I love that saying, and I think that even in this isolated society it is as true as it ever was - now we just these villagers midwives, and health visitors and toddler groups.
I think it takes a village to birth a child as well though, and looking back at Alfie’s birth I think the biggest mistake we made was underestimating the size of the village we needed.
My mind is slowly forming the shapes of how we change that this time around and who I want around us when Pip comes along. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that, this one is nicknamed Pip because that is how big it was when I first looked at one of those pregnancy ticker things - as big as an apple pip.
Today I had my booking appointment and was faced with the tricky question of which hospital I wanted to opt for. Ummmm, not the same one as last time?
Actually the appointment was great, and in SUCH contrast to the last one. When I saw the doctor in 2009 I was warned about my precious pregnancy and given progesterone, and told to go away and say three hail marys and a how’s y’father and hope the consultant would see me safely through. This time our doctor, who is a Gibraltarian, asked me to sit down and then said in a thick llanito accent:
“Ooooooh I see here you are overdue for your smear. When you leave make an appointment ok? Now how can I help you?”
“I’m pregnant”
“You know what I just said? Forget it.”
If he ever decides to give up medicine, he has a career in comedy, his timing is impeccable.
He then spent 10 minutes telling me to carry on running as long as I didn’t take up sky diving, and to stay away from farms.
So I’m booked in with the same community midwife (boy is she going to try to climb out the window when she sees me!!) and a different local hospital from last time and I guess we see how that particular institutional cookie crumbles. My plan is use them for tests and scans and take my care the independent route.
I have some appointments with an independent midwife and a doula over the next week and I’m really excited about the idea of having some incredible people standing squarely behind me. I want my village big, anyone with the right mentality is invited and we’ll see if we can’t bring this baby into the world the right way this time.
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