Hurrying baby’s arrival!

Thank you for reading my blogs. I hope your summer is wonderful.

We needed Baby to come. We were in Toronto but my husband would attend summer school in Spokane, Washington. We wanted Daddy there for Baby’s arrival before he drove west. Baby and I’d fly a week later, but days were passing. A local friend recommended a fine Jewish obstetrician. Near my due date Dr. Rothman said, “Take spoons of oil. If the baby’s ready, it will come.”

I thought he said four tablespoons of cod liver oil so walked to the drug store, bought a bottle of strawberry-flavored stuff, and swallowed. It was awful. When nothing happened, I phoned the doctor. He laughed.

“My dear, I said castor oil!” I returned to the store, bought the right product, and swallowed more. This time action started. Our son arrived at 2 a.m. that next morning. We say his dark wavy hair is because of all that oil.

No two book births are alike either. In this, I feature special trips all through Israel. There’s nothing like it on the market. Fodor’s and Rick Steves’ books are helpful but don’t tell the bride price at the Beersheva Camel Market where plump blondes bring the highest price. It also contains recipes and medical tips, but I skip the cod liver—castor oil cure.