When you went to the hospital to give birth (assuming that you did go to the hospital to give birth, and if you didn't - respect. You're a braver woman than I am), how did you get there?
I suspect you were driven. Of course, you may live round the corner from the hospital, and have walked (which was my plan until the contractions kicked in and I was revealed for the wimp I am...), but I think it's more likely your journey was not on foot.
You may have been sitting in the passenger seat of your car with your teeth clenched and your eyes tight shut as you were driven over what seemed like mountainous bumps in the road. You may have been on all fours on the back seat, mooing like a cow (not me, oh no. But I know someone who did...). Your trip may have involved a helter-skelter race through a town in darkness, a police escort, and have finished with you giving birth on a police officer's coat in the hospital car park (yes, a true story - but not mine). Or it may have started with you skulking around a corner whilst your partner hailed an unsuspecting black cab who would otherwise no-way no-how have stopped for a wild-eyed heavily pregnant woman carrying a small suitcase at 2am (OK, that one was me).
Whatever it was, I'm guessing that for most of us, 4 wheels were involved.
For millions of women across the world, however, a long walk is necessary to get any help or medical assistance during pregnancy and childbirth. So on March 17th, the day before Mother's Day, Health Poverty Action are running the 'March for Mothers' sponsored walks in Greenwich Park, London, to highlight the plight of the 340,000 mothers a year who die in pregnancy and childbirth each year and to help raise funds to support them and to reduce this shocking number.
The march is for the whole family, and features walks of both 5 and 10km. Click here to find out more and how to enter.
(This was not a sponsored post...)
I always wanted to tap The Spouse on the shoulder in the middle of the night and whisper, "Honey! It's time." Alas--never happened. First birth I was kidnapped by the OB during a routine appt and forced to stay at hosp until baby was induced--NOT fun. Second was a home birth. With a medical cast of thousands (in Argentina). We all ate doughnuts and all (OB, midwife, Spouse, me) went out for lunch when labor stalled.
ReplyDeleteMine were all completely boring, on four wheels, in relatively quick moving traffic. It was only when I got to the hospital that the drama began.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing thing...
ReplyDeleteGreat post, will have a look at that link... Love your blog x
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