7.00am
We start the day by doing a handover with night staff and discuss who is in labour. Next duty is to check on women and babies on the ward. If partners are there we have a chat and help them assist in care of the baby. We have lots of the dad's stay overnight in the room with mum and bub. We then supervise feeds if need (each feed is different) and administer pain relief. We are constantly giving new parents any information that need.
8.00am
Breakfast is served. Most of our mums never eat on time because their babies are feeding at this time (we joke that this is an inbuilt mechanisms, and mums can relate).
10.00am
Time to complete observations on mum and bub.
12.00pm
Lunch time. We get a call from an outpatient (who has rang their Obstetrician, but they are out of town), they come up to the hospital for monitoring and to check on the babies well being. We can tell a lot from a babies heart rate, we like to see active babies on the monitor.
1.00pm to 3.00pm
Rest time. We encourage our mums to rest and relax while there is no visitors. And we have some lunch.
2.30pm
Afternoon shift midwives start (handover).
3.00pm
Visiting hours are open again so lots of visitors. We have a lady who comes into hospital in labour so we admit her to a room to assess if she is in early or active labour. It’s active! We transfer her to the birthing suite and from that point on I stay with her and give her the one on one care - monitoring her and the bubs wellbeing and her labour progresses.
Our patient in labour is progressing quickly, but there has been a few drops on baby's heart rate so we call the obstetrician in. I check with my senior manager that I can stay on as I've built good rapport with her and her partner. It's such a privilege to be with a couple in labour.
5.00pm
Meanwhile on the ward the babies have had another feed and mums have dinner.
6.00pm
Things are progressing well with our patient in labour, she is fully dilated and wanting to push.
6.40pm
A healthy boy arrives weighing in at 3.4 kilos. Everyone is excited .
I knock off and the afternoon staff weigh and check bub and administrator immunisation.
I have been a midwife for 30 years. Each time is just as amazing as the first time I delivered a baby. The emotion involved. And the miracle of a baby adaption to the outside environment.
