06/6/66

My eldest son was born on this date, a Monday and the piped music in the hospital ward was The Mamas and Papas, singing 'Monday Monday!'

It was a hot Monday afternoon, and most of the maternity staff had gone for a tea break, the one midwife attending my 4 bedded ward was a tiny little 'girl' who didn't look like she had left school!

But she was calm and pleasant. 

I hadn't seen her before, these were the days where you didn't have a dedicated one midwife to care for you. I saw a different one each time I had a check up. No husband holding my hand, he was away with work. A school friend had driven me to the hospital and I think her old low lying mini car, bumping along the 4 miles aided my labour!! It was my second child.

When the midwife came to my bed, at about quarter to five, she examined me and asked did I think I was near to delivery. I nodded my head with clenched teeth and a groan.. so she said for me to walk with her to the delivery room. I swear to this day it was at least a mile to walk, although really only a couple of yards that I had to shuffle along!

She helped me up onto the delivery table and while she washed her hands, she kept up a running commentary of what she had just done in East Africa the previous week. She had only just returned and said she could deliver a baby in a field if called for.

I don't know if it was what she was saying, or her voice or her gentle hands, but I had complete confidence in her. And with her guiding me, Simon was born at 5 minutes past 5 on the 6th of June, 1966!

Of my four children he is the most caring and we talk every week. He was always there if I had a problem when his dad and I first divorced. This morning I phoned him singing Happy Birthday.. he was at a Racing Track doing his photography job..  he was with people, as he lives alone in Suffolk, and a colleague had bought him a coffee and a cake. I'm hoping in the winter months, when he has a lull in his work, he'll come to visit again. He is my son who had Crohns. We're very close and I miss him the most.

 

So Happy Birthday Si!

Chrisxx