Gretchen Calle

Gretchen was 16 when I met her, and had just turned 17 one week before she had her baby. She was one of my continuities. This means since I took her as my patient, I did all her prenatals, I spent extra time with her, and we texted often if she had concerns. By the time of birth, I got her to switch from calling me Ma'am Jenny to Ate (big sister) Jenny. Her husband is 37 years old, and so because I figured there were some sketchy things going on, she could use someone to be there for her steadily through her pregnancy. This picture is of her just about a month before birth.

She told me the first week of July that she was having contractions, and so I was on high alert for what turned out to be a whole month!!! I kept my cell phone with me all the time and was afraid to go very far away thinking that she might pop any time! This was her first baby brought to term, so it is to be expected to go late, but soon, we were reaching 42 weeks, and nothing, so I asked her to get an ultrasound.

Turns out that she was only 35 weeks at that point instead of 42! Her contractions continued, but not so bad that she couldn't sleep. Then, at the very end of July, she called and said that her contractions were really starting to hurt now. I checked her in at the clinic and she had progressed much further than the other 2 times that she had come in for a check. Since I had night shift anyway, I let her stay the night and I got to watch Richard (her boyfriend) with her and help them through labor. It was actually very sweet, he seemed to really care for Gretchen, and she bossed him around just a little at times, and that was fun to see.

She gave birth that morning at 3am, and I was surprised. I was expecting to stay way past my night shift with her, but everything was finished by the time the next shift took over at 6 am so that was nice :)

Gretchen is doing really well still, I have seen her a few times since the birth, and her baby is getting nice and big. P.S. if any of you would like to see a picture of a cool placenta, let me know - she had a battledore insertion, and I have a great pic :)