Day 3 of Lockdown. How can it only be day 3????

1:58am: phonecall from the client who rang yesterday when I was a tad busy. She’s ready to go to the birthcentre for her third baby.

Not quite the same mad dash as yesterday morning - this time I made my own coffee. You’ll all be pleased to know that in the wee hours everyone is taking the lockdown seriously. I saw one possum and a cat on my 15 minute drive in. The possum was in my own driveway dammit - I’ll have to get my son onto that bandit.

So most midwives will agree that third baby’s can be notoriously confusing. First ones are looooooong, second ones are a much quicker - and a pleasant surprise for the woman about how much easier it was. Then there is always the worry from the woman that she won’t make it to the birthcentre in time for number three.

So, sure enough we were there too early. Buts that’s ok, I was expecting that. I still thought it would only be a few hours and I would be home in my bed again.

But no.

10.00am: It was a looooooong one. I handed over to our locum as I just couldn’t go on safely anymore. That’s a hard decision to make, you feel like you are bailing on your client after some very intense and personal moments. But I had tried all my tricks and I knew in my heart she needed fresh eyes. I had phoned and woken our locum up and she had raced over. I was very impressed with her commitment to the cause when she turned up with no makeup on as she must have sped in on her mercy mission. But actually she told me this arvo that she had read somewhere it’s better not to wear makeup as you touch your face more when it’s on.

Good plan, and I’ve noted it, but I don’t think I can go without a layer of bb cream and some mascara. I find it quite ironic that our lack of any PPE gear is now causing us to put less on our faces though!

What I really needed on my drive home was Mc’Ds hash browns, always the comfort food of choice after a long night birth. But no. All I had overnight was another bloody OSM bar (I can’t wait till that box runs out). So I phoned ahead to the hubby for avocado and tomato on toast. I gave very specific and clear instructions, they weren’t quite met, but still winning. Ate that outside the door before I did the decontamination dance through the house and into the shower.

Is it ok to admit I’m sick of washing? Showering three times in one day is do-able at a push, but the hair washing that often is not. At least our water restrictions have ended out here and I no longer have to stand in a bucket! Then you go to bed on wet hair and wake up looking like an old crone with flat hair on one side and a teased wreck on the other. Did I mention my haircut was supposed to be yesterday?

10.30am: As I was pulling into my driveway this morning a friend was walking along the road so we had a shouting catch up. She guessed where I’d been as she has been reading the blog, but she gave me too much sympathy and made me cry. Ridiculous really, life is good, I’m just so incredibly tired. I felt very bad when I returned the favour asking how her daughter was doing? She is on her gap year in Dublin, working at a boarding school. They couldn’t guarantee her flight out of London and didn’t want to risk marooning her at Heathrow. So they made the hard decision to leave her in Dublin - wIth a lovely family who only expected to have her stay for two weeks. Wow that’s hard, she’s safe - but she’s not home with her mum. So we blew each other kisses and parted still crying.

I like hugging. Hugging was called for. That sucked.

12.00pm: Into bed because even though you’re shattered it takes a while for your brain to chill out

12.02pm: Shiver fest.

12.03pm: I’ve got COVID!!!!

12.04pm: Don’t be a dick. You are tired and cold.

12.06pm: roar out of bed to holler again. “WHAT IS THAT BLOODY CONSTANT THUMPING???” It’s no 1 daughter grating cheese! How can that shake the floorboards? Shit. Back to bed sheepishly.

12.10pm: asleep

12.55pm: Phone goes. PANIC STATIONS!!!! Noooooooooooo. In the ten seconds before I pick it up I manage to fit in feeling sorry for myself, run through possible pregnant women. Who’s bleeding? Surely there is no one left in the whole of the Waikato to labour after this last week?

But it’s just my mate. I don’t even answer. She’ll understand.

12.58pm: Asleep.

3.58pm: wake up.... STARVING!

So lots of eating, whilst still in bed, then phoned our locum for an update. Baby born yay!

5.58pm: I remember that I am now very late for the street meeting to check up on everyone. Shit!

6.01pm: Turn up, clean but makeup less, hair as mentioned above. Everyone keeping 2 m distance with a fence in between.

6.35pm: back home, armed with a Hazmat suit and goggles! Hopefully I won’t need that one, but nice to have! And a contact for my hubby who works at St.Johns to source PPE gear if they still need it when he goes back to work tomorrow. People are so cool!

6.36pm: back in bed with blue cheese and crackers. Back to fasting regime tomorrow. Sure, sure.

7.32pm: Teenage son so bored he attacked his eyebrows after I tell him I’m not cutting his mullet right now. OMG I do not have the energy for parenting. If this is day 3 he will be bald in another week.

Tomorrow I have urgent postnatal visits to do and a few phone visits for those that got bumped on Friday due to Katie’s birth. I feel like everyone is a bit neglected as I’ve been so busy. Hopefully I also have time to visit my horse! I’m sure he misses me terribly. Not 😉