Don't drop the baby

I fumbled a bit trying to get baby Ruth as comfortable as possible in my arms. She was a premie of 35 weeks, and was sent to the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) for monitoring as she was grossly small for her gestational age..

She looked tiny in my arms, keeping in mind that my arms aint big to begin with..

The nurse was eyeing me cautiously, wary that students are prone to dropping babies. Well, even more so in my case. And to quell any fears, I didn't drop her.

At 35 weeks, babies develop their suckling reflex. Ruth was struggling to feed. Her suckling reflex hadnt fully developed which made feeding her a challenge.

Ahh the joys of paeds. It's tough enough with the workload, yet infectiously cheerful. Even when one is stuck in a boring clinic, making faces at babies till they laugh makes up for it.

There's really no such thing as an ugly baby. They're very simple beings with simple needs. And right now, life seems pretty bright...

Temple Street Children's Hospital

Paediatrics

Welcome to the children's hospital. Its walls are coloured with cartoons. The doctors never cease smiling. There's a playroom and a school. And the wards are filled with super cute babies! (and older children)

It’s really a welcomed changed from the gloomy adult hospitals I’ve gotten so used to. Would I consider paediatrics as a future career?

Most definitely

Exam report

The surgical OSCEs weren’t too bad. The nerves really didn’t get the better of me this time. I would be surprised if I failed any of the 9 stations, though it wouldn’t be totally impossible.

A whole month to enjoy before the next exams!