Dr. Emily Jacobs, a 28-year-old OB-GYN, came back to her residency at University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics last week, less than two months after her water broke while delivering a patient’s baby. In the middle of a hectic night shift, her own labor process unexpectedly began a month early, but she thought at first that the fluids had come from a patient at the same time her baby came out.
Her first son, a healthy boy named Jett, decided that the best time to start making his appearance was at 4 a.m. when there were only two residents on the night team and many patients who needed his mother’s attention. He was due on August 24.
The doctor had already performed two other deliveries that night, and she probably had not taken a break for a while.
A surprise childbirth
Three hours before the end of Dr. Jacobs’ shift on July 28, she noticed some amniotic fluid but she thought it had come from the woman whose baby was delivered, as she told ABC News. She left the room to change her scrubs and suddenly realized that her own baby was about to be born. Shockingly, she had to switch from doctor to patient immediately.
The obstetrics and gynecology residents said she had freaked out because the early delivery raised concerns about her son’s health, and there was so much work to do, according to a report by Mirror UK. While her supervisor and teacher Dr. Abbey Merryman quickly switched to being her advising physician, the new mom’s classmate and friend Dr. Kelly Ulmer assumed the responsibility to deliver her baby.
Dr. Ulmer expressed she was grateful to be there at that time and share the experience with her colleague, according to ABC News. She added that Dr. Jacobs had done an excellent job and her husband had been very supportive.
Luckily, the new mom was in good hands, and at the right place. Jett was born at 3 p.m. that day surrounded by his four grandparents, who had the chance to get from Texas to Iowa for the occasion.
The experience has made her a better doctor
After experiencing an early delivery herself at 36 weeks, Dr. Jacobs believed that the experience had allowed her to do a better job by understanding the concerns of those nervous mothers whose babies are born before 39 weeks of gestation.
“It’s definitely made me more empathetic and more aware of what it’s like going through some pregnancy complications,” she expressed, as reported by ABC News. “Until [I went] through it, I can definitely appreciate just how worried and nervous you get,” she added.
Fortunately, Jett overcame the minor blood pressure problems and jaundice he experienced like many other babies delivered pre-term. His dad and Dr. Jacobs’ husband, Ryan, is a teacher and coach but decided to take the year off from work to stay at home and look after their newborn so the doctor can continue her residency.
The couple had moved to Iowa City to begin her residency on July 1, less than a month before she had Jett.
Source: ABC News