Sunrise, Sunset

In honor of Halloween and my continuous nausea, I chose the above picture.  Awesome, isn’t it?  Anyway, yes, from morning until night my stomach churns.  I dry heave a couple of times a day.  Unfortunately (or fortunately?), I had a surgery about 10 years ago on my stomach to stop severe reflux.  Now I can’t vomit.  But boy can I dry heave.  I wake up and count the hours until I can go back to sleep.  While I am thrilled to be pregnant, and feel blessed, I really can’t wait until the 2nd trimester.

Stupidity Is Alive and Well

This Makes Me Smile Every Time

Again….

I appreciate all of the comments left on the last post. Sometimes I feel guilty about talking about the pregnancy. It’s so wonderful to hear all of your encouragement. I so appreciate it!

My Sister Says…

My sister says that I talk about my pregnancy too much on this blog. That’s probably true. It used to bother me when all people could talk about was their pregnancy. While I know that I am now doing the same thing, it still irks me when other people do it. Mainly people who are able to get pregnant at the drop of a hat. One of those weird quirks I guess. Anyway, to those who may not enjoy my posting about pregnancy so much, I’m sorry. I totally understand. Feel free to walk away. And personally, I hope that I quit soon too. Because I’m starting to annoy myself. Hope you all have a great weekend!

A Question of Fairness

I was perusing a blog the other night of a MD who is married to a RN. He brought up an interesting point that I had never thought of, but makes total sense. Many hospitals try to cut costs by using the least number of nurses possible to take care of patients. My particular hospital is notorious for “bare bones” staffing. They decide how many nurses are needed based on some arbitrary “grid”. In some institutions they take into acuity of the patient (as it should be, I think). Not in my hospital though. So, if you have too many nurses and not enough patients you either A) get called off or B) get floated to take care of patients in a different unit. How back asswards is this? In what other profession would it be tolerated to be called off if you are not needed? This means at the very least you may be asked to take call for $5 an hour, or losing a day’s pay. In my current place of employment, the latest has been that if you refuse to take call and have to sit by your phone all day, they will send you to a different unit. Another bad idea. If our surgeons have a slow clinic day do we ask them to become a family physician for the day? If a 4th grade teacher’s students are sick, would we ask them to go teach kindergarten for the day? I think not. And yet nurses take it. Why do we take it? I admit, there are times when I love getting a call at 5 (am or pm, doesn’t matter), telling me to stay home. But really, it shouldn’t happen. Anyone have any thoughts?

What I Am Not a Fan Of….

Pregnancy already has a hold on my appetite. Here is one thing that is not on my shopping list these days

Here is what I can’t live without……

Go figure.

I Guess It Makes Sense

In case you ever have to do CPR

Madame Zaritska’s Prediction

Madame Zaritska’s reading

Madame Zaritska, our resident clairvoyant, wants to help you prepare for the arrival of your child. Here she does her best to predict certain aspects of your labor and birth experience.

What she senses for you
The day you deliver, outside will be warm. Your baby will arrive in the morning.

After a labor lasting approximately 3 hours, your child, a boy, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 6 pounds, 11 ounces, and will be 18 inches long. This child will have hazel eyes and dark hair.

I can only hope to have a 3 hour labor……

2 small babies, a decel and a surprise breech

Ugh. It was a long and weird weekend. It started Friday night with two tiny babies. One was born to a 36 week gestation mother who had PIH that developed into HELLP. She went for an emergent section and had a 4# 7oz baby. And then there was the mother who was 38 1/2 weeks who had a 3# 15 oz baby. Surprising to say the least. So they both kept us busy (as well as some other people on the floor), but we had to take frequent vitals, feedings, all that stuff on both Mom and baby. Then on Sat. night I had a patient who was actually an induction with a cervical ripening agent. She ended up kicking in to labor, and got an intrathecal at 3 AM. The baby’s heart tones tanked for about 8 minutes. And her BP didn’t drop, although I gave her meds anyway. The baby arrived safe and sound after that scary episode. And then Sunday night we had ANOTHER induction with a cervical ripener and she kicked in lickity split. By 1 am she was complete and at that time it was discovered she was breech. So, off to the OR she went. Meanwhile we still have the itty bitty babies, semi sick moms and a couple who were normal. It was hard to keep track of everyone. Last night wasn’t much better. Babies were still there. Another delivery yesterday. Two surgicals coming today. It was just busy. So, I am really glad that I have tonite off. Because my patience wears thin after 4 12’s.