Preparing to attend

To get the most out of your time, you will want to integrate with the staff there. One suggestion is to bring snacks to share with the staff.

Your main aim is to spend time with people in labour and/or giving birth so it would be food to watch the Video ‘Progress of Fetal Head through the pelvis’ on CANVAS. You might also get the chance to examine so you should also refresh yourself on ‘How to Exam Pregnant Abdomen’.

When you arrive

Go straight to birthing suite at 7:30am. Today you will be working with the midwives.

Introduce yourself to the charge midwife, who will be sitting at the computer in the hub by the whiteboard.

Say that you are the 5th year med student and would like to be involved in labours and births but are happy to help out in any other way.

What you might be able to do from the logbook

• Midwifery Assessment of a Labour and Birth Experience

• Examination of a Pregnant Abdomen

• Assist in a Caesarean Section

• Examination of a placenta

  (See Page 4-6)

Other opportunities to look out for

• Learn how to consent for surgical procedures

• Insertion of a Urinary Cathetar

• Examination of a Newborn

• Management of Third Stage / PPH

• Assessment of a Perineum / 3rd Degree Tear