‘I got a phone call last week from the receptionist at the birth centre—I’m in! I’m so excited.’ Her dark, wavy hair bounced as she laughed.
Campbell joined her, noting her glow of excitement. ‘Well, congratulations again.’
‘Thanks. I’ve really wanted to have my baby there ever since I heard about it.’
‘Oh, yes? And why’s that?’
‘Well, I’ve read so much about active birth and I really like the philosophy. I’ve bought and borrowed every book there is on the subject. The whole concept of a birth centre is fantastic. Kind of like a home birth but with medical back-up if you need it.’
‘I think we need to put you in charge of advertising.’ He laughed. ‘You sound like an ideal candidate. Have you thought about how you’re going to cope with the pain?’
‘I’d like the baby to be in the best possible shape when it arrives, so drug-free is my ultimate aim. I’ll try all the alternatives first. But I’m flexible. You hear enough horror labour stories to know it’s going to hurt.’
‘Good for you. I think flexibility is definitely the key.’
‘The receptionist said I needed to see you first and get a referral.’
‘That’s right, so let’s do it. Hop up on the examination bed over there.’ Campbell walked to the door and called to Andrea, who was sorting through a mountain of charts. ‘Andrea’s going to stay while I examine you. Blood pressure first.’
He pulled the cuff down from the wall and quickly took Lex’s BP. ‘Perfect,’ he said, smiling. Next he asked her to slip her skirt down slightly so he could feel her abdomen. ‘Sorry, cold hands,’ he apologised in advance. What was it with hospitals? The air-conditioning always seemed set at freezing.
Campbell shut his eyes as he gently probed Lex’s abdomen, feeling for her burgeoning uterus. He found the top and Andrea handed him a tape measure. He measured the distance from her pubic bone to the where his hand was. Twenty weeks exactly.
‘Would you like to hear the baby’s heartbeat?’ he asked.
‘Of course,’ she said with a laugh.
Andrea gave him a hand-held Doppler. It was similar in appearance to a transistor radio. He squeezed a daub of gel on Lex’s abdomen and turned the machine on. He fiddled with the volume control and turned it down until the noise was less jarring. Manipulating the transducer through the gel, he quickly located the steady whop, whop, whop of the baby’s heart.
They were all silent as the noise filled the office. Campbell loved this part. The sounds of new life never ceased to amaze him. The miracle of it all. This was why he’d become an obstetrician. He grinned at Lex and saw the shimmer of tears in her eyes.
‘What a beautiful noise,’ he said.
‘One hundred and sixty-four,’ said Andrea, who had counted the beats.
‘Excellent,’ said Campbell, switching off the machine and wiping gel off Lex.
He left Andrea to help her straighten up, walking back to his desk to peruse her chart once more.
‘Swabs are negative. Blood tests unremarkable. Haemoglobin good. Any foetal movements yet?’
‘I’ve been feeling fluttering for a couple of weeks now.’
‘Good,’ he said, writing in the notes. ‘Any concerns?’
‘Nope.’ She shook her head.
‘All right, then. You can give the birth centre a ring and organise an appointment for four weeks.’
‘Oh, thank you so much, Dr Deane … I mean Campbell. You don’t know how much this means to me.’ She jumped up and shook his hand vigorously. ‘Actually, I think I’ll go up there now. I haven’t seen it yet and I can make my appointment while I’m there.’
‘Good idea,’ said Campbell, grateful for this golden opportunity. Look out, Claire West. Here I come. ‘I’ll walk you there,’ he offered.
Lex Craven’s excited chatter occupied most of Campbell’s attention on the short walk. As they alighted from the lift on the fifth floor, Campbell listened less, becoming tuned into his body’s anticipation. He could feel his heart thudding in his chest and echoing in his ears.
His stomach growled, reminding him that it was almost two o’clock and he hadn’t had anything to eat since breakfast. Maybe he could persuade Claire to join him for some lunch? Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
He saw her the second he walked through the doors. She had her back to him, talking to a client, and he noticed the easy way she held her body when she didn’t know he was around. She was too erect and straight when she talked to him. Like she was afraid that if she relaxed, even for a nanosecond, she might get too close.
He loved how her white uniform fitted her perfectly. It accentuated her lushness, flattering her curves and emphasising her cute derrière. It was a stark contrast to her rich olive skin and her midnight-black bob. Just watching her now, his fingers itched to feel its silky weight.
She turned to usher her very pregnant client to the door and spotted him. He watched with dismay as her clear brown gaze became muddied with caution.
‘Campbell,’ she said. ‘This is a surprise.’
Obviously not a pleasant one, he thought. In fact, looking at her expression, he felt about as welcome as a venomous snake.
‘I’ve bought Lex Craven for a visit. I’ve just given her a referral.’
Claire had to stop herself from breathing a sigh of relief. He was here professionally. She’d been very busy in the last couple of weeks, which, while tiring, had been advantageous. She’d seen him rarely and when it hadn’t been avoidable, her excuses to take her leave had been completely genuine. No matter how brief their contact, she never felt in control of herself around him. He made her feel … clumsy. Claire was terrified of clumsy.
‘How wonderful to meet you,’ said Claire, greeting their latest client with delight, temporarily forgetting her Campbell-induced anxiety. ‘Go on in and make yourself a cuppa,’ she said, indicating the commonroom. ‘I just need to have a quick word with Campbell.’
Campbell raised his eyebrows as Lex disappeared into the room. She wanted to chat? Was that good?
‘Campbell, I’d like you to meet Shirley Miller, one of our clients.’
‘A pleasure.’ He smiled and shook her hand. He hadn’t met her yet so his registrar must have seen her.
‘Shirley’s thirty-three weeks and her baby has just decided to go breech.’
‘Bit of a swimmer, hey?’ he joked lightly, and Shirley laughed.
‘My other three have been breech until the last four weeks.’
Ah. Fourth child, he thought. That explained her very large tummy. He would have put her closer to term.
‘Could you feel the position properly?’
‘Pretty sure it’s lying frank,’ she said.
‘Well, you’ve got a few weeks yet for the baby to turn.’
‘Here’s hoping,’ said Shirley, and held up crossed fingers. ‘I so want to have the baby here.’
‘We’ll cross that bridge if and when we get to it,’ he reassured her. ‘Did Claire give you some postures you can try at home to encourage the baby to turn?’
‘Sure did. I’m going home right now, before the kids get home, to try them out.’
She said her goodbyes and they watched her leave the premises.
‘She does