Posted in Children

Or technically I guess I should write... the baby has started to engage. This is very exciting for me. I have never before had a baby engage before labour. I've always had long, hard, awful labours and have needed 'help' by an obstetrician in one way or another. The obstetrician was telling me only last week that it is not uncommon in subsequent pregnancies for the baby not to engage until labour is well underway. This has always been my experience and I didn't expect it to be any different this time.

Yesterday I went to see my midwife and she told me the good news. She made another appointment for me to see her in a week's time, but said she expects she'll be seeing me before then - at the hospital.

We went to tour through the hospital yesterday too - what a lovely place. The gardens outside are in the full bloom and colour of summer, and Robin and I read together the old plaque on the foundation of the hospital wall, "This hospital was built for the Glory of God, and in honour of the early settlers of Canterbury...." .

The maternity rooms are on the second floor and the elevator was out of order (how nice, really - an elevator just didn't fit in with the old-fashioned atmosphere). We walked (slowly for me) up the wide sweeping stairs into the quiet maternity halls and were met by a midwife who showed us around. There are beautiful big old, hundred year old trees outside all the large, sash, gabled windows giving it quite a cool feeling on a hot day. The plaster on the walls had big cracks running down from ceiling to floor, and the carpet looked a little worn - in an elegant kind of way.  The little reception was tiny with a glass window instead of gleaming, sterile counters that scream at you. The nurse bought a brand new baby wrapped up in a cot along for my children to look at. My son wanted to know if our baby will have a wobbly, wrinkled chin like that baby?

I'm sure my labour will be a quiet one in there. Indeed I'll be too awed to yell or moan during those last few pushing moments - it just oozes peace and quiet in that place, and I'll be thinking of my dear grandmother who gave birth there over 60 years ago to my father - she herself the daughter of an early pioneer.

In spite of this awful cough (the doctor said my chest is clear, so no infection) I feel so blessed to be able to go to this place and have my baby. So grateful that everything indicates a normal delivery. St. George's doesn't have facilities for complicated deliveries or anaesthetics.

The nurse told us that if I deliver here I get to choose from the best recovery rooms, and I know just the one I want - it has glorious, grand trees outside the windows.

And I have my verse of promise from the Lord for my fearful, untrusting mind and heart; from Psalm 37.

"Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."