Christmas deliveries

The festive holidays may be here, but for many the important work continues. Nora Mcelhone and Jennifer Mclaren meet the people who deliver at Christmastime

W elcoming a new life into the world is a wonderful time, and midwives like Lucy Mcindoe give up Christmas Day with their families in order to deliver babies with extra-special birthdays.

Lucy, 30, has been a midwife for nine years, she lives in Broughty Ferry and works in the Dundee Midwifery Unit at Ninewells Hospital. For Lucy, the shifts can be a mix of the everyday with a sprinkling of festive fun.

“As far as the work involved, it’s not any different,” she explains, “but I think there is an extra bit of camaraderie between staff and the families. We understand the women would rather be at home with their loved ones so we try to make the day a bit special to make up for this.”

For many mothers – especially those who have older children – Christmas Day babies can result in a mad dash to hospital: “I do recall women on previous Christmases who have remained at home in labour until they have finished their Christmas dinner, or they have waited until after Santa had been to see their other children opening their presents and then arrive at hospital with not much time to spare!”

Lucy and her colleagues know that being in hospital on December 25 wouldn’t be the way most people would choose to celebrate Christmas.

“We try to make things as festive as possible,” she says. “We decorate the unit and have the Christmas tunes on. Last year the inpatient ward gave families the opportunity to write a wish and put it on the tree.”

At the end of her shift, it will be time for Lucy to head home to spend some time with her own family: “When I finish in the evening, I’m planning to have some drinks and food with my husband, and then visit my parents on Boxing Day for a proper celebration.

“On the last Christmas dayshift I worked, when I went home my husband proposed to me – so he is going to have to work hard to top that!” she laughs.

One woman who received the support of the team of midwives at Ninewells this time last year was Gemma Day from Dundee. Gemma, 27, her partner Chris Paton and Chris’s daughter Millie Tonner, received the ultimate Christmas gift when baby Rex was born just a few minutes before midnight on Christmas Eve.

With a due date of Christmas Day, Gemma had been expecting a long wait for her first baby to arrive. “We made no plans for Christmas day or dinner because we just didn’t know what it would hold for us last year,” she says.

In fact, Gemma went into labour on December 22 but it was to be a protracted affair. She recalls: “Eventually I was taken in to the Dundee Midwifery Unit in the early hours of Christmas Eve. What a long day! I lost all concept of time, all I knew was that it was painful and my dream labour team (my mum and Chris) were all that kept me going. Janet, my midwife was also unbelievable.”

All the staff and midwives were fantastic and in great spirits. Santa even came to visit Rex minutes after he was born