We repeatedly tell patients we are not in a hurry; there are no trains to catch and we don't care when the baby comes, only how! A doctor who is in a hurry does not belong in the field of obstetrics. As my chief pointed out, "An obstetrician should have a big rear end and the good sense to sit calmly thereupon and let nature take its course."

Bradley contrasts the tempo of modern medical work with the realities of childbirth, arguing that obstetrics demands patience rather than haste. The repeated reassurance—“no trains to catch”—frames labor as a physiological process that cannot be safely subordinated to schedules, convenience, or a clinician’s time pressure. The earthy maxim attributed to his chief (“big rear end…sit calmly”) underscores a philosophy of watchful waiting: the practitioner’s role is to monitor, support, and intervene only when necessary, trusting “nature” while remaining prepared for complications. Implicitly, the quote critiques unnecessary acceleration of labor and elevates calm presence as a professional virtue in maternity care.