Bob looks beautiful, great writing David.

Earlier this year I had the misfortune to experience the inside of an ICU (North Shore, as a visitor) and now that…

Domino midwives should get collectively on the NZ order of merit, I reckon.

I still carry Kate's card in my wallet, just in case I run into anyone in desperate need of a midwife.

my daughter is named after my midwife, who was one of the Domino group

Domino midwives should get collectively on the NZ order of merit, I reckon.

Birth is a risky process and there is an intense fragility about it that some are unaware of.

Thank you for talking about this, pkiwi. What an awful and tragic turn of events. I can only imagine what you must have gone through — a truly terrible situation.…

I am so thankful that our experience with the health system was so much better than yours (though, obviously, not that you had to go through what you did). We had several issues to deal…

'Shoving mothers out the door early' is NOT a midwife decision

Oh, believe me, I've heard midwives bitch about it. And their vanishing petrol allowance.

Chch Women's has gotten snazzy new premises since I birthed there

And yet added not one more bed than they had in the old facility, so they're still shoving mothers out the door early. Crazy.

I reckon your experience of facilities is pretty much down to the staff on the day form the cleaners and clerical staff right through to senior consultants whihc doesn't seem right to me.

Absolutely – Chch Women's has gotten snazzy new premises since I birthed there but (from the reports…

A dead baby at the end of it, despite some talented caring people.

Oh no. I'm so sorry.

That, and this phrase

parents weeping beside cradles

in David's post make me so aware of just how difficult birth and those early days of life can be.

I want to go…

As far as the Whole Birthing Thing goes, we had #2 and #3 at home, having had a home-birth in hospital [our people,…

Yeah, I must admit that I've always thought home birth was a crazy idea (I'm a big fan of modern medicine). But after the hospital experience I can see exactly where they're coming from.

I'm a pretty big fan of modern medicine too. The thing that tipped me into the…

I still recall with delight your wonderful post about Bob's arrival. All PA readers should go and re-read it now – it's a delight.

A slow journey and a quick arrival

I'm convinced it's something to do with physical structures – nice…

as a consequence of hospital regulations that prohibit men from staying overnight

...doesn't help at all.

These regulations don't apply in Australia, or at least in NSW where my youngest was born -…

I chose not to have children but home births really are kinda nice:)

Hear, hear. We did the home thing for #2 and #3 (we were planning to for #1 also, but he had to be induced in the end – probably a good thing, in hindsight, I have a…

i'm hoping that the maternity care is at very least a smidge better than their cardio (which is... not great).

Don't hold your breath.

And hope your own contribution to the PA population explosion goes super well!

and you were nothing like I had imagined. I don't know what (if any) conclusions should be drawn from this.

http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=S-rZdfZfMPw

The other day he managed to attach himself to gaggle of Japanese school-girls and ended up posing with them in numerous holiday snaps.

lol. might have established himself the habit of a lifetime there...

as for your predicament at the hospital. am trying not to think about it. we're heading…

And congratulations to all the new parents who have come out of the woodwork. It's a veritable PA population explosion...

Che Tibby wrote:

... may you always be the curious chap we saw making a dash for the…

I'm not surprised those early days took so long for you to process and be able to post about – it sounds rough and not even a little bit trivial.

I hated the Chch Women's kick-out-the-Dads policy so much.…

From my point of view I found it quite terrifying to be left alone with this little baby overnight (although of course there was heaps of medical support).

Oh yeah. Though Chch Women's allowed quite a bit of leeway, my partner stayed until about ten, I think. I was in…

Like dc_red we had a great experience, at Waitakere Hospital also, earlier this year, and it's amazing what a difference the atmosphere there made to our…

The rules in hospitals that still prevent fathers from staying with their partners and newborns on that first night piss me off immensely.

Gosh. When my daughter was born after a long induced labour at about 3AM, 13 years ago at Waikato Hospital, someone got me a pallet and I…

It wouldn't just be the baby screaming if ti were me... I really glad you found yourself able to write about that day David. Too many of such stories shelved and everyone assumes they were the only ones it happened to.

I hope Big Boy Bob had a…

The rules in hospitals that still prevent fathers from staying with their partners and newborns on that first night piss me off immensely. When my last kid was born it was by C-section so…

Out West we have the option of the Helensville Birth Centre, which offers a service akin to Birthcare (albeit on a smaller scale), and means that Dad is never separated from "Mum and bubs".

(I did take a…

I should clarify that it's not exactly that I was in denial – believe me, it FELT like I was in labour. It's just that the hospital midwives kept telling me that the attempted induction had failed, and that I…

I too had a wife who seemed to think it wasn't really happening, until we…

Well done to all of you for coming through a challenging year — you're quite a family.…

When I had my first baby I swore I wasn't in labour (It was 6 weeks early and I was working as a rural midiwfe myself at the time) After being rushed by ambulance the hour trip to hospital by my midwife and while being assessed by…

what a difference a year makes.

may you always be the curious chap we saw making a dash for the ladies at katipo.

Alas the country music thing has shown no signs of remission. In fact, quite the reverse.

Right on, Baby Bob! Don't listen to the country music naysayers. Go your own merry banjo-plucking, fiddle-playing way.

and thanks David for sharing your families story

It's not trivial at all, mum's and babies are the most amazing things in the world, and it's just wrong that either should experience such treatment in our hospital system.

Well it's just wrong and it's not ok

I played him the 'Down from the Mountain' DVD recommended by a PA reader.

You sure you didn't get that from recommendation Kiwiblog?

Thanks for sharing this tale BTW.

Our hospital and midwife experience (3 weeks ago this morning) in Waitakere was very different ... a high degree of competence and professionalism, and no separation thanks to the lifts, or rule-mad receptionists.

... maybe try Waitakere Hospital next time? I can almost guarantee there won't be any…

Happy belated birthday!

I'll spare you our birthing stories, and end with

Happy birthday Bob!

your workmates might nominate you to sing Der Hölle Rache

I sing it in the shower all the time, in my best falsetto. That's why we don't get mould on the ceiling – the spores are too scared to germinate. If the workmates want to risk it, well, they bring…

That's because this piece was written a few weeks back, but then shelved because it didn't seem to be quite right. I had intended to run another piece last Friday (about taking my niece…

What I recommend is starting your precipitate labour outside the hospital. From there no opportunity arises to be separated from your partner.

Happy birthday snuzzles for Bob…

Our hospital and midwife experience (3 weeks ago this morning) in Waitakere was very different ... a high degree of competence and professionalism, and no separation thanks to the lifts, or rule-mad receptionists.…