te Wha
ppened to the ver ha mantra from my formative years: ha ving it al l?
enage 80s te n a As
r plotting my d was telling me it was A fut ure, the worl LL po ssibl e. Some time later, maybe.
First.
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‘Some time later’ was here now, and the word on the ground sounded very different from 1980s media prophecies and idealistic notions of motherhood.
But what if…
…housing costs keep on rising?
…the illness returns? We should just get on with it!
It’ll be great! …we can’t afford childcare? It’s impossible to work AND have a baby…
People seem to manage somehow. …or to find jobs within school hours!
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And then, just when I thought I’d argued myself out of it… I’m beginning to think it might be nice to have a baby!
I’ve been thinking the opposite … I just don’t know!
Really?
Or…
Wouldn’t it be nice to hear the pad of little footsteps?
They’d want to snuggle up with us…
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I didn’t feel confident about the prospect of becoming a mother, but I had to hurry and decide, one way or a n o t h e r
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Cervical screening:
Any problems?
No.
Any chance you could be pregnant?
At your age, you haven’t got time to waste ‘ t hinking’!
Just thinking about trying, actually!
Well, I do want to be sure first… If you’re not sure, it would be wise to go on the Pill! But I was thinking of stopping contraception! The Pill would help preserve your eggs.* What? It seems a bit odd to go on the Pill just as I’m thinking of trying to get pregnant! *Spurious advice!
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Fertility drops off pretty steeply after thirty-five!
Ready!
I know… Pop your bottom things off.
Quackquack!
You never see where they produce speculums from they just sort of appear.
*SIGH* Just got to get that!
fumble twist
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Er…?
It felt as if the nurse was on the phone for ages!
…excuse me?
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It was the first time I’d ever bled post-scrape.
I’d been feeling unwell, intermittently…
Before long, I was back at the sugery, and was assured, knowingly, that the nurse had left the practice.
…hair like a used cotton bud…
…tired all the time…
…throat problems…
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They kept testing my thyroid function, but the result was always ‘no further action’.
Please can you tell me the numbers?
They’re within range but I could send you to an endocrinologist, given your symptoms.
It might be worth trying you on a small dose of thyroxine. Endocrinology appointment:
I discovered that if I was in the USA, with my test results, I’d be treated for hypothyroidism - and that the UK lab ranges were wider.
The consultant treated me like a time-waster. I don’t really know why you’re here!
My GP:
Sorry - I can’t really justify it if the consultant says no.
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That year, I took a part-time job at a violin sales and repair shop when I didn’t have enough freelance work. It was an unconventional workplace and I appreciated the camaraderie.
Does anyone want to jump up and down on this unrepairable cello?
Not in my condition, thank you!
I’m trying to decide whether to have one of those!
If you don’t mind me asking - what do you like most about having kids?
Ooh - exciting!
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Well… when we took Lulu to the sea for the very first time…
oooeeeeeh!
…and we dangled her feet over the waves…
…she squealed with such sheer delight - and the way she retracted her tiny toes was so cute!
…So stuff like that’s good!
Ah, yes, Polly! You’ll never know love quite like it unless you have children - it’s incredibly powerful!
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April asked me to be a ‘supporting friend’ after her second baby arrived.
I felt so proud.
I made Amber a game, with drawings of her family.
That was nice, wasn’t it?
Yes… very nice!
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