A day in life...

Up this morning and dropped the girls off at school. Saw a patient's mother and viewed updated photos of the new baby. Saw another patient, talked with her about her recent "scan."

Headed out for postnatal homevists and antenatal visit. At the antenatal visit, I ask my patient how her sister is doing, (also a patient) she tells me she is "not doing good--since her baby has Down Syndrome." WHAT???!!!! Her baby does not have Down Syndrome...she thinks her baby has Down Syndrome? Please tell her I will call her later today to clear things up.

I race back to Tuatapere...what is 100km/hour compared to miles per hour??? That is the legal speed limit in most places.

At the office/maternity home I hastily work on a new ad for the service that needs to be completed today. It just needs a photo, and some artistic fine-tuning.

The phone rings and I answer it: "Tuatapere Maternity Home, Kerry Dixon speaking..." It is a local midwife at a homebirth, her second midwife (who had a heart attack three weeks ago, can't be located). I hesitate, because I just loaned my midwife car to my midwife associate. Midwife to Kerry: "She is getting ready to push, and she lives in town." I get an address and then go find someone to drive me to the birth. I nab the obstetric aide/cleaner, she happily drives me to the birth. I attended a beautiful homebirth. Third baby or second, first homebirth. It is so perfect! A sweet baby girl, born on the living room floor, in a wood-stove, fire-heated room. After all is tidied up, I text my midwife friend and ask her to pick me up. As she walks up to the house she asks the dad and a friend " Is Kerry here?" The dad says " does she talk funny?" Yep, thinks Jo--it is Kerry. But seriously, it is THEY who talk funny.

We head back to the maternity home and I finish the ad. The girls walk over from school and we go home for supper. I make a (frantic/slightly crazed/hysterical) phone call to the internet company who tells me, that there is another delay. This is my nightmare.

I try to call the patient who thinks her baby has Down Syndrome. She does not answer her phone. This is SO, SO COMMON, due to the cost of mobile service.
I send her a text:
"yr baby do not have down synd, just xtra finger. Mybe heart prob. Will chek more later. PLZ call me."

After supper, we are now back at the Maternity Home to check email. I talk to another of my teen mom patients...she thinks she is in labor. Her contractions are every 2 minutes lasting 10 seconds long. Oh it will be a long night. She is a patient who worries me. Teenager, smoker, drinks about 3 alcohol beverages per week, poor nutrition, limited education, no childbirth prep, minimally parented herself, history of childhood sexual abuse. I go off call at 0900 tomorrow, may the birth angels be with us all.