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.