My placement this time is three weeks on a postnatal ward, unfortunately it is the postnatal ward I had a bad experience on the last time and the midwives aren’t known for being the nicest... However I went in there with the best intentions and promising to myself to keep motivated and not let any nasty moods ruin this learning experience for me.
I’ve had two different preceptors this week, neither of them were that into me getting involved, I haven’t once been asked to feel a fundus or do anything much more exciting than obs and weighing a baby. Once I took my own initiative though, offering to help the health care assistant and other more friendly midwives I got to do lots of baby baths (a great way to interact with parents), bring back a report from the neo for a woman whose twins were there (she appreciated it so much) and giving feeds for mums who needed help. Answering the call bells has been a saviour for me! It lets me spend some time with the women without a midwife over my shoulder, allowing me to chat to them and support them. One call bell summoned me to a woman needing help latching the baby, I was about to produce my usual phrase “I’ll just go get a midwife for you” when instead I felt I could help her myself-I felt competent! Together we managed to get the baby latched and feeding well, I was very pleased with myself. Next time however, I will remember to stay for the feed to observe it and chat to the mum, I only remembered afterwards I should have done this.
I also grew quite fond of a one particular couple and their twin boys the last two days! One time I had been asked to give one of the babes a formula feed (she was breastfeeding), it was the third day and she’d barely slept at all and couldn’t stop the tears, I just sat, reassured and chatted to her. Another time I spent about 45 minutes with her, showed her how to express and made her some fennel tea she’d brought with her-something no-one else had offered to her. Later that day her partner thanked me for spending that time with her. After she managed to get some sleep we went and bathed the boys, I bathed the first and showed them how it was done and then dad bathed the second, we managed to have a laugh and I felt like I was a valuable part of their care. As I left last night I wished them good luck and they said they think I’m going to be a wonderful midwife, soft spoken and gentle-it was a lovely end to my week and really uplifted me.
Also gave my first bed bath yesterday, not nearly as ‘scary’ as I thought it would be! The woman was lovely, I chatted to her about osteopathy and she said she found it really helpful and will be bringing her little newborn to it next week. I probably did the completely wrong thing as a healthcare professional, but I told her I thought that was great! Oh well...I’m not doing this to be the best ‘healthcare professional’ by the rules, but to be the best midwife I can be.
Being the best midwife I can be means supporting, understanding, showing empathy and being friendly and kind to these amazing women and their babies.
