| It’s
over a week since our new baby was born and as this is the first
entry in the baby blog I will go back to the beginning and give
you some background into the first few moments of the baby’s
life outside the womb.
The
birth – a fathers perspective
Day One - Sunday 14 September 2003
Jaden-Taylor was born a very healthy 3.4 kg at 19:45 after what
to me seemed like a short labour, although suggesting this to a
woman who has just pushed something the size of a boulder out of
something the size of a pin head wasn't a very good idea.
The
whole saga started early that morning, and I do mean early, about
0500, with a few random contractions. These random contractions
continued with varying strength and frequency throughout the day
fooling us into thinking the baby was coming soon, to the extent
that we even phoned the hospital to say get ready.
Not
so false labour
After
hours of searching for information on the net we finally conceded
that this was false labour and nothing was going to happen today.
How
wrong we were, becuase at about 1730 the contractions became very
strong and very regular, about 5 minutes apart. A call to the hospital
and a bath later and we are rushing to the maternity unit in the
car trying to stop Sammy from pushing the baby out under the seat.
When
we finally reached the hospital after hitting every red light and
traffic hold up and not finding anywhere to stop, we went straight
to a delivery room where Sammy had to try and get onto a bed that
seemed to be about as high as a um…. Well onto something very
high. Fortunately the midwife lowered the bed and Sammy was able
to slide on. Well, sort of.
The
birth
I spent
the next 45 minutes looking and feeling like a very useless lemon.
The midwife was nice, and she tried to make me feel at least a little
bit useful by putting me ‘in charge’ of the baby monitor
which basically entailed pushing a button to turn it on, another
to turn up the volume, and passing through a bit of cable with a
chunk of plastic on the end to monitor the babies heartbeat.
Oh
and I can't forget the goo, the stuff to make the noise come through
that goes on the end of the plastic chunck.
That,
and the essential part of any soon to be father's job - being beaten
to a pulp by mummy every time a contraction starts and any time
in between if she feels like it!
It
all happened in a total blaze, one minute we are struggling with
the bed and finding out that Sammy is 8cm dilated, the next out
pops baby boy looking all wrinkled and purple (I don’t care
what anyone says newborn babies are ugly).
The
midwife clamps the chord and for the second time (I got to do it
with my daughter three years ago) I cut the cord and out squirts
puss, goo and gunk.
The
baby, who was cleaned and wrapped up like a dodgy wrapped parcel
at Christmas time, was shown to mummy then passed on to me to hold
while mummy was cleaned and wrapped herself.
The first moments together
I know
I have been through this before with my first child but the experience
is still as powerful, holding your child for the first time, watching
them take their first breaths, opening their eyes for the first
time.
It
is an experience that lives with you like a constantly playing video.
Even the cries are heart warming after waiting for nine months to
meet him, but this is soon going to change.
After
holding the baby I passed him over to mummy and started taking photos
and getting the video camera out (yes it stayed away during the
birth).
I went
home that night leaving mummy and baby to rest while I looked after
baby number one, although if you call her a baby you will be met
with a stern face, hands on hips, screaming 'I'm a BIG GIRL'.
I think
that is a good place to leave this entry as the next stage includes
the first moments baby one meets baby two and the first LONG night
at home.
by
Ryan Morrison
E-mail ryan.morrison@bbc.co.uk
if you would like to comment on this article. We reserve the right
to publish any comments sent in to us.
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