This is a song from my first album, ‘Labours of Love’, which I released last year. £1 from every copy goes to SANDS (the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society) as three of the tracks on the album were written with this topic in mind. CDs are available from myself at rforteath.yahoo.co.uk and include 8 songs all written by myself on the themes of motherhood and midwifery. I am very pleased to present this song to open the conference, which was first performed at The Gathering, the annual UWS student team building day, in 2014.
In The Morning
1 There’s a young woman crying in birthing room ten
Saying “Why did I do this? Please tell me again.”
But the midwife just smiles her encouragement then
Says “It will be alright in the morning.”
2 The woman is scared she’s not done this before
She’s wanting to know what she’ll have to endure
But the midwife has seen this so often before
There will be a new life in the morning
Ch And the midwife she knows in this country tonight
So many more women face the hour of their plight
But we can empower them to know their birthright
There will be a new life in the morning
3 She’s starting to struggle by a quarter to two
The midwife suggests that she try out the pool
She soaks for a while and then says that will do
Or I’ll look like a prune in the morning
4 She’s on Entenox by a quarter to three
And saying some things that make no sense to me
About feeding the cat and then climbing a tree
And sleeping up there till the morning
Ch
5 In birthing room ten it is now half past three
She asks the midwife to perform a V.E.
But she says “If you tell me I’m not more than three
I will cry my eyes out till the morning.”
6 She’s wanting to push by a quarter past four
She’s fully dilated and round on all fours
Her husband cannot feel his hand anymore
And he thinks he can’t wait till the morning
Ch
Ch2 And the midwife, she knows in this country tonight
There may be a woman who is losing her fight
But as a profession we will give all our might
To still have two lives in the morning
7 The vertex is visible at 5:24
Her waters have broken all over the floor
The midwife says only a few pushes more
And your baby will come with the morning
8 The breaking of dawn brings a sweet baby’s cry
A new Daddy stands with a tear in his eye
He says to his wife “I’m so proud I could fly
For my daughter has come with the morning.”
Ch3 And the midwife, she knows in this country tonight
Many women have triumphed in joy and delight
Their pain all forgotten beholding the sight
Of the baby who came with the morning
9 The midwife drives home in the light of the dawn
Her bed is inviting, her curtains are drawn
But tonight she’ll return to those soldiering on
To greet a new life in the morning.
