Sometimes things just aren't what they seem to be...

I pride myself on being a fairly educated provider. I'm not the smartest and I don't know everything. I can always learn more. It's not often that I am rendered totally speechless while on a call.

I distinctly remember my first time....

My partner and I were dispatched to a "sick child". As we drove to the scene, my mind was racing about what the possibilities could be. It could be anything, I decided. An asthma attack, mental eval, traumatic injury, etc.

I was not prepared for what we found when we got there, however.

My partner and I walked into the house with our pedi bag and cardiac monitor. Mom was there and didn't speak any english. Dispatch had advised us that a third party was en route to the scene to translate for us.

I asked Mom where the child was and she pointed to the floor where there was a wadded up bedspread lying there. I leaned down and gingerly (with 2 fingers) pulled back the cover slightly.

A baby. Covered in blood.

My mind wasn't computing what I was seeing. I pulled back the cover a bit more and was dumbfounded to see an umbilical cord still attached to the infant. The baby had the most beautiful liquid brown eyes and just started up at me. It wasn't crying or fussing or anything.

Dread filled the pit of my stomach as I fully exposed the infant. I followed the umbilical cord all the way to the end....it was still attached to the placenta.

OH MY LORD! My partner and I looked at each other. He picked up the radio and asked for help. Dispatch wanted an update. "We have a-uhm-live birth here". My partner ran out to the truck to get the OB kit and we got mom seated on the cot. I picked up the infant and dried it off. I clamped and cut the cord and tried to stimulate the baby to cry. It seemed pretty content to just hang out, no crying or anything. We got the baby bundled up and handed it to Mom.

Turns out that Mom was young and she was afraid to tell anyone that she was pregnant. She didn't receive any prenatal care. She went into labor and managed to wait until her older sister left that morning before delivering the baby.

I still scratch my head when I think about that call.

The next shift I followed up on the baby and was told that it was doing well, despite some issues regulating the body temp.

It was my first "delivery" and the first birth certificate that I signed. And the first time that I was speechless throughout most of the call.