November the month from hell....

My absence from the blog of late has not been due to my abandonment of blogging, but rather to the existence of the month from hell. With one of my midwfiery partners away for the month, tending to family in lands far away, my other partner and I delivered a total of 21 babies between us in the month of November! My eight consisted of one CS, one water birth, and two ventouse deliveries, the rest all beautiful NVD's, with one of those a VBAC.

My partner sadly, had a series of long haul labours, and several CS, which left her pretty shattered! This meant that we had a heavy load of postnatal work to do as well, and all things considered, we had a hell of a month.

On a personal level, that month also coincided with the organisation of my beautiful younger sisters wedding, which took place on a blissfully sunny day at the beach on the 1st of december. So I also organised a hens night, decorated my first wedding cake (it was ok, nothing exciting) and got to catch up with the wonderful girls who are and have been importnat to my sister, including her bridesmaid Nicky, flown from the distant shores of Australia to spend four whirlwind days with us!

Years ago, when they were teens, Nicky and my sister used to babysit frequently for my girls. Imagine Nicky's surprise on arriving at my sisters to discover the five year old she used to care for standing there, taller than her!

I also did several study days, had my wallet and all my ID stolen from the hospital and lived with next to no income without having any major disasters. It was also the month that lead into the end of my first year of practice: trial by fire anyone?

So, now, I wake up and find myself already at the end of December, a qualified practitioner for over a year, discharging the first of my clients back into the bad bad world. The christmass shopping is done, the presents are laid out with care under the tree. Even the christmas grocery shop has been completed, online, last night for delivery on Xmas eve.

I am preparing (slowly) for my midwifery standards review in january, and slowly starting to get my head around the fact that I am now a self employed responsible member of society. freaky.

The lady in my post on miscarriage has just discovered that she is pregnant again. she is both happy and scared, tenuously clinging to the fear that this may still not be the right time, but relieved to have conceived easily... It is all very difficult for her emotionally, but physically her body is right on track.

My children all got lovely reports,and are all doing well: though one day into the summer holidays, they are already driving me mental with arguing!

So, now that you are all caught up on the humdrum (all may be an overstatement, I don't think anyone much reads this drivel!) I will finish working on a couple of pieces that have been simmering throughout all this professional and personal chaos! a happy and enjoyable christmas is wished to all, and to my fellow pagans, blessed be.