style="font-size:15px;"> Georgia smiled at her. ‘Today we’re going to study the premature labour tray.’
Flo grinned and headed for the cupboard. She reached in and put the tray on the bench. ‘I hope it comes with instructions.’
‘You’d better ring Doctor, first, on his mobile. Tell him thirty-two-week twins in labour. He’ll come straight in.’
Flo’s mouth formed her favourite ‘O’ and she pulled the phone book across.
Georgia helped Del to lie on the bed and connected the monitors to her stomach. ‘These belts hold on the listeners that hear your babies’ heart rates and record your contractions at the same time. In your case we have two listeners for two babies’ hearts.’
Del nodded and winced as the next contraction started. Georgia could hear Flo’s brief conversation with Max.
She looked up. ‘Ask him if I can give the first dose of nifedipine as her contractions are three minutes apart.’
Flo nodded back. ‘He heard you and said give the first dose. He’ll be here before the next one is due.’ She hung up and came back across to Georgia. ‘You want some observations done?’
‘Please. I need to check Del’s antenatal records as well.’
Shannon was the only one with a shoulder-bag and Georgia directed her next enquiry to her.
‘Have you got Del’s antenatal card?’
‘She doesn’t have one. She’s only been the once because the doctor said she’d have to go to Brisbane to have her babies. She didn’t want to do that so she never went back to him.’
Georgia’s heart sank at the lack of antenatal care and information now available. ‘Where were you going to have your babies, Del?’
Del looked at Shannon. Shannon answered. ‘Here.’
Thirty-two-week twins here and no antenatal care. Meeandah was good but not that good.
Georgia rummaged through the tray and removed a strip of tablets and two spoons. ‘We want to stop your labour Del. I’ll crush this tablet between two teaspoons and you have to put it under your tongue until it dissolves. It’s actually a blood-pressure tablet that works on the muscles of the blood vessels but it relaxes uterine muscles as well.
‘The plan is that you have fewer contractions the more tablets you have.’And the doctor arrives soon after, Georgia thought hopefully. ‘Do you understand?’
Del nodded. Georgia looked at Shannon and lowered her voice. ‘Does Del talk at all?’
‘Sometimes if she has to, but she finds it hard.’
‘That’s OK, Del. As long as you understand and let me know if you need to know more—OK? And as long as Shannon stays.’ She grinned at Del’s friend.
Del nodded and opened her mouth and Georgia thought she was going to speak. She held her breath but Del only waited for the crushed tablet before closing her mouth again.
‘When the doctor comes, he’ll want to examine you to see if your cervix is opening. That makes a difference to what we do next. OK?’
Del nodded.
‘We’ll probably give you an injection to help your babies’ lungs mature in case they are born too soon.’
Del nodded and Georgia found herself nodding too. It all began to feel like a farce with all the headbobbing.
Georgia selected the cortisone injection from the tray and set it aside for Max to decide on. They’d need to liaise with whatever referral hospital had beds for premature twins but MIRA would set up the conference call between the parties as soon as Max rang them.
MIRA, standing for Mobile Infant Retrieval Australia, would fly mum and babies wherever they needed to go with expert personnel—as long as the mist lifted and they could land.
‘Can you give Del’s doctor’s name to Flo and she’ll get him to fax what info he has to us here?’ she asked Shannon. Shannon nodded and followed Flo out.
Max arrived sooner than was prudent, considering the road conditions, and Georgia was glad to see him safe as well as have access to his assistance.
‘This is Del.’
‘Hi, Del. I’m Max. I’m the doctor. Georgia says you’re in premature labour. You must be pretty scared at what’s going on.’
Del looked around for Shannon and Georgia held off answering for her to see if Del would speak.
She nodded.
Georgia did Shannon’s job. ‘Del’s not much of a talker. She’s having contractions three minutes apart, third pregnancy, quick labours. One antenatal visit, one ultrasound at eighteen weeks. They’re faxing it through as soon as they open the surgery, I guess.’
‘Good stuff.’ He held his hands up. ‘May I feel your tummy, please, Del?’
Georgia nodded along with Del and then realised what she’d done. She was going mad.
She left Max to jot down what she’d found so far and by the time she’d finished Max was ready to examine the patient.
Afterwards he pulled the chair up beside the bed to talk to Del. Georgia leaned out the door and called Shannon to come back in.
‘Shannon is spokesperson and she does a great job. It might be worthwhile waiting for her.’
Max raised his eyebrows and looked at Del. ‘Is that what you want, Del?’
Del nodded vehemently but she didn’t say anything.
Max sat back and Shannon hurried back in with Flo at her heels.
Georgia took Flo aside. ‘Can you switch both humidcribs on in the storeroom? Probably won’t need them but if it looks like we will then we’ll move them to the power points outside the door. Just leave them where they are for now as long as they are warming.’
Flo nodded and left.
Max had introduced himself to Shannon and then spoke to Del. ‘You’re four centimetres dilated and your babies need to be looked after by paediatricians when they are born.’ He paused to let his words sink in.
‘That means they’re too little to be looked after here at Meeandah. In fact, they’re too little to be looked after at the base hospital so they’ll have to go to Newcastle, if they have the neonatal beds free, or Sydney.’
Del’s eyes filled with tears and Max rubbed her wrist in sympathy. ‘I know it’s scary to think of going a long way away but you have to for your babies’ safety. When your babies are bigger, you will be able to come back here for them to finish growing up.’
Del nodded and looked at Shannon, who asked the question. ‘How long before she would come back?’
‘That depends how Del’s babies grow and the
