It's twins!

Thursday 2nd

“If only you’d been here yesterday”

That’s what the staff at the Maternity department of the brand spanking new Victoria hospital in Kirkcaldy said to Dr Hilary, Ali the producer, Colin the sound recordist and me.

We were there to film a day in the life of a Midwife.

Up until today every day had been very busy for all the staff in the Labour and Maternity wards.

The women of Fife seemed to be popping babies out like the world needed to be repopulated. That was 'til today.

There were no women in labour and there had not even been any calls from any pregnant women who thought things might be moving in the direction of a birth.

We started filming with Amanda who had been volunteered to be followed around by us on her shift.

Things were not looking good for getting a good film showing her dealing with the various later stages of pregnancy and hopefully an actual birth.

All quiet in the usually busy maternity department.

We were busy trying to make something out of not much happening.

Hilary had a little chat on camera with a woman who had given birth to a wee boy called Daniel a little while before we arrived.

Daniel and his mum.

At least we had something but it would not make particularly exciting TV.

Then Amanda found out that there was a lady, Louise who had come in to have a C section because she was at thirty six weeks with twin boys one of which was in the breach position.

We went in and saw her with her bump and Richard her husband for a little interview.

They were a lovely couple, Richard, a taxi driver already looked shattered because he had been working all last night.

After we had done the interview Ali asked if they would be happy for us to do another interview after the babies were born.

Not only did they say yes to that after a few phone calls to the theatre staff we were cleared so that I could film the operation.

We were not going to be in the actual operating theatre so no need for us to be gowned up. We were in the resuscitation room next to the theatre with a big window looking into it.

Things had suddenly gone from us struggling to have enough for a piece to the potential for a great piece.

I filmed the process and Hilary did a bit of a commentary as it was happening.

Hilary looks on as the Caesarian is performed...

..and takes a couple of photos.

We all found ourselves being a bit moved seeing the beginning of two tiny pink lives.

Hilary said that he never ceased to find the arrival of new-borns to be an emotional experience.

The first of the twins newly brought into the world.

Amanda cutting the cord.

Liz, the other midwife deals with twin number two.

Interviewing a tired but very happy dad.

When we had done that we went up to the Maternity ward to speak to some new mums and found another mum of twins.

Slightly older twins up on the Maternity ward.

The final thing to do at the hotel was to check out the possibility of doing a live broadcast from the hospital next week.

I worked out the best place to park a satellite truck and how the cable could safely be brought into the room we would use.

When all that was sorted I drove Hilary and Ali to Edinburgh airport to get their flights south to Heathrow...

..but not before Hilary posed for some photos..

..with Amanda the midwife.