L&D

I am so excited about going into OBGYN. It is definitely what I want to do with my medical career. Seeing it at CMC has been so interesting! First, there are only a few single rooms, other than that, L&D is just one big room with curtains for the patient when she is eing checked or delivering. In fact, there is one area distinguished at the Low Cost Effective Care Unit. Now these ladies are strong. I was talking to a resident who was telling me that women hardley ever get epidureal or any pain meds besides local. That is insane! She started to laugh when I told her that almost everyone gets an epidural. Some women were labouring themselves without the help of physicians or nurses. I couldn't believe it! The resident said that Inidan women are strong, and after seeing everything, I think she's right.
I have seen many, many deliveries, but the biggest difference is the administration of the episiotomy. In the states, it is given only when indicated and along the midline. Here, it is given mediolateral, so basically towards the thigh. Remeber, these women don't have an epidural. The resident just quickly injects local at that site and then cuts. Oh my goodness, that was definitely an experience. That area is so thick. I inquired into why they were using that method, and the resident said that they use it only when indicated but that Indian women tend to have smaller perinieums, so that method is more effective. It was definitely a learning an expereince.
The sound of the fetal heart monitors are in the background along with laboring women. The same things are still of concern. HIV and AIDS is quite common here, and according to the resident, if a woman is positive, she is labored in the Biohazard Area. I found that quite interesting. I asked about a woman with no prenatal care arriving in labor, and she said that it was done and the results are given in 20 minutes. Interesting. Also, India has outlawed determing the sex of the fetus because so many female fetuses were being aborted. There is actually a sign in front of CMC that states that fact.