A Holiday Surprise

For some reason the ER is very busy around the holidays, Christmas eve is usually the worst. Between the nursing homes trying to dump some patients, concerned family members who have just arrived home to find Granny isn't doing so well since they last saw her a year ago and elderly folks that can't stand the thought of being home alone at Christmas - the ER is usually hopping.

That year was no exception. The ER was packed, the waiting room was packed, we were short staffed. Every room was full and the eight permanent hallway beds had been augmented with ten hallway chairs in an effort to get people seen and dispositioned. The staff all had extra patients and we working as fast as they can, fueled by endless Christmas Cookies and pieces of fudge, counting the minutes until we could go home to our own families

About that time, security informed us that there was an eighteen-wheeler pulled into our parking lot and the driver was at the front window, very upset. They were unable to determine the problem because he was non-English speaking. I was not too busy right then so I grabbed a pair of gloves and headed out to the parking lot with the security guard. We were greeted by a young adult male who was visibly agitated and gesturing wildly toward the truck. I could tell that whatever the problem was, it was inside the truck. He did not look in anyway threatening so I approached the truck, when I was about ten feet away I could hear a woman screaming and moaning. I sent the guard in for help and climbed up into the cab. In the sleep space behind he seats was a young woman, obviously in late pregnancy which was confirmed by one glance between her widely spread legs where an infant's head was crowning.

OH SHIT!

I may have mentioned before, ER nurses DO NOT like childbirth. There is blood from places you can't put direct pressure on and wet, slippery infants involved. *shudder*

I climbed into the sleep area, pulling on my gloves. About that time one of the other nurses had come running out. I yelled at her to get the emergency delivery pack and a doctor. I turned back to the mother in time to see the head emerge. I place a my hands underneath just in time to catch the rest of the baby who rocketed out in one push. The whole delivery probably took less than 10 seconds. And there I was, all my worst fears realized, holding a limp, slippery, dusky blue newborn who, BTW, wasn't breathing yet. Fortunately the rest of the team arrived with a suction bulb and warmed towels and receiving blankets. A little suction and a good rubdown and the limp purple baby transformed into a pink, angry, squalling baby. Happy endings all around.

Somewhere out there is a child who's birth certificate bears my signature as the person who delivered the baby. How cool is that?

AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN!