It is not very often that I come home from a birth frustrated. Yesterday my client called me in the morning because her water broke. We hung out at her house for a few hours listening to music and chatting... Occasionally teasing her husband because he wanted to "do something" "coach" "chant" "grunt", whatever. At that point there was nothing to do except be there and rest up for all the excitement later. We get to the hospital and my client receives her epidural. Nurse checks her, doc comes in with ultrasound... breech baby. This isn't the part I am in a huff about... client ops for a C-section verses delivering vaginally which I totally understand. Now we are faced with the STUPID ASSININE hospital policy of only allowing one person in the operating room. I have dealt with this before and have been allowed into 2 sections so I know there is always the slight to none chance that rules will be bent. Usually it is the anesthesiologist that puts the kabosh on it... I know it is tight in there, I know in an emergency the more people to shuffle out the harder it is... BUT mom is laying on a narrow table with her arms to the side, cold, scarred and tired - DAD is not only afraid for his wife but the baby and has to sit in a chair while his wife is getting cut open. Anyone holding his hand? Nope. Everyone is masked and eyes are focused on a task. Nobody is making eye contact with the parents. Baby is born, held up and taken to the warmer. Dad goes to baby and mom is lying on that table alone. Happy that baby is OK, but still scarred... wouldn't it be nice if someone was still by her side? Dad follows baby to nursery and mom is still on the table. I just hate that. I totally understand not allowing family members in... they would be so emotional. But this is my job. To support, to inform, to comfort. In this case it is totally not respected and I don't like it.

Mom and Baby Boy are doing well.
Toni... you still win the award for bringing the most luggage, but this couple came in a close second!