Saturday, October 29, 2011

10. The D-Day!


She was admitted on the night of 4th October when we went for a regular check up, ten days before the due date. We stayed overnight in the delivery suite. Next day morning our parents joined us. She was having strong contractions. The doctor ordered us to take a seat in the sofa, and closed the curtains. I wonder why in India they still don’t allow the husband to be with his wife during normal delivery.


As we waited tensions were rising. I could hear the doctor shout, “Don’t push yet, take deep breath” a couple of times. After few minutes I heard them again. This time they shouted, “Push! Push! Push!”… Then there was silence. Then again “Push! Push! Push!”… and again silence. “Push! Push! Push!”…silence….“Push! Push! Push!”…silence….“Push! Push! Push!”… and then we heard the baby cry! I could see tears rolling down the cheeks of both our moms. My eyes? They were dry, so was my throat. She chose the auspicious day of Navami to come out!

Mommy was doing well. She is a girl who doesn't take a single moment to cry while watching movies, or because she unknowingly hurt someone. She is also a girl who went through the entire labor without shedding a single drop of tear. I overheard one of the Bengali aaya saying to another one from Madras with pride, "See? Have you ever seen anyone not shouting, crying, and making a scene while normal delivery? That is a Bengali girl! We are strong." We are Indians, we love our state boundaries more than our country boundary. I whispered in my mind, she is strong not because she was born in a particular corner of India, but because she is SHE. Many times have her courage inspired me, and this was one such occasion

They showed us the baby. It was a girl, just like we wanted…and she looked so cute…and then they took her away to the nursery. She was an active baby weighing 2.94kgs with APGAR score of 9/10 within first 1min. Baby was also doing well.

We moved to our booked room. After a couple of hours my wife was transferred to the room, and after few more hours Hridhima. All of us were together, our family looked complete. There was another girl born few rooms from us. Apart from that there were 8 boys born on that day. I wondered why the sex ratio was so skewed. What happened to the other six girls who were never born? But it was not the right time to think about that, it was time to enjoy with our family. Probably there will never be a right time to think seriously about it.

Since everything went smoothly, my wife was discharged the next day. After 48hours Hridhima was admitted to the nursery again for jaundice. It was minor and very common in babies. 24 hours of photo-treatment and she was back to her active healthy state. 

I had another interesting observation that day. Not a single delivery on that day as all rooms were empty. Puja was over; everyone chose the perfect time to have their child, so what if it was not normal? That’s India. But again, not the right time to think about it, Hridhima was healthy and we were happy!


42 comments:

  1. Hello.
    Your baby girl is a beauty.

    I find it sad that the husband or male partner cannot be present to share in the birth of a life he helped to create. After months of waiting, the hour arrives & it is at this time the wife/girlfriend needs him the most because she will be in utmost pain. I would have thought having the special someone present for delivery would offer a sense of reassurance, even if he can't take the pain away (just my opinion).

    Keep on writing Sub. These records will be a wonderful gift to offer your wife & your daughter when you've completed them.

    Nicely done, my friend!
    Thanks for sharing & for your visits/comments. They are much appreciated.

    Thoughts Of Beauty In The Stillness Of Dawn

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  2. I'll leave out the thought of not letting the father in etc. for another day. :p
    The focus is the sweetheart Hridhima... she's such a darling... and she's so so cute.
    By age, a year and day younger to Khoj, she's the perfect b'day present to the writer of Khoj.
    :)

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  3. i still vividly remember the orders to "push". dont know where we get the strength from at that time!

    interesting comment by the bengali ayah

    touch wood both were & are healthy & happy.

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  4. I think its high time the husband is allowed. Women need support and this is the most special moment....I heard in some hospitals they have welcomed husbands too....

    Brave woman and a brave daughter...sub....god bless you all...much love to baby.....

    My bro too had jaundice...yeah they say its alright....

    :-) i love this blog of yours :-)

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  5. Awww..Hridhima look so sweet..and you noe what? hridhima and me have something in similar,the meaning of my name has something to do with hearts too ;)

    It was all beautiful the way ur baby gal evolving you into a better person :D

    All the best..and 8 boys over 1 gal..Gosh!Hridhima should make wise decision in future :P
    But no worries daddy will always be there :D

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  6. Hridhima is so cute :) and trust me, whole day I keep thinking about the unique name which you gave her :) She's damn beautiful !!

    Touchwood!

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  7. And we are also very happy to hear this story and she was born on Navami, a very auspicious day...God Bless her and you are already blessed with a beautiful and strong wife!

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  8. hi SUB...

    it was really nice to go through ur all the posts in connection with Hridhima's birth....she looks so cute....God bless her...:))

    Best wishes,
    irfan.

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  9. That's a nice post..and your wife is indeed a v strong woman..and love the name...Hridhima looks v cute...God Bless :)

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  10. Congratulations!! I feel like I was a part of the whole affair! She had told me she was admitted in the hospital even though she had just gone for a check up! I had panicked a lot! She took my number and promised to call me as soon as the baby arrived. I am blessed to have talked to her just an hour after Hridhima came into this world! :D She is indeed one emotionally strong woman! She sounded so happy *touchwood* she was giggling away! That shocked me too btw! I guess there is still a lot for me to learn about labour lol. We can never know till we experience it :) Wishing you and your wife a blessed life ahead with your princess! <3

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  11. That's so exciting!!! It is too bad that you couldn't be there watching and holding her hand. Your baby is so cute!!! Those pink gloves are precious.

    Someday she'll be happy that you recorded your thoughts and details. Trust me, without writing them down you will forget some things. There is so much that happens in their little lives.

    I remember I was so ready to have Mica naturally. He was upside down, I was low on fluid, they tried to turn him {didn't happen} and my birth canal is tilted funny {so my doctor says}. C-section he was. At least I could watch him come out. It's strange I could feel movement, but no cutting pain. My husband and mom were with me. I could not hold Mica for a long while. I think because of the anesthesia. Probably a good thing because I threw up from the anesthesia a handful of times. I really wanted to hold my babies and breastfeed right away! That is when they are the most alert.

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  12. that's a beautiful picture, a beautiful mommy and a beautiful family-touchwood!
    a heart touching write up again and so much food for thought within like the state pride angle-classic!

    and sometimes we women want somethings so badly that tears kinda dry even in pain, when we actually reach our aim!kudos to your wife-she is indeed lucky n blessed:-)

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  13. A woderful post that showed that your thinker mind never stops thinking, whatever the situation may be.

    A lovely post!

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  14. I don't want to sully this post with an inane, uninformed comment but I think it's beautiful. It's even more so because, we women, get to see the guy's perspective.

    Belated congrats to both of you. God bless.

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  15. @Andy: it is time it's changed...thanks so much :)

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  16. @jojofeelings: true... thanks so much :)

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  17. @Sujatha Sathya: on prob with women is that they underestimate their strength :)
    thanks

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  18. @TheBluntBlogger: :) we think alike :)
    thanks soo much :)

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  19. @the other side of me: really? great to know that...thanks :)

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  20. @Kalyani Gupta: really??? glad to know...thanks so much :))

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  21. @Saru Singhal: I am indeed...thanks so much Saru :)

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  22. @IRFANUDDIN: glad to hear that. thanks so much :)

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  23. @Beeni: it was gr8 talking to you....she kept saying that day that 'I hav to call Beeni as soon as the delivery is over'! :)...

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  24. @alissa4illustration: Oh... you are right...with my memory i will forget a lot of things :)
    thanks so much again for sharing :)

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  25. @Suruchi: thanks so much :)
    well...i am the one who is lucky here :)

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  26. @Neeraj Kumar: thanks so much for believing so :)

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  27. @PeeVee™: Ha ha...I guess now you know most of it :)...thanks so much :)

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  28. Very touching....just loved it n Hridhima is very cute....God Bless the child n both of u :-)

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  29. I don't know if I am strong enough to be with her at that time. :(

    //We are Indians, we love our state boundaries more than our country boundary. //

    India is not a country. It's a continent. A Spanish friend of mine told me, "India is like Europe. Each state here is like a country there!". So true!

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  30. Wow! What a day to be born. Your daughter is really cute. I appreciate your sensitive thoughts on society and state. Wish there were more such broadminded people.

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  31. Wow! That was wonderful write-up.
    What a wonderful name you have chosen. Push.. Push.. LOL.. I really don't remember what I did. The experience was out-of-the-world.
    God bless the family. :)

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  32. Very well written! Best wishes for the new addition!

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  33. @BHARATHIRAJA: well true... the difference between bihar and chennai or bengal from rajastan is more than between france and UK :)

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  34. @Sahana Rao: i am sure it was :)....thanks so much

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  35. SUB- Reading it late..I know :( Your baby is cute and I wish everyone can learn from your wife to be enough courageous and not let the BP shoot up to cause complications! A happy and complete family , be like this forever :)

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  36. Wonderful moment...proud Daddy :)

    I think, husbands should be allowed...may be..they will...by the time..I decide to become one :P

    Lovely and Cute girl...Wish you and your family all the happiness in the world :)

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  37. @Droopy Rose: so sweet of u Del rocker ! :)

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  38. @Kunal: I wish you are lucky when time comes :)
    thanks soo much

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