Sophia Delatore

Mom Journal

This week, I had the opportunity to take care of a special postpartum mother. This mom
was a gravida 1 para 0 meaning this is her very first baby. She had a scheduled induction and
was 39 weeks exactly meaning her pregnancy was term. The reason for the scheduled
induction was due to having a higher blood pressure which she struggled with prior to
pregnancy. She had a baby girl named Charlie and we arrived for clinical it was just in time for
her first bath at 24 hours. After the nurse took the baby to the nursery I got to talk to the mom
for a little. I asked her questions about her pregnancy and how different and similar it was to
what she expected. The craziest thing that will stick with me was when she said during labor
she described it as the worst pain she has ever experienced in her life as well as how nervous
she was for her baby to be delivered safely. All of those emotions came to a complete end
when her baby was placed on her chest. She said it was as if I couldn’t feel any of the pain
anymore after that and every moment of struggle and all the nerves went away. We also talked
about how physically and mentally demanding the pregnancy takes on your body. She talked
so much about the swelling in her legs and how strange it felt to have to practice walking as if
she had not walked in years. Later in the day, I obtained a set of vitals on her and everything
was wonderful except a slightly elevated blood pressure, which she told me she takes labetalol,
or a beta blocker to lower her blood pressure. I helped her to the restroom where we discussed
the lochia and appropriate amount and color of the bleeding on her pads. She was pretty lucky
with not a single tear or need for an episiotomy. Her bleeding was under control with a total
count during labor as under 500cc. When her baby came back it was time for a feeding and the
lactation nurse stepped in. She is such a good resource and so knowledgeable. All in all, when
we left I was truly amazed with what the female human body is capable of. The fact that a
woman gives birth to life and after her body is already bouncing back to work is insane. I have
really enjoyed my time in clinical on the mom/baby unit. I truly had an experience like no
other and once again I am blown away by how fascinating medicine can be.