Back in 1989, we didn’t usually know the sex of our child until it was born, so though I would have liked a girl, as I had a boy already, it didn’t really matter.
I had regular doctor check-ups on Tuesdays, so on Tuesday, the 25th of April I went to my regular check-up. The doctor (a lady) asked me how I was feeling. It was basically my due date. My baby was a bit restless, though I wouldn’t have said that labor pains had started at all. The doctor said she wouldn’t examine me and told me to head off to the hospital in Levanger.
It was the middle of the day and as this was my second birth, I knew a lot more than I did with the first one. I said to my husband that it was far too early to go to the hospital, though we should go later in the day. So we went home and had some lunch and relaxed for a bit.
We picked up Alasdair at the kindergarten at his usual time. We had already arranged for him to stay with someone living in Levanger when it was time for me to go to the hospital. We took him there, and got him settled in and then Brock and I left.
I still felt that it was far too early to go to the hospital, though I was now feeling like the birth was on its way. We went walking and we had a meal. I knew that walking would help the birthing process and staying upright would give gravity a chance to help too.
After a while we went to the hospital and to the maternity ward. They were very busy and asked us to come back in an hour. We said that was okay, as I was sure things weren’t imminent yet. So we walked around the park area near the hospital. I seem to remember a lot more park back in 1989 than there is now. (There are a lot more buildings now.)
When we went back to the maternity ward, the evening was getting on and this time we were taken in and I was examined. I was now dilated enough to be assigned a birthing place and the birthing process continued with Brock at my side as well as a midwife in attendance.
Everything went well. There was no need for a doctor this time. At about 12:45 am, on Wednesday, the 26th of April, after about three hours of labor, a healthy baby girl was born. I could relax again. This second birth had been much, much easier than the first one.
