutes ,something must be wrong. But I did everything right, I gave oxytocin 10iu, the uterus was well contracted... why the delay?.i quickly did a vagina examination.
To my greatest surprise, the cervix had closed! You can imagine the look on my face.
Now, the cervix is the 'neck' of the uterus ( womb) and has to 'open up' to allow the baby pass including the placenta but this one had closed too soon, sooner than expected and wasn't soft anymore.. I had to remove the placenta manually, this I have never done before, haven't seen it done either but I had 'theoretical' knowledge. It was very late at night, my officer in charge wasn't around, her number was switched off. I panicked.
I summoned courage, said a little prayer, put my fingers in, following the cord. The cervix admitted just a finger tip, after sometime two fingers, then three, four and five.. my fingers hurt as it was tight, so tight I couldn't move the fingers let alone locate the placenta..my back ached, I was determined not to let go.I was about giving up when my fingers started moving freely, Yes! I was in the uterus now. I gently located the placenta. oh! it was loosely attached to the wall of the uterus.. it didn't detach spontaneously..gently I detached it had it in my palm and out it came complete! .. Thank God!.. I heaved a sigh of relief.
Moral of the story:
#Until you are pushed hard you may not know your ability.
#You can do whatever you set your mind to do.
#Don't give up too quickly, be determined, be courageous.
#With God, all things are possible.
#MY EXPERIENCE#
#TRUE STORY#