Honest mistake- Athens

June 17, 2012

                Just another night working on the maternity ward. Just hanging out with a pregnant women who is making African warrior calls with every contraction.

                Her husband is a nurse in pediatric ward and he informs me that he wants to learn English so he finds me fascinating and keeps asking me questions but I can understand me so just smile J One of the questions he asks is if I’m married. Oh no I know where this is going. When I say no his mother promptly asks me to be his second wife, I’m in shock!  I know its custom here for men to have multiple wives but is it really polite to ask when your current wife is in the room about to give birth. Awkward! More so for me then any of them.

                I say no as politely as possible and just smile really big, but with the awkward silence after I declined I decide to do something productive. As I prepare to examine his wife’s progress. When I lift up her gown I am greeted by a very swollen labia majoria . So swollen I can’t tell what’s what and where. I decide not to panic its down there somewhere. So I decide to just drive right in. I’ll find what I’m looking for….eventually. First attempt…over shot it, second attempt….under shot it. Last chance…over shot it again. The patient was so kind as to guide my hand to the proper place. I was so embarrassed, but I tried to contain myself. Just another reason why I shouldn’t be an OB nurse.

*This lady stopped contracting at 8cm, this was her first pregnancy and she was having twins and the presenting part was an arm , both babies were transverse. The doctor was called and on ultrasound only one hear beat was seen. Dr. Danae Nettenberg did a cesarean.