I heart the fetus

I've been doing lots of OB work lately and I'm really liking it more and more. It's a challenge because there's lots of stuff to get, but it's also interesting because every one of them is different in some respect and it's like a new box of Whitman's chocolates with each scan. What's inside this one? Will it be head down or head up, a clear picture or a fuzzy hot mess? Even going out to the waiting room to get the patient is filled with anticipation. How many people will the new mom be bringing with her? Because it's rarely just her. There is almost always at least one, two, and I've had as many as 6(!) extra people show up to watch the big event. It's like they're going to the movies, but for free.

Also, 99% of the time, people are happy to be there. Unless it's an emergency appointment where there has been bleeding or cramping or God forbid a non-existent heart rate at the doctor's office, most patients like getting their fetal ultrasounds. Unlike the other patients who are mostly there because something is wrong and their doctor is trying to figure out what. Then they're more nervous or scared and you have to be sure not to hang around in one spot too long or they'll start shouting out stuff like "What's that? Why are you measuring it? Is that normal?"

Except for the testicle exams. Most men don't even watch the screen. Some fall asleep and others (the younger ones) lie on the table with their arm thrown across their face or their eyes shut so they don't have to actually see what's going on down there. I'm actually starting to like the testicle exams too because they're usually pretty easy. In fact, I like to do them better than thyroids....but the other student is starting to call me a ball hog because I sign my name next to most of them and she doesn't get any testicle experience.

So back to OB. I got my new rotation assigment and I'm going to be going to two different sites, one in the spring quarter and one in the summer quarter. My summer quarter rotation is at Swedish again, same hospital I'm at now, but in the perinatal group which is for more high risk OB patients and is in a separate location from our department. I'm very excited about that one because it's the one I really wanted. The spring quarter however I'm assigned to a clinic in Everett which is about 30 miles or so north of where I live and in Seattle traffic terms that's about an hour away. I'm considering the bus, even though I have to transfer 3 times and it will take about an hour and half each way. I'd do almost anything to avoid driving that much though, even though it would technically be against the flow since I'd be heading North in the morning and South at night. Oh well, it's only for about 2.5 months. I just hope I get some good OB experience there so I'm ready for perinatal in the summer!