Thursday, December 13, 2012

This is Love

I take a breather in the hospital car park where a four wheel drive has dropped to one side on its slashed tyres and the black easterly blows through the sheoaks. The coffee guy near Emergency impresses on me his work on the coalface of humanity. "Sometimes I'm not sure which Tiny Teddy biscuit to give customers. The ones with the legs broken off? Or half an ear missing? What happens if I give the wrong someone a Tiny Teddy with a sad face?"

At night the place is deserted. It's a still, quiet break for me. I wouldn't get that break if I were the one in labour and my daughter has been in labour for fourteen hours now. I go inside again. It's after midnight and I come up against a closed door.  The night nurse bails me up to ask me my business.
"I'm nearly, nearly a Grandma," I say, as I hoppityskip across the industrial carpet and he grins at me as he pings open the door.

"I can't do it!" she screams.
"But you are doing it!" I say.
The midwives at her feet are looking and nodding. "Yes, you are doing it fine, there's plenty of time .... now ... Go."
"I can't! I can't do it."
(Push)
"You are. You're doing it. You are doing it, darling."
(Push)


18 comments:

  1. I've been waiting for this, checking in every few hours neaarly. It's not really the place for boys but I got my fix and feel really great on it.

    Congratulations Grandma.

    :-)

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  2. Hi Ciaran,
    there is Pearlie's partner and also Stormboy, who have been completely present this whole time. They have both been quite lovely! So the boys are on board.
    But ... wow ... seeing my daughter give birth to her daughter. Now that is something else. I'm still coming down, twenty four hours later.

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  3. This is love...was listening to that song this morning...maybe she's a Polly? :-)

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  4. Lot's of love to you and yours - new and brand new! XXX

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  5. Fantastic news Sarah, I've been checking too, congratulations Grandma, and to the new Mum and Dad and Uncle too.

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  6. Phew! And wonderful. Well done Pearlie.
    And Ciaran, yes it is a female domain but I think it's great when the guys are interested.

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  7. Thanks, bloggy friends, for checking in! It really was a wonderful experience, though I reckon Pearlie would say otherwise. She is really well and her daughter's name is Matilda Grace.

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  8. Nice name. How's Pearlie? Did she have to have any surgery or all a la naturale?

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    1. No surgery but not drug free. 'I can't believe what you hippy women put yourselves through,' she told me. 'What is wrong with you?!'
      She's in good spirits today and Gracie is a big, hungry baby.

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    2. I had to laugh at this!!!! I always say I have three words of advice for women about to give birth: epidural, epidural, epidural!!!!!!

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    3. Yes it definitely worked for Pearlie. Made me faint, that bit!

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  9. Congratulations Grandmother Sarah Toa and to Pearlie and Pearlie's partner and to Stormboy! Welcome to the world Matilda Grace and thanks for bringing all this joy with you. xx

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  10. Matilda Grace! SQUEE!!! What a perfect, perfect name! And what a beauty she is.. and your post, oh your post, brought tears to my eyes. So beautiful. How lucky you are to be there to see Matilda make her way into the world and to see your daughter, the one you gave life to, bring the whole beautiful process full circle. So happy for you, Sarah! oxo

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  11. Belated congrats Sarah! How wonderful. x

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