If it's a boy, call it Levi......

We had Colin and Ana over for dinner last night for their farewell meal before they travel around the world.  Chances are we won't see them for twelve months, so the pressure was on to try persuade the little 'un to make an appearance after dessert to round off the evening in style.  Certainly would be a dramatic end to the dinner........and much more stylish than passing round the After Eight mints!!!

Thing is, unless we are missing something, you can't really tell a baby when to be born.  We've tried writing due dates in the diary, playing loud music to the bump (nursery rhymes of course!!), balancing Ceri on a birth ball.......and all to no avail.

Having read a few (more!!) books on the subject, Ceri decided to try another approach to bringing on birth: curry!

Not sure of the science behind the Curry Birth Plan, but it seems to me that the basic principle is:  "smoke the little one out".  When you think about it, it's the food equivalent of setting alight to someone's house to try and get them to come out and see you.  Well, if all else fails...........

Plan agreed, Ceri cooked up a favourite Levi Roots chicken curry recipe packed full of scotch bonnet chilis - one of the strongest chilis known to man - and served it up around 8 o'clock.  If you are going to smoke it out, you might as well douse the flames with paraffin too! 

By 9 o'clock Ceri gave a shout from upstairs saying that there were signs that labour was starting (early labour admittedly - but labour nonetheless).  If you want the details of what happened, best to ask Ceri yourself - this isn't a gynaecology blog!!!

Next thing you knew, we were all round the table looking at our watches and trying to figure out if there was any chance that he/she would pop out before the 4pm BA flight to Toronto.  Tick, tick, tick........

I'm writing this at 5.26pm the following day, by which time Col and Ana will probably be somewhere over the Atlantic.  And no sign of the little 'un.

So, long story short, curry works! 

We're still waiting for "proper" labour to kick in - but the first signs were definitely brought on by the recipe on page 32 of "Caribbean Food Made Easy".  Top tip for all you other expectant mums out there. 

So, thanks Mr Roots for hurrying things along at least a little bit.  If it's a boy, we'll call it Levi !!!