Read Online Midwife in a Million by Fiona McArthur - Free Book Online
Authors: Fiona McArthur
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don’t we?’
‘Funny, that,’ he said dryly. Maybe that’s because we should have been together ten years ago, he thought with a tinge of bitterness. ‘The weather’s clearing and I’m guessing they’ll get back to us with an arrival time?’
She nodded and turned to speak softly into Lucy’s ear. ‘Rory’s going to take us to Rainbow’s End Station and we’ll wait for the plane. Just rest as much as you can, Lucy.’
The track to Rainbow’s End seemed to take forever but he doubted Kate would have noticed. Things were hotting up in the back.
Lucy began to moan every few minutes and Rory realised his own shoulders had begun to tense just before the next contraction was due.
‘You okay, Rory?’ Kate moved up near his seat for a moment and he had the almost irresistible urge to reach back for her hand. A bit of personal comfort wouldn’t have gone astray.
Instead, he said, ‘I think you have enough to worry about apart from me, Kate.’
‘Just to let you know, when Lucy moans it’s because she’s listening to her body, not because she wants us to do anything.’
He could feel himself frown. ‘You’re telling me she’s not in pain?’
To his surprise, there was even a smile in her voice. ‘Oh, it hurts all right. I’m telling you she’s not scared of the pain. So don’t feel you’re failing her by not taking it away. Her own body is dealing with the pain by releasing endorphins. If it was overwhelming her it would be different. Okay?’
‘Okay.’ He didn’t understand but he had to believe Kate. And, now he thought about it, Lucy didn’t sound frantic or in a panic. She sounded almost drugged already. ‘Thanks, Kate. It was bothering me she was upset.’
He felt her hand lightly on his shoulder and thenshe was gone. He only just heard her quiet, ‘Thought so,’ as she sat back down again next to Lucy.
The rest of the drive didn’t seem as bad. Rory sighed once to relieve the tension in his shoulders and focused his concentration on the conditions.
Soon he barely heard Lucy because the road was half covered by water in places and it was his job to get them to the station without mishap.
Finally the lights of the homestead could be seen on the hill ahead. Lucy had become more agitated in the last five minutes and Rory had begun to doubt Kate’s pain theory.
‘Stop here, Rory!’ That quiet yet immediate voice again from Kate.
Rory pulled over and by the time he stopped he could hear the sound he’d heard twice before in the back of an ambulance—the sound of a mother easing her child out into the world. And he could hear Kate’s voice as he climbed through.
‘Beautiful, Lucy. Nice and slow. Just breathe your baby out with the pains and relax between.’
‘What do you need?’ Rory whispered as he looked around, but it seemed Kate had everything ready.
‘Just that towel when I ask for it. We’ll dry baby before laying him or her on Lucy’s skin, and if you check Lucy’s BP as soon as it’s over that would be great.’
‘Baby on her skin?’
Kate’s voice was barely audible and he had thefeeling she didn’t want to distract Lucy from her thoughts. ‘Lucy’s a natural born heater. Best place for a newborn is on mother’s chest.’
He’d been thinking airways and resuscitation. Wrapping in space blankets. Apparently, that was out too for newborns. He leant over and spoke into Kate’s ear. ‘Breathing-wise?’
Kate shook her head and frowned but she glanced at the neonatal bag and mask she had ready. ‘The heart rate is great. There’s no reason to think baby won’t be fine. You always give them thirty seconds if the heart rate’s good before you interfere. If smaller than I expect, I’ll wrap his or her body up without drying in that roll of cling wrap there, and then onto Lucy’s skin to keep warm. Just dry the head and pop that little cap on.’
‘Cling wrap? Plastic sandwich wrap?’
He saw the flash of her teeth. ‘Neat, eh? Little babies
‘Funny, that,’ he said dryly. Maybe that’s because we should have been together ten years ago, he thought with a tinge of bitterness. ‘The weather’s clearing and I’m guessing they’ll get back to us with an arrival time?’
She nodded and turned to speak softly into Lucy’s ear. ‘Rory’s going to take us to Rainbow’s End Station and we’ll wait for the plane. Just rest as much as you can, Lucy.’
The track to Rainbow’s End seemed to take forever but he doubted Kate would have noticed. Things were hotting up in the back.
Lucy began to moan every few minutes and Rory realised his own shoulders had begun to tense just before the next contraction was due.
‘You okay, Rory?’ Kate moved up near his seat for a moment and he had the almost irresistible urge to reach back for her hand. A bit of personal comfort wouldn’t have gone astray.
Instead, he said, ‘I think you have enough to worry about apart from me, Kate.’
‘Just to let you know, when Lucy moans it’s because she’s listening to her body, not because she wants us to do anything.’
He could feel himself frown. ‘You’re telling me she’s not in pain?’
To his surprise, there was even a smile in her voice. ‘Oh, it hurts all right. I’m telling you she’s not scared of the pain. So don’t feel you’re failing her by not taking it away. Her own body is dealing with the pain by releasing endorphins. If it was overwhelming her it would be different. Okay?’
‘Okay.’ He didn’t understand but he had to believe Kate. And, now he thought about it, Lucy didn’t sound frantic or in a panic. She sounded almost drugged already. ‘Thanks, Kate. It was bothering me she was upset.’
He felt her hand lightly on his shoulder and thenshe was gone. He only just heard her quiet, ‘Thought so,’ as she sat back down again next to Lucy.
The rest of the drive didn’t seem as bad. Rory sighed once to relieve the tension in his shoulders and focused his concentration on the conditions.
Soon he barely heard Lucy because the road was half covered by water in places and it was his job to get them to the station without mishap.
Finally the lights of the homestead could be seen on the hill ahead. Lucy had become more agitated in the last five minutes and Rory had begun to doubt Kate’s pain theory.
‘Stop here, Rory!’ That quiet yet immediate voice again from Kate.
Rory pulled over and by the time he stopped he could hear the sound he’d heard twice before in the back of an ambulance—the sound of a mother easing her child out into the world. And he could hear Kate’s voice as he climbed through.
‘Beautiful, Lucy. Nice and slow. Just breathe your baby out with the pains and relax between.’
‘What do you need?’ Rory whispered as he looked around, but it seemed Kate had everything ready.
‘Just that towel when I ask for it. We’ll dry baby before laying him or her on Lucy’s skin, and if you check Lucy’s BP as soon as it’s over that would be great.’
‘Baby on her skin?’
Kate’s voice was barely audible and he had thefeeling she didn’t want to distract Lucy from her thoughts. ‘Lucy’s a natural born heater. Best place for a newborn is on mother’s chest.’
He’d been thinking airways and resuscitation. Wrapping in space blankets. Apparently, that was out too for newborns. He leant over and spoke into Kate’s ear. ‘Breathing-wise?’
Kate shook her head and frowned but she glanced at the neonatal bag and mask she had ready. ‘The heart rate is great. There’s no reason to think baby won’t be fine. You always give them thirty seconds if the heart rate’s good before you interfere. If smaller than I expect, I’ll wrap his or her body up without drying in that roll of cling wrap there, and then onto Lucy’s skin to keep warm. Just dry the head and pop that little cap on.’
‘Cling wrap? Plastic sandwich wrap?’
He saw the flash of her teeth. ‘Neat, eh? Little babies
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