I observed my first delivery and Cesarean section, today.

On Tuesday , we had Obstetrics & gynecology at the Maternity Center. Our professor after a brief class review looked over at us and said , “ there’s going to be an elective surgery on Thursday morning. I’ll give you the details of the Attending, get in touch and formalize the arrangement.”

Wednesday evening, a little after 6pm I write to her and ask if I have her permission to contact the Attending.

‘Yes, please. Go ahead’

I write to the Attending, introduce myself as class captain and ask to confirm schedule for the planned surgery for Thursday. A little later he responds and says the surgery has been canceled and he’d informed me when there’s something new on the rooster.

I relay the message to my colleagues and as expected everyone is sad. We’d all been excitedly looking forward to it.

Anyway, Thursday morning.

Here’s a little back story- just because I want to🤭.

After the Attending confirmed the surgery had been cancelled yesterday, I figured I had a bit of time this morning. Apart from a meeting I’d have at 11am and a Pediatric Surgery class sometime in the afternoon, I wasn’t due to be at the library until 9am. So all things given, I’d leave home by 8:20am, get to the bus stop by 8:30am , arrive at the library and wait for them to open for the day. In fact, I gifted myself an extra 30 minutes of sleep. Lol

I get around my first morning routine and turn on my phone at exactly 7:13am. Guess what I find? A text from the Attending at exactly 7:13am, “ Another surgery has been approved . I’ll see you and your colleagues at 8:15am.”

I forward the text almost immediately, asking those who are available to show up.

For context, the heaviest traffic in the city is usually from 7am- 9 am and from 6 pm— 8pm, so if you miss the earliest bus or order a taxi during rush hour not only will you pay an expensive fee you’d also have to wait in traffic before you get to your destination. In summary, time was not in my favor.

I run to the bathroom and have the quickest shower I’ve ever had. Dress up, grab my scrubs and lab coat, my obsgynea note, anti allergy tablet, school bag, a bottle of water , 2 pieces of pudding I’d baked the night before and a small 200ml juice pack.

I look at the bus notice on my phone. Google map tells me the bus will be here in about 3mins. I have less than 2 mins to get to the bus stop across the road. What I do next? I Usain Bolt right across the street and the next bus is here!

I arrive at the hospital, introduce myself to the Attending. He hands me the keys to the changing room. I hurriedly switch into scrubs, buy a mask from the pharmacy at the reception and wait. A few minutes later another colleague, Rakiba, arrives. I hand the keys over and point her in the direction of the room.

A short time passes and the Attending returns and leads us upstairs to the Operation room. We wait outside while he scrubs in.

I turn over to my colleague, and ask her casually, “ Do you have plans to return to Bangladesh after graduation ?”

She shakes her head with such vim and enthusiasm that I burst out in a quiet laughter!

‘Maybe the UK?’, I ask.

‘I prefer Germany’, she responds.

‘Can you speak Dutch?’

‘No but I will start lessons very soon’

Things are quiet again for another 2–3minutes.

The Attending comes out to the corridor where Rakiba and I stood.

“So, our patient is not the usual case as you would know. It’s in vitro fertilization. In addition, she is old so we have to prepare for that”.

Genuinely curious I ask, ‘oh above 60?’

‘No. She’s 37’

Rakiba and I almost on impulse blurt, ‘37 is young!’

He nods in agreement.

‘That is true but in Obstertrics after 35 we start counting down. It’s what it is.’

Operation starts and at exactly 9:15 am a beautiful baby girl is born. The Chief hands her over to the matron for post-delivery procedures and I noticed I was sobbing. I didn’t expect to have such an emotional reaction but I did.

A little over 40 minutes later, stitching, cleaning and the rest of the procedure is complete. The patient is wheeled out of the theater. We thank the nurses and the doctors and head out to meet the Attending where he informs us two other elective surgeries have been scheduled for next week!

Here’s to the first baby whose birth I witnessed.

May life continue to be in her favor. 💐