Childbirth is sometimes a very complicated process. I have always maintained that men have it easy. A woman runs so much risk in a single childbirth that a man cannot run in his entire lifetime, unless he is a soldier involved in war or a person involved in violent activities of nefarious nature. One of the serious complications of childbirth is uterine inversion, in which the uterus folds inside out after delivery of the baby. Unless treated promptly and effectively, the woman can die. In other words, the first doctor on the scene has to correct it, and she/he better know how. I often ask questions on such matters when I am an expert to select doctors as obstetricians and gynecologists for the civic body. Once there was discussion on this condition during our round of the labor ward. I felt I should check out how many of my people knew exactly how it was to be done. So I started from the first year residents, and progressed upwards through second, third, and fourth year residents and then Assistant Professors.
The first year residents kept quiet.
The second year residents kept quiet.
One of the third year residents made lip movements silently, the other reduced it with two fingers.
The fourth year resident said she/he would reduce the uterus with a fist.
One Assistant Professor made silent lip movements. Second one made a fist and showed it in a kung fu stance, saying she/he would do it with a fist.
"That looks like a kung fu stance" I said. "I have seen it palm up and palm down in movies. How will you hold your fist, palm up or down?"
"Palm up" she/he said with a smile on her face.
"You want to hit the inverted uterus like a kung fu specialist, or just press it?" I asked with a face as straight as possible.
"Press it" came the answer.
I looked at the last Assistant Professor. "What about you?" I asked.
He started answering "You hold your fingers spread out in a cone, tips in the vaginal fornices, and ..." and I remembered. "I remember asking you this question during your selection process interview" I said.
"Yes, Sir. I had answered it correctly, and that was why you selected me, you had said" he said.
I smiled for two reasons: remembering that episode and knowing that at least one person knew how it was to be done. I explained the technique to the others anyway, so that in the next case, they would be able to manage well.
This is how the various positions discussed look.
The first year residents kept quiet.
The second year residents kept quiet.
One of the third year residents made lip movements silently, the other reduced it with two fingers.
The fourth year resident said she/he would reduce the uterus with a fist.
One Assistant Professor made silent lip movements. Second one made a fist and showed it in a kung fu stance, saying she/he would do it with a fist.
"That looks like a kung fu stance" I said. "I have seen it palm up and palm down in movies. How will you hold your fist, palm up or down?"
"Palm up" she/he said with a smile on her face.
"You want to hit the inverted uterus like a kung fu specialist, or just press it?" I asked with a face as straight as possible.
"Press it" came the answer.
I looked at the last Assistant Professor. "What about you?" I asked.
He started answering "You hold your fingers spread out in a cone, tips in the vaginal fornices, and ..." and I remembered. "I remember asking you this question during your selection process interview" I said.
"Yes, Sir. I had answered it correctly, and that was why you selected me, you had said" he said.
I smiled for two reasons: remembering that episode and knowing that at least one person knew how it was to be done. I explained the technique to the others anyway, so that in the next case, they would be able to manage well.
This is how the various positions discussed look.
