The Doctor's Engagement

‘I’m the new practice nurse,’ she said gently, her green eyes warm and friendly, ‘and we haven’t met before. The baby’s beautiful. Boy or girl?’

‘Boy.’ Anna stared down at the bundle in her arms, her expression blank.

‘And what’s he called?’ Holly dropped to her knees so that she was closer to baby and mother.

‘Harry.’

‘Nice name.’ Ouch. Anna Watts clearly didn’t want to talk at all, and all Holly’s instincts were telling her that Debra was right and the woman was depressed. She seemed totally uninterested in anything, including the baby. ‘I don’t have any children, but I’ve always thought it must be very hard, adjusting to being a mum all of a sudden.’

Anna looked at her properly for the first time. ‘It is.’ Suddenly her eyes filled with tears. ‘And I’m no good at it. I’m a hopeless mum.’

‘Oh, Anna!’ Impulsively Holly put an arm round the thin shoulders and gave the other woman a comforting squeeze. ‘That’s not true at all! Just because it seems hard, it doesn’t mean you’re no good. Look at Harry—he’s healthy and happy. That’s all down to you.’

‘She’s right,’ Debra said gruffly. ‘You are doing a good job, Anna. But you’re obviously feeling very down, aren’t you, love?’

Anna started to sob. ‘I just can’t cope,’ she choked. ‘I don’t get any sleep, I have a permanent headache, I’ve got no one to help me, and sometimes when Harry cries and cries I think I might do something to him. It’s not that I don’t love him—but sometimes it just gets too much.’

‘I can imagine.’ Holly made soothing noises and comforted her while Debra lifted the baby away from the distraught mother.

‘You poor thing. Does Harry cry a lot?’

‘In the evenings it’s a nightmare,’ Anna confessed, her voice choked. ‘He yells non-stop for three hours. I know he’s got tummyache but I can’t seem to help him. I’ve tried colic drops but they didn’t work at all.’

Holly frowned thoughtfully. ‘How about massage?’

‘You mean rubbing his tummy?’ Anna looked doubtful and Holly nodded.

‘It can be quite effective for colicky babies, can’t it, Debra?’

Debra nodded. ‘There are some mothers who find that it works wonders. There’s a local group for baby massage which started a few months ago. If you like, I could try and find their number.’

‘No, thanks.’ Anna shook her head and blew her nose hard. ‘I—I don’t really feel like meeting anyone right now.’

Holly bit her lip. The poor, poor woman! She glanced at Debra and then back at Anna.

‘I could pop round some time and help you,’ she said quietly. ‘I could bring some oils and we could do it together. If you wanted me to, that is.’

Anna hesitated. ‘Would you do that?’

‘Of course,’ Holly said immediately. ‘I’d be glad to. I can’t promise it will help, but it’s worth a try. Is that all right with you, Debra?’

‘Absolutely!’ Debra was obviously relieved to have found someone else to help with Anna, and Holly was pleased that the other woman obviously wasn’t territorial about her patients.

‘I think if I could stop him crying such a lot I’d be able to cope better,’ Anna confessed, the tears falling again.

‘Does your husband know you feel like this?’ Holly handed her a handful of tissues.

‘He knows I’m a bit down.’ Anna shredded the tissues and made a visible effort to stop crying. ‘But he’s just lost his job and it’s all very stressful at the moment. He goes out with his friends a lot and I sometimes wonder if he’s staying away on purpose because things are so awful at home. I just haven’t got anyone to turn to.’

Holly exchanged looks with Debra. ‘Would you consider joining a postnatal group Anna? It might help you make some friends. Meet people in the same situation.’

‘I really couldn’t.’ Anna’s shoulders shook with sobs once again. ‘I haven’t got the energy to go out. I really haven’t.’

Which was most likely the reason she wasn’t turning up at clinic and Debra wasn’t seeing her.

‘What about family?’ Holly probed gently. ‘Are any of your family nearby?’

Anna shook her head again. ‘There’s only my dad and he’s in his seventies. And Bill’s mum and dad are too far away to help.’