A High Point

Birth

By the time we left Paihia for our farmlet in Hurford Road in August 1979, Margaret was pregnant. The rural surroundings were ideal for her to relax in, but of course they meant we were some distance from the hospital when the time came.

But when the time came very little progress was being made (baby now two weeks overdue!). Our Doctor (Derek Livingston), thought it best that Margaret be admitted and induced. However, labour started within hours of making ourselves 'comfortable' at the Maternity part of Taranaki Base Hospital.

Ruby, Margaret's mother, had her 55th birthday on 28 February, and it looked as if the baby might arrive on that day - or perhaps the next day which happened to be 29th February - it was Leap Year!

The hospital had just had a brand-new piece of equipment installed, and we were the first family to be able to use it - an ultra-sound scanner; we couldn't make out exactly what we were supposed to be seeing on the monitor, and I don't think the medical people did much either, but it was interesting.

 

The night passed and into the day and early night again! Contractions and excruciating back pain, hour upon hour, with me dozing fitfully in an armchair, and nurses keeping a careful eye on both mother and baby. Eventually, with over 24 hours of labour already passed and baby (and mother) showing signs of stress our local Obstetrician, Paul Dempsey, was called in to perform a Caesarean Section. The problem was that the baby was lying in posterior position, so that his spine was rubbing against Margaret's spine, and preventing any effective drop into the birth canal.

 

So suddenly everything was activity. The baby was delivered pretty quickly on 1 March, and I entertained him while Margaret was slowly coming round from the anaesthetic.

We were both overjoyed to welcome Matthew Franklin into the world and couldn't wait to take him back to our little farmlet to introduce him to Sheba, Solomon and Tamar, our feline family.

Matthew exploring the farmlet

 

Like all new parents, we doted on our new acquisition, as did his Nana and Grandad, Aunties, Uncles and cousins.