In out, in out, shake it all about.

Shaking it all about may be the next option for Giovanna.

It is 2pm on Friday, and we've been to hospital twice today already.

10.30pm, Thursday. Phone call: 'Contractions are four to five minutes apart, the hospital has told me to have a bath and ring...'  Unable to finish the sentence due to a contraction, James took over. I scooted round there, waited while she finished her bath and made the phone call. Part way through, I took over, as another pain assailed her. This had to be it.

You don't notice all the bumps and lumps in a road until you're driving a woman in labour to hospital. Every three to four minutes it was, 'Ow, ow, owww!' Huff in, puff out, till finally a sigh as it passed over.

Shortly after we reached our destination, JW's mother arrived and we sat in the waiting room for the prognosis. Conclusion: 3cm dilated. 'You can either walk round and round to get it going, or go home and rest,' the midwife told her. 'I'm not going home!' she declared, promptly doing a tour of the hospital grounds with JW.

His mum and I reminisced about our own labours (her three lasted 2 hours, 20 minutes and 10 minutes - not fair!). They popped back a couple of times, during which JW pointed out the graffitied, let's say, male appendage  drawn high on the wall. 'Ironic,' I pointed out,'Since that's what's brought us here'. 'Yeah,' agreed JW. 'I'm surprised they didn't write "It's all you fault!" underneath.' Poor Giovanna. It's hard to laugh when you're in pain.

After another walk, Giovanna was back, deciding regretfully that she couldn't trek around the hospital grounds all night.

I drove them home as the sun appeared over Essex - an intense orange ball I've never seen the like of before. Amazing. Giovanna was too busy huffing and puffing to notice.

Three hours sleep later, JW was on the phone, so back we went. At least the cafe was open this time so I was able to wile away a couple of hours reading and drinking coffee before they appeared again. This time they had instructions to return at 6pm to have her waters broken. Fitting, since that was the time she was due to go in for induction. The labour suites being filled to absolute capacity prevented them from breaking her waters there and then.

Funny, I've never known many people with August birthdays, but the future years will obviously be filled with them. And, there's not even holiday time or bad weather to blame.