As it may be gleaned from my previous entries, I am a midwife. I work out in the community which is the most wonderful area to work in, most of the time. I have an area which I share with another midwife, K. Our little patch covers the wilds of middle England, little villages, country roads. The work is visiting Mums and babies at home, running clinics, and delivering babies at home. Yesterday I discovered the biggest drawback, snow. In this country we know about snow, its not freakish, its a fact. We knew yesterdays snow was coming days ago, why then did it cause absolute gridlock? I had to start work an hour late because I couldn't get out of my small home town due to every road being jammed. It had snowed, perhaps 2 inches, the major roads were clear but traffic was at a standstill. When I went off to work all was fine, major roads slightly slushy, side roads icy but OK if you drove slowly. Afternoon. Snow almost gone. Clinic in one of the furthest outposts. Slightly concerned but not a problem, close to major road, should be well gritted, taking me long route, but safe journey if it snowed again. Finished clinic at 5pm. Looked out of window and swore. Absolute whiteout. Turned to lovely local GP, are you going to drive me home, I asked jokingly, NO he replied, turned and went. No, will you be OK, you've got a long journey, is there anything we can do.(His card is marked). Phoned Hubby and warned him I may be late. Started journey on roads untouched by traffic. Not too bad. Approached steep hill, porshe unable to go up, walzing all over the place, calmly passed him in my trusty little Clio. Smirk, smirk. Cars attempting to come down the hill, they all missed me. Came to main road, thick snow. Traffic jam in the direction I wanted to go. Please remember dear reader that we are in a tiny village 6 miles from the nearest town so this traffic jam was probably that long. I decided, usual way home. Main road should be clear. Wrong.
Treacherous. A good question was where did the road begin and the verge end? Why had I not noticed how many hills there were before? Passing numerous abandoned cars, some intact, some in loving embraces with hedges I drove slowly onwards heading for a major by-pass, I knew that would be clear. Dream on. Solid ice. Solid traffic. Snow plough on the other carriageway doing nothing, its a snow plough not an ice plough. To cut a long, two hour story short, no gritting had taken place. I have learned something though. The surgery I work for couldn't give a damn about my well-being, and if snow is forecast, in future I shall cancel that clinic because they do not deserve me. And here endeth a major grumble. By the way the P.D (pregnant daughter) is well and growing daily.

Well, we went shopping. It was the disaster I imagined. The expectant Mother, now 25 weeks into the incubation period, imagined that she could still buy the same type of clothes as before a baby weighing approx one and a half pounds and about 8 inches long lived in her tummy, and that she would still look the same. Needless to say she became very despondant and we ended up coming back with nothing except a pregnancy belly-bar ( this is a plastic dumbell which replaces the metal and jewelled accessories that some people are brave, or stupid, enough to have threaded through their navals ). Having to purchase the aforementioned bar was an indication of quickly pregnancy can alter the body. On Monday the daughter, complete with Expectant Grandmother/Mum/Midwife, went to see the GP for an antenatal, Doc asked when the bar was coming out, when it starts being a problem says daughter. By Thursday the bar was out as it had rubbed and caused a sore. Perhaps I should have mentioned before, I am, as well as being the expectant Grandmother, my daughters midwife. As the GP noted, quite an unusual situation. Not unknown though. My Mother was a midwife and she was my Sister's midwife in one of her pregnancies. No, I did not have my Mum. What do you think I am - weird!

Well, I start now. This has to be quick though cos the ever expanding one is coming round any moment to take me shopping. She has a wedding on Saturday - and nothing to wear. There is the slight problem that she also has no money, but why let that triffling little matter get in the way.