Naina's birth - the facts mam

Deepti went into semi-weird labour contractions on Thursday April 17 2008. They were irregular and seemed unconnected to previous ones in time or intensity. We were convinced by many books that these were phantom contractions and nothing to get worked up about. By Friday morning, they were a little more painful (and regular) but the intensity varied. I rang Deepti from work in the morning and she was describing them as labour pains, but getting less intense. A phew rang out in my mind.

I got home on Friday evening and Deepti was in a fair bit of ouchy ouchy but ready to try a new culinary experience at Little Thai Princess in Malvern/Glen Iris. We drove and all the way the labour pains were intense but irregular, so much so that Deepti would stop talking and eating whilst the pains were there. When we got home on the 18th of April, we rang the mid-wives who cheerfully said, just take a hot bath. Deepti did so, and had some relief with that and the water bottle. But still, another poor nights sleep (that's two in a row).

By Saturday, we were going slowly, very slowly. We managed the obligatory Saturday lunch at the Carnegie Nando's and wandering around Koornang Road. I even managed to cook a soup for Deepti. But by that evening, it was pain hell. Almost to the point of crying in pain. We rang the hospital at 10 pm, and they said come in, we'll check you out. Their view was take two panadeine forte and try and get some sleep. In between Deepti threw up aforementioned soup and then threw up aforementioned panadeine forte.

No sleep was to be had. Deepti and I went back to the hospital with all her bags packed. It was 3 am by this stage on Sunday morning and Deepti hadn't slept properly in days. The pethidine jab allowed Deepti to sleep an hour or so, but then she woke up, with promises from mid-wives of oh, we'll give you gas now, and then of course, no gas. Deepti was in serious pain and nothing was helping.

Mid-wife Debbie was scary when she came on. I can remember being ordered out of the room with a lecture to go and get some lemonade, a shower, and some ice cream for Deepti. She said no gas, time to get active and get this baby out. Deepti was 4 cm dilated at this stage. However, first impressions are often wrong in life. Debbie was strict, but she was the best we came across in the hospital. She had the aromatherapy, the music (ok muzak), exercise ball everything.

The gas arrived mid-morning, Deepti loved the gas. I had heard some people say the gas made them go nutty, but not Deepti, she wouldn't let go of it even when they turned it down to zero.

Deepti in labour, blue tube of gas as her partner

The afternoon dragged on, regular dilation checks, everything in slow motion.

So finally an epidural, then syntocin to speed up the contractions, and eventually, labour started progressing. The night mid-wife was a pretty poor excuse for a mid-wife and did nothing except tell Deepti to do a poo. Useless bastard and I had words with him when he started telling Deepti off for not understanding him.

A team of doctors appeared around 11pm on Sunday, and forceps and suction (Naina's hair got in the way), then the magical moment when I first saw Naina's hair (a lot of hair) and then her face, all stretched and yet squished.

My first thought when the baby was hurled up on to Deepti's stomach, looking at this grey, greasy, unhappy thing, was OMG to quote a teenage girl. I think I was in shock for a few hours. Naina was mucousy and had to be suctioned. It must have hurt her a lot as she didn't settle after the birth for a couple of hours. My shock was immense, I can only imagine that child birth is the most intense experience possible for a baby and it is so good we can't remember it.

So it took 3 days to get Naina out. She arrived on Sunday 20 April 2008 at 11:40pm, about 8 days early, weighing in at 3450 g, 34.5 cm head circumference and 49 cm tall. Full head of black hair (so thick) and otherwise well. Sorry about funky first photo being upside down. I'm not sure why it is so.