Chapter Five
Cariad squatted down next to a gestation bag. Five trainee midwives stood in a half circle behind her. So far, none of them had volunteered to assist with a decanting.
“There really isn’t anything to be frightened of, you know,” she said. “Isn’t anyone willing to try? I know it seems scary, but the chances of losing a baby are vanishingly small. I don’t think a single one has been lost at the decanting stage aboard Nova Fortuna. It’s much safer than natural childbirth. We can see if the baby’s stuck or the umbilicus is wrapped around its neck or it’s passed meconium. We don’t have to rely on instruments to tell us what’s happening. Things are going to be a lot harder planetside when you’re assisting women giving birth.”
She shut her eyes. That was exactly the last thing she
