196. Baby number one

The due date had arrived but Miss Organiser had decided she would pick her due date herself and made us wait. The staff at the hospital got a little bit fed up waiting for this unruly baby and decided that the time was up. Living in a highly civilised country I was summoned to the maternity ward with military precision: 8AM sharp.

When I got there I was met with a wad of papers to fill in and a surprising comment.

'Exercice hurries babies. It's a nice day! You go take a walk around.' The nurse said with a big grin. 

So off I went a little unsure of how seriously I should take this. Was it a piece of medical advice? Was she joking? Should I go for a leisurely walk or should I trek for an hour, take to the hilly ground past the helipad? Asking, I felt, would be a little embarrassing (had I not read the ante-natal recommended literature? Had I not attended the classes?) so I decided I would start with a leisurely stroll and see what happened.

I ended up walking for the entire day. Now and then I would pop in and announce I'd had a lovely walk, thank you and I was met with a 'any contractions yet?' and sent back out like a naughty child. I should have lied and said I was in pain but it was my first baby and it was a nice day. I even remember discussing how the daffodils had been early and that it'd been a good year for the tulips. In and out of the ward I went, up and down the stairs, up and down the paths, up and down the car park past the helipad. Was this normal procedure? I couldn't see any other heavily pregnant women around. Just me. And passers-by staring ... And Miss Organiser refusing to go by any schedule not set by her personally. 

I ended up spending the night there and they made me share a room with a woman who had delivered her baby on time - as per schedule. Maybe this would knock some sense into me and my baby? Maybe hearing this little companion cry at night would kick mine into action?