The long night of waiting ahead of me brought on the pondering. I think one of the reasons I like obstetrics so much is that there is an inevitability about it and also constant reminders that we are not in control. Ultimately, the baby has to come out, one way or another. We can try all kinds of things to encourage labor along faster but in the end, it is a process and it will take time. Inevitable and yet out of our control.
In a world where I can access the latest news from the phone I'm typing this on, be in real time contact with friends through a variety of messenging apps, and don't have to wait for much of anything, the patient expectation of a laboring woman is a good reminder of how little control I have. 'Obstetrics' comes from a Latin word that means 'to stand by' and at the moment that's all I'm doing- standing by and waiting as time passes and the steady heartbeats of soon to be born babies accompanies my thoughts.
