Day in the Life: Obstetrics

Happy Monday + welcome to another Medical Mondays and my fourth “Day in the Life” for residency–this time in Obstetrics!

Fun fact–when I was applying for residency programs/making my rank list, I was actually looking for unopposed programs because I thought it’d be cool to be able to do everything, but…I ended up falling in love with the most opposed program on my list (there are about 17 other residency programs here).

Part of what sold it for me was that they had a few residents interested in obstetrics who mentioned they had to compete with OB residents for deliveries, so…they moved our OB rotation to an entirely different + completely unopposed hospital.

If you’ve been here long enough, you probably know I have zero (more like negative) interest in childbirth/OB, but I can definitely appreciate that it’s evidence that they really do want us to be able to pursue/develop our interests!

Day in the Life: Obstetrics

obstetrics

There was apparently one physician who got super bent out of shape if a resident was sleeping in the call room he used once every few weeks, so I just opted for a couch in the lounge.

Clinic

My hours for this rotation were pretty chill! All my senior residents advised that if I had things to take care of, this was the rotation to get it done in. Clinic hours were technically from 8 am – 3:30 pm…

But…as luck would have it, I started here right as they were switching to a completely different EMR (electronic medical record) system. Two providers were ready to quit on day 1 of the change, and everyone kept apologizing to me about the low spirits/high frustration, saying that I was unfortunately there at a really difficult time. Although none of the patients were ever aware of this, there were tears and uncharacteristic swearing in the back rooms every other day and lots of delicious foods brought in for stress-eating purposes.

I absorbed all that I could from the “Go Live” team’s advice/suggestions, and before long, the midwives I worked with were super happy to have me there because I was like a stand-in mini-tech support for them. I unknowingly worked with the head midwife one day and she said super nice things about me to everyone at their debriefing meeting! :]!

wantedo2tank

My time in the clinic was mainly spent trying to pick up continuity patients for eventual delivery. I tried to pick patients between 34-38 weeks who were relatively uncomplicated, but I did end up getting several with a myriad of problems (health, social, or both).

I got a lot of practice with…

  • Measuring the fundal height
  • Using Leopold’s maneuvers to determine the position of the fetus
  • Getting the fetal heart rate with the ultrasound
  • Explaining the signs of pre-term labor
  • Counseling for depression :[

makingmilk

Hospital

My senior residents also highly suggested that I bring my computer for the hospital portion of the rotation, as there’d be lotsssss of waiting around (not unlike my OB rotation in med school)–aka ample time to get some studying/charting/whatever else I needed done. Hospital shifts were 7am – 7pm.

The long hours meant I had less time to spend with Muffin and Lord Snow when I was babysitting him, but I guess they kept each other company?

The long hours meant I had less time to spend with Muffin and Lord Snow when I was babysitting him, but I guess they kept each other company?

We would look after our patients in L&D (Labor & Delivery) and check up on them periodically + write up labor progress notes, and we were also responsible for OB Triage, for anyone pregnant coming in with concerns about their pregnancy that the clinic didn’t handle and/or if they [thought they] were in labor, and we’d also do postpartum checks.

My first day at the hospital actually happened right after a full day at the clinic because one of my patients was being brought in for induction of labor, so I ended up working for 24 hours. (Shhhhh….) I did manage to do a pit stop for a delicious burrito before heading to the hospital though!

mexicanmariachi

I used to be a repel system for deliveries when I was in med school–very little would happen and it seemed like no one ever wanted to be born while I was on, but  that’s kindasorta changed–we had several super busy nights filled with a ton of patients in OB triage and several patients who were almost-not-quite in active labor. I ended up getting one continuity delivery in, and 2 hours of sleep in a 24-hour interval, so I’m going to call it a win.

The midwife I was working with said she really appreciated all my help and that I was really easy/great to work with. :]! I don’t think anyone suspects how I really feel about childbirth, so I’m going to assume that I’m getting a little better at maintaining a poker face!
I think it made all the providers feel bad to see me “twisted up like a pretzel on the couch” in the providers’ lounge since they didn’t have a call room available for me, so one of the midwives showed me an overflow patient room that had turned into a storage room that I could use to sleep!
So just for funsies, this is the obstacle course I go through to reach “my” bed at the hospital:

obcaphealth

I ended up half-living at the hospital for a couple days on end each week because babies are rather unpredictable and I need to deliver 40 to graduate, so it’s a good thing I can sleep anywhere at any time! :P Although OB definitely isn’t my favorite field, I really liked working with the midwives there and I’m really going to miss them!


  • How do you make the best of non-ideal situations?
  • Do you follow the “fake it til you make it” philosophy? A nurse came over to ask if OB was what I wanted to specialize in and that she was asking because she’d worked with me on several deliveries and thought I’d done an amazing job.
  • Behbehs–yay or nay?

I came up with this design ages ago for our class t-shirt contest! :]

Permanent link to this article: https://www.fairyburger.com/day-life-obstetrics/

20 comments

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  1. Yikes that couch! At least the storage room stretcher is marginally better? Also, who knew that free-standing oxygen tanks are such horrors :S
    Winding Spiral Case recently posted…Anatomy, Radiology, Contouring, & All the DessertsMy Profile

    1. haha, yeah–the privacy and actual bed (+ the fact that I actually had reception) was nice! :D!
      Farrah recently posted…Surfing with the Hawaii Surf GuruMy Profile

  2. Hahaha, o my friend! Facking it till you make it, but you are blowing through! If anyone can help deliver babies, it’s you ;) Xoxoxoxo (almost done!)
    Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine recently posted…Roasted Apple & Cranberry SauceMy Profile

    1. But only if they’re normal births! ;P I have zero faith in being able to handle the complicated ones, hahah.
      Farrah recently posted…Surfing with the Hawaii Surf GuruMy Profile

  3. I’d never make it in med school because I’m such a terrible sleeper!!! I have to be in a bed with my pillow!
    What a fun journey you’ve been on and way for making the best out of it!
    Julie @ Running in a Skirt recently posted…Currently… (November 2016)My Profile

    1. hehehe, I could probably pretty much fall asleep anytime I’ve been sitting in the same place for more than 5 minutes, which is good or bad, depending on the situation…but bed + a pillow is definitely more optimal! :D
      Farrah recently posted…Surfing with the Hawaii Surf GuruMy Profile

  4. LOLZ That is quite the obstacle course. To my knowledge, Alex never had to deal with quite the same thing, but then, he never delivered babies. Hopefully he will be in OB land soon, though not as a doctor!
    Susie @ SuzLyfe recently posted…Back in the Kitchen, Out in the SunMy Profile

    1. hahaha, I knocked down a ton of water bottles the first time I waded through to get to the bed because I had no idea where the lights were! :P

      Keeping my fingers crossed for you two! <3!
      Farrah recently posted…Surfing with the Hawaii Surf GuruMy Profile

  5. ohh the sleeping whenever sounds tough, but i’m sure if i was that tired i could definitely do it haha! and i don’t blame you for your view. especially to work in childbirth takes a special person!!
    masala girl recently posted…Wild Blueberry & Cranberry Wild RiceMy Profile

    1. It really does! x_x I definitely don’t have what it takes and it isn’t something I really want to incorporate into my life pretty much ever, but at least I got over my phobia and the people I was working with were awesome! If there are ever any random overhead calls on the plane and someone’s having a normal delivery, I might actually be able to help now!? :o
      Farrah recently posted…Surfing with the Hawaii Surf GuruMy Profile

  6. Loved this post, Farrah! The detail in your writing makes me feel like I’m right there with you. I love peeking into your world; I just couldn’t sleep whenever I have a ritual, and now I feel a little spoiled because of it. Thanks for sharing your journey with all of us :)

    1. Thanks, Mary! :D It’s cool that you have a ritual! I try to when I can, but my sleep hygiene has been absolutely terrible for the past decade or so. For the time being, there’s not too much I can do about it, haha. Someday I’ll catch up? :P
      Farrah recently posted…Surfing with the Hawaii Surf GuruMy Profile

  7. Farrah..i havent commented on your MM post in a while but i am always interested to hear about your experience. As someone who works in a hospital, it is always fun for me to read these :)
    dixya @food, pleasure, and health recently posted…Tomato Mint QuinoaMy Profile

    1. Thanks, Dixya! :D I ended up liking this rotation way more than I thought I would! :O
      Farrah recently posted…Surfing with the Hawaii Surf GuruMy Profile

  8. Do you really have a baby quota to “graduate”? If you meet it early can you “graduate” early? I can see how OB would not be your thing. I like babies, but that doesn’t mean I’d like women in labor. :-)
    Coco recently posted…Boston Running and Boulder HikingMy Profile

    1. hahaha, I do! I have to deliver 40 babies per my program’s graduation requirements, but I don’t think anyone ever gets to “graduate” early–there are too many other requirements to fulfill, hehe. :P
      Farrah recently posted…Surfing with the Hawaii Surf GuruMy Profile

  9. I love babies but am not so keen on the whole birthing process, haha! I definitely could not watch a birth in person :P

    I don’t know how you can sleep anywhere… actually.. I feel like that’s got to be a talent as I could not do that :P
    Kristy from Southern In Law recently posted…12 Unique Chocolate Bark Recipes for Christmas GiftingMy Profile

    1. hahaha, sadly I had no choice, but I’m wayyy better at masking my disturbed expression now than I used to be! ;P

      There’s a chance that I have narcolepsy! (It’s more likely to be chronic sleep deprivation though, haha.)
      Farrah recently posted…Surfing with the Hawaii Surf GuruMy Profile

  10. That’s great that people think you are doing a good job and it doesn’t sound like they know you aren’t interested in the field, which is also awesome. It shows that you can do it even if you don’t love it! I had my last job for three years and I pretty much hated it, but I don’t think anyone knew! haha

    -Lauren
    ShootingStarsMag recently posted…Fractures in Ink by Helena Hunting Release Day BlitzMy Profile

    1. Thanks! Working with them was really fun, which definitely helped! :]

      Yay! Glad we both managed to embrace that whole “fake it til you make it” philosophy! :P
      Farrah recently posted…Surfing with the Hawaii Surf GuruMy Profile

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