Hi everyone

[~*Lady Trekki*~]

Good points there, TL. Not off topic at all.

And, of course, this doesn't even begin to address the many instances of miscarriage where nature - or God, what you will - has declared for a whole variety of reasons that the pregnancy should not continue. I always found those cases heartbreaking as well.

And whether miscarried or terminated, I can tell you - the women almost always woke in floods of tears because, so many of them said, they felt empty. I would often take them in my arms and hold them while they cried. Can't help it. I might be single and childless but my nature is motherly and I hurt to see them hurt.

On one occasion, a woman in her late thirties came in for a D&C after a mis. She woke in tears and the anaesthetist wanted to give her a sedative. When I asked him what for, he said because she's distraught. No, I told him firmly, that's not a medical malady, it's natural so you can put away your drugs, get out of here and let me do my job! So I did and afterwards, while she were talking things through with my colleague and me, she told us she had had a still birth several years before. That birthday had been only recently and now she had another loss.

But the real pain for her was that she had no idea there the first baby was buried. So my colleague and I spent some time digging around (no nice internet to help us then) and actually managed to locate the spot. We took her there a few days later and stood by while she placed some flowers and said goodnight to her little one. And when we left, she actually had a little smile on her face!

Let me tell you, those are the perks of nursing if you're prepared to reach out and take them!

That's so awesome Jo! What a wonderful ministry...so needed. Your testimony here brought tears to my eyes for that young woman. Being able to mourn properly is very important.