"How 'bout the footy...and cutting the cord??"

Just spoke to one of my work colleagues, Sten. Spent half an hour discussing birth. Haven't really spoken to any friends about it in detail, so this was a good start. He related his experiences in the Birth Centre at the Royal Women's Hospital, Randwick. Some bitchy, incompetent midwives, but the births went quite smoothly - both induced. I asked him about the births and afterwards, cutting the cord and getting home etc. Sten was good to talk to as he didn't give too much stern advice and said that "You can listen to what people like I say, and just take out of it what you want - it depends on your lifestyle and on the baby - everyone (and every one) is different." I've also been trying to organise my "parental leave" at work today - think I'll wait until my boss is back tomorrow - the forms are confusing and annoying. Never mind. From what I can(not) glean from the leave policy, it looks like there actually is no entitlement for "long term" leave for Dads - one week unpaid then back to work, mate, lookin' after babies is for sheilas...