midwife's muse

Gulp

Amy has just caused me to age by at least 5 years and allowed me to experience an adrenaline rush like none I have experienced in a long time, possibly since my son, then aged 3, nearly drowned in a swimming pool on holiday. Anyway, back to this morning. There we were, in my bedroom. I was sorting out the washing and she was toddling around being Amy, picking up the phone, playing with Hubby's mandolin, putting anything she could find in the bin, when she started heaving. Now Jack has had a nasty bug the last few days, very high temperature and during Mothering Sunday lunch, vomiting. Amy has now developed this virus so my first assumption was that she was about to be sick. I quickly carried her into the babies room where there are the change bowl and numerous towelling nappies, didn't fancy stomach contents in my bedroom and it was then that I realised that there was something strange, she was choking and heaving, I could see nothing in her mouth and couldn't think of anything in my room that would get stuck in her throat. Ideas about what could be making her do this were flying at warp speed through my brain, especially since my judgement was clouded by her currently having an aggressive bug. Nothing to lose I flung her over my arm and whacked her back, and out flew a one pence piece. Panic over. The whole episode probably lasted about 90 seconds but the absolute fear produced in that time had me shaking for a good 15 minutes. Madam was fine immediately, she even had the cheek to try and reclaim the coin. Chalk that one up to experience, I have always believed that anything up to a 2p was fine for them to swallow, it's obviously not true.

My orientation at work is continuing, I could get to like this. It is rather like being a student again, no decision making, no driving, not really having to exercise 'responsibility' at all. Covered a clinic, all fairly routine, loads of information giving, perineal massage featured quite heavily as most of the women were around 34 weeks pregnant, and for one poor woman who had attended A&E over the weekend because it 'felt as if something was falling out' and had been told it was a prolapse, a quick reminder about pelvic floor exercises. The doc, a gynae SHO, who saw her in A&E just told her his diagnosis, did not give her any advice, did not seek an opinion from a superior and did not think that she may need to be seen in the clinic, as a result she was terrified about what may happen. Well done to that doctor, I look forward to meeting him.

21.3.07 18:47