of pediatricians

So this day am doing my ward round. Usually am assigned the room with the mothers who have just delivered( I think it has something to do with my smile.....LOL) Now as an upcoming obstetrician, my main focus more often than not lies with the mother...how she is doing after the c-section, is she able to walk,is the pain well controlled, are her breasts full of milk for her baby or engorged and painful? is the uterus well contracted and the blood loss acceptable etc. then I give instructions on what to do for the day...on Day 1 I want her to walk, eat a light meal and breastfeed, day 2...normal diet and I want to see her up and about,discuss contraception etc day 3 I expose the scar and she is ready to go home! It sounds all very routine like and easy but if you've been in such a ward or situation you also know that these new mothers tend to have a million questions and you have to  answer all of them, give an encouraging word here and there, offer a helping hand to the one trying to get out of bed etc

Usually I personally also peep at the newborn(I have a thing for babies...all my friends and my mum thought  I was cut out for pa-eds, well....until.....) So on this particular day I was on my  usual routine, it was especially interesting since I had been in theatre the previous day and some of the ladies i had seen I had actually operated on them, so it was nice seeing my workmanship and the sweet outcomes. When I got to this lady's bed, I started asking her how she slept and if she had any complaints. I then looked at her baby and she looked 'odd'. Baby had her eyes shut. I tried to nudge her awake..first with a light touch then more urgently and vigorously when I got no response. I asked the mother how long she had been like that and she said the baby had been asleep. I took the one day old bundle in my arms, told the mother to follow me and I rushed her to The New Born Unit.

When I arrived, I found my long time friend on call....she quickly initiated resuscitation attempts and after 20minutes the look in her eye said it all. I felt tears well in my eyes...I confessed that I was in no situation to tell the mum the sad news and she took it from there. I remember going back to the ward and giving the mothers a long pep talk....I had tears in my eyes and a very heavy heart...quite a sad start to a beautiful morning....

How pediatricians can cope with such losses, I simply can't imagine and this goes out to all those baby doctors, for all the hard work you do and all the mothers you have to deal with especially after the loss of a small child.

My friend Martha, am so sorry for your loss, But the Good Lord will see you through this trying moment...and you will smile again.

And my next post surely should have a happy ending!