The weekend that was, enrollment and onwards, and what have I gotten myself in for??
First of all, it’s only a few days until my birthday:
and we will be having a housewarming that weekend as well… invites soon.
I’ll work backwards here as today is freshest in my mind. I got up today and toddled off to uni to organise my student ID which I’ll need for Friday (eep!). I then took an hour or two to tour around the various buildings and see how they’re numbered/named, and where most of my classes are going to be. I also peeked into the bookstore and was thrilled at the books available but overwhelmed with the cost. I found three 2nd years so that was nice - they seemed friendly enough though mentioned the whole "it’s a lot like nursing" thing that I’m not entirely sure about. I mean yes, I want to be with women through a medically-type thing but I don’t want to be a nurse so I’m not sure what to expect from that. They didn’t expand and I was struck shy by the whole overwhelming process.
Oh and let me make something clear on paper here - I’m confident and calm in myself about the process but it’s all new and different to what I’ve done before. COMPLETELY new and different. As alien as I can get without leaving the country. So please don’t tell me that I’ll be fine and it’ll be fun - I know this! It’s more that I’m feeling REALLY overwhelmed at the moment.
Anyway, over the weekend I was lucky enough to go away with a bunch of student midwives for BMID Camp 2007. Everyone was invited but I was the only 1st year UniSA student to go, and there was one 3rd year as well… so it was a little strange to hear all this chatter about a course that isn’t mine! It’ll be fascinating to see how different my course is to theirs, too.
One thing that I did take comfort in was that the 2nd years who had JUST finished their first year were confident about births and seemed to know what they were doing. That’ll be me in a year. It’s a new set of skills to learn but I’ll learn it. I did also notice that:
- A physiological 3rd stage was practically unheard of
- The treatment for sticky shoulders or the more urgent true shoulder dystocia was to stick hands in and pull baby out, rather than the all fours manouver
- I have been pronouncing things correctly
A special HI!! to Sam who knew of my blog - hi Sam! Good luck next week!!
Following on from my last post about textbooks, I have whittled the list down to:
- Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council 2005, National Competency Standards for the Midwife, Dickson ACT.
- Marieb, E. and Hoehn, K. 2007, Human Anatomy and Physiology, 7th, Pearson/Benjamin Cummings, New York.
- Strube, P 2003, Body works: Physics and Chemistry for Nurses, 2nd, Prentice Hall Health, Frenchs Forest, N.S.W..
- Johnson R and Taylor W 2004, Skills for Midwifery Practice, Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh.
- Pairman, S. Pincombe, J. Thorogood, C. and Tracy, S. 2006, Midwifery, Preparation for Practice, Churchill Livingstone..
- Sullivan, A. Kean, L. Cryer, A. 2006, Midwives Guide To Antenatal Investigations, Churchill, Livingstone, Elsevier, Sydney.
two of which I can get 2nd hand already, and one that is available online. We’ll see about the others.
The reason why there is so much similarity between nursing and midwifery courses is because a woman who is pregnant is not an event that occurs in isolation. A pregnant woman may have many other physical and psychological issues that can all affect pregnancy and childbirth.
Or so I am told. I think it might have a little more to do with enough similarity to teach the subjects the same at the same time to save money etc.
Where I studied nursing, the nurses and midwives studied the same science subjects, just in a different, more relevant order. Pharmacology was also a shared subject. The rest were all seperate.
Comment by Amanda — February 19, 2007 @ 7:49 pm
Well the “just like nursing” thing is probably because you (Aussie B.Mid) cats can’t do any of your births as a student out of hospital. I would imagine that much of your training will have that feel to it? But then there’s the argument that you’d be managing an emergency at home, just like you would in the hosp. so perhaps that’s the way it should be?
“- A physiological 3rd stage was practically unheard of
- The treatment for sticky shoulders or the more urgent true shoulder dystocia was to stick hands in and pull baby out, rather than the all fours manouver”
Ok, the first one worries me a bit… The physiological 3rd stage is generally when stuff like, I dunno, **hemorrhage** happens. Oh, and then there’s the placenta thing…
What do they reckon happens after the pushing is done? I’d be interested to hear
As for SD. All fours (gaskin) is only possible (or reasonably so) in women who haven’t been medicated. Epidurals and narcotics make that tricky. Standard practice here seems to be McRoberts and supra-pubic pressure I believe, for midwives as well as physicians, hospital and home. In any case SD ranks up there with the nasty, mean and awful stuff that I’m in no hurry to see, let alone manage.
I try hard not to think that far ahead right now… I might vomit.
Exciting stuff, Doll.. Keep writing!
Comment by Louisa — February 20, 2007 @ 3:44 am
*waves* Hi Emma! A mention on a blog, I must have truly hit the big time!
I’m packin’ my daks but can’t wait to start!
The lack of awareness about the Maternity Coalition surprised and worries me a little too.
And the physiological 3rd stage being unheard of is sad. I imagine it reflects the amount of medicated or augmented births out there.
Comment by Sam — February 21, 2007 @ 12:17 pm