The Birth on New Year
In the morning of the eve of the New Year, the puerperal department of Kursk hospital № 6. Karina Romanovna Kaplina prepares to begin her duty. How will it be like? Probably, like always, the first thing she will hear is the first scream of a newborn…
– Why did you choose the profession of neonatologist?
– Even before I started my studies in KSMU, I had known that I wanted to work with children. After the third course, when I had gained more insight about medicine and saw it first-hand from the “inside”, I decided I wanted to tie my fate with midwifery and gynecology. My journey in this specialty started with deep research of the field and their work at the hospital. At this time, I also had an ambition to be a children’s resuscitator, which I would say was my childhood dream. However, after my graduate course, I had some trouble with my internship. So, after some serious considerations, I chose to go for the neonatologist route, and everything resolved itself. Perhaps, this was fate working by my side.
– Even though the profession of doctor bears serious responsibility, the profession of neonatologist increases this responsibility two-fold. How do you manage this?
– Of course, there is fear. This feeling is natural. However, it will never work out if you don’t face it. These fears need to be managed because in extreme situations, there should be no panic. If you get weak — that’s it; life is lost and there is no coming back. During these critical times, when every second of life matters, you must put all the unimportant things away and do everything necessary to save the life of this little person.
– During the New Year of 2019, you were on duty; how was it?
– Yes, this year was the first time I celebrated the New Year while on duty. I can tell you that it was a good shift; calm and full of festivities. On that day, two lovely boys were born with high points on The Apgar score, and the parturitions were physiologically ‘‘beautiful.’’ In the atmosphere of our joy, their mother cradled her newborn to her breast. The first son was born during the day while the second one was born in the evening. Thus, the new mothers and team of doctors on duty met the New Year joyfully.
– Did you choose to work on the 31st of December voluntarily?
– I decided it on my own. I thought that it was better to work on the 31st of December and return home peacefully, instead of greeting the New Year in a rush and returning to work on the 1st of January.
– Was it sad for you that you had to spend the New Year at work rather than with your family?
– No. A doctor has two families: one at home and the other at the workplace. The people with whom you work are not just colleagues because they become close to you in a special way. After some time, you even learn to understand them with just half a word.
– Were there any cases that you can say were miraculous in the course of your work?
– Everything passed peacefully in the time of my work. There was nothing too spectacular. Perhaps, the calmness itself is the true miracle.
text Daria Koshkina
edition in english by Law Yi Wan, Reshma Durai
