A memorable delivery

doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7502.1246

BMJ 2005;330:1246 (28 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7502.1246

Filler

A memorable delivery

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The newspaper competition's first prize seemed idyllic: flightfrom Dayton, Ohio, for three days in London, followed by relaxingfive day crossing from Southampton to New York on board theluxury liner Queen Elizabeth II. Only there are two slight hitches:the winning couple are expecting the imminent birth of theirfirst child, and it is winter in the north Atlantic. Sufficeto say, the ship's doctor is blissfully unaware of the woman'sdelicate condition until he is woken from his postprandial afternoonnap when her waters break, on the fourth day of the voyage,500 miles east of New York in mountainous seas and a force 12gale.

"Oh dear, Mrs H," he says, "you are 8 cm dilated."

"My last Hb was 9.5, doctor."

"Uuum."

The scene is set: a calm, physically robust 32 year old registerednurse from Ohio accompanied by her rather nervous school teacher. . . [Full text of this article]

Michael Beeney, general practitioner and retired ship's doctor¹

¹ Eastbourne (mikebeeney@aol.com)