The Folic Acid Emergency!!!

We had such a funny moment yesterday.

One of the student midwives here – Samuel – has been a great help and keen learner. At the end of the day he came running into the delivery room where Mickey and I were wrapping up with a delivery desperately calling out, “We need folic acid!”

I came out from the behind the curtain looking at him with a confused look on my face. I totally didn’t understand why he was so desperate, and he said it again, “Rachelle, we need folic acid. You must get it.”

I had the key to the cupboard where all the supplies are locked up. So I asked him, “Who needs folic acid?”

S: “Your colleagues are asking for it! They need it quick!”

R: “Where do I get the folic acid?… and wait… this is strange, why are they so needy for folic acid?! lol!”

Not wanting to leave anyone waiting for their emergency folic acid I rushed across the hall to find out what was going on and Cathy yells to me –

C: “We need a Foley catheter!”

I had to laugh (even though their need for the Foley was no laughing matter. They were in the midst of a cord prolapse for transerse lie with arm presentation and needed the Foley to retrofill the woman’s bladder to help keep the baby from descending any further.)

I rushed back to the delivery room, unlocked the cupboard, and grabbed a Foley – but before I rushed it back to where Cathy was I showed Samuel the package where it was clearly labeled “Foley Catheter”… and he burst out laughing.

Gotta love 2nd language mishaps.

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