9.24.2009

Is there a Dr in the house?

A few days ago one of the doctor's that Bret works with was on her way to a conference with a nurse practitioner that we are all friends with. The Dr. happened to be 36 weeks pregnant with her second child. The conference was in Florida and they had a plane change in Charlotte. You guessed it...as the plan was taking off from Charlotte the Dr.'s water broke. The plane had to be turned around for an emergency landing. The Dr.'s husband sped to Charlotte from here in PA and made it just barely in time for the baby to born. Crazy.

What's really funny about this story is that similar stories have happened in the past few years with other Ob's or their wives. It's always the second or third baby and they always "don't make it" or just barely make it in time for delivery. Of all people you would think OB's would have figured it out by now.

One resident had to deliver his wife's baby in the car on the way to the hospital, and one went home for just one last weekend (3 hours away) to visit family and ended up having twins in her hometown.

I was talking to a few of the other resident's last night and we were laughing about it but in all honesty all of them admitted to being caught in the "almost not making it to the hospital" loop their next pregnancy (they all have one already).

I think the problem is a couple different things. First they know the stats. Chances of going into labor 4 weeks before your due date when you have had no complications are actually pretty small. So you think "what's the worst that can happen" while weighing the risks. The other issue is that these are people that don't want to go to the hospital too early or before they absolutely have to. Most women would agree that laboring at home is far better than in a hospital room. You think you know how long it is going to take and you want to wait until just until you HAVE to go. The problem is that there is a very small window once you reach that point. You may be laboring along just fine and then boom your water breaks and the next thing you know you are ready to be pushing. Second babies can come very quickly and this is where some of the residents got caught unprepared.

I don't think this will be a problem for us. For one thing we live less than 10 minutes from the hospital. I'm pretty sure that with Bret driving we could be there in less than five. Also because I am going to be a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-sect) I am higher risk for complications so at the first signs of active labor (aka consistent timed contractions) Bret will be insisting that we head to the hospital so that I can be monitored closely.

I think it's ironic that OB's that advise moms everyday on when to head to the hospital are proving that they rarely listen to their own advice.

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