midwife's muse

Cracked - but not broken

Last week we had massive tremors which took everyone by surprise, the very ground a relationship was based on shook, the quake spread out and totally floored as all. On the surface all now appears calm, almost as if nothing happened, there will be aftershocks, but at least we are all prepared for them, so life goes on.

We are now in the 'calm after the storm'. Tonight I'm going to a retirement 'do'. It's for a lovely midwife I worked with at my first hospital so it will be a chance to catch-up with people I havn't seen for years, I'm really looking forward to it. My favourite memory of this lady is from when I was a student midwife. I went on duty one day and next to a lady's name were written three numbers 11, 12, and 13, I stood and tried to work out their relevance but eventually gave up and went in search of the midwife-in-charge. I found her in a store room and asked for clarification as to what the numbers signified. With an extremely serious expression on her face she said 'they are the measurements of the pelvis, the woman in that room is having a breech delivery, let's pray'. Yes, she is religious, and yes we did say a little prayer. Two things I would like to thank her for, one - I never forgot the diameters of the pelvis, two - for allowing a student to see that even senior midwives are human!

I'm not drinking tonight, or any other night until Baby Bean has arrived. Daughter sees the consultant tomorrow, please, please let her make a decision. 

12.4.05 16:32