06/14/2024
🚑 Let's Talk About What Really Happens During Emergency Birth Transfers 🚑
I recently heard about an EMT who expressed concerns about community birth, saying, "That's a long drive during an emergency with no treatment being provided!" The comment made me sad, and highlighted a common misconception about community births, so let's clear the air! 🤔
🚨 If you don't read anything else, read this:
When a licensed midwife calls an ambulance to a birth, it isn't because she doesn't know what to do next—it's because she knows it is the best way to continue providing expert care while on the move. You can't do that in a car! 🚗➡️🚑
Here's a little more about what midwives and emergency responders do during community birth transfers:
Expertise and Training: Who Knows What? 🎓
Midwives are the undisputed experts in managing childbirth emergencies in the field. We're comprehensively trained for all birth-related aspects, from prenatal care to the postpartum period. In any emergency, we know precisely what actions to take to ensure the best outcomes for both mother and baby.
EMTs and Paramedics are incredibly skilled at general emergency response but do not specialize in obstetrics. Their training is crucial for ensuring patients are transported to the hospital swiftly and safely, covering a wide array of general emergencies. Even physicians, while highly skilled in hospital settings, typically receive training focused on managing emergencies within hospital walls, not in community settings.
Equipment: What's in Our Kits? 🧰
Midwives come equipped for the specifics of birth. We've got everything needed for fetal monitoring, neonatal resuscitation, and even special medications for rare but critical situations. Think of us as a mobile mini-birth clinic.
Emergency Responders have the essential tools for general emergency care but aren't typically stocked with the specialized gear for newborn care or specific obstetric issues. They’re the champions of safe and rapid transport.
During the Transport: Who Does What? 🚑💨
Midwives stay hands-on with care during the ride. We monitor, adjust, and manage care continuously, ensuring that both mother and baby get the specialized attention they need. We continue to administer medications, manage hemorrhages, deliver the baby or placenta, and provide newborn support and resuscitation when needed.
Our EMTs and Paramedic partners focus on making the ride smooth and swift. They handle the driving, general medical monitoring, and make sure we can do our job without any bumps—literally and figuratively! They also call ahead and let the receiving providers know what is happening and what we might need when we get there. They assist with care in important ways, like starting IVs, when needed, administering medications they carry on the ambulance, and in the nearly unheard of situation that adult CPR would be needed, they would definitely lead the team. (Thank goodness, they are much more expert at that than we are!)
Why This Teamwork Matters 🤝
This partnership isn't just about filling roles; it's about blending our expertise to ensure the best possible outcomes. While midwives handle the specifics of birth care, our emergency responder teammates make sure we get to where we need to go safely and quickly.
Understanding these roles helps us appreciate how everyone works together seamlessly to look after our community's moms and babies. Let's keep supporting and respecting all our healthcare heroes, folks! 🩺🤝👶
(*AI generated art of a midwife and EMS team caring for a newborn, because usually no one is taking pictures at transports! It did a pretty good job, though.)
