A Childbirth Story – Baby No. 2

My due date was mid of March but in the second week of February itself, doctors raised a concern. First, the baby was breech (which is a position in which the baby’s feet comes out first and not the head) and second, I suffered from ‘Severe Oligohydramnios’ which is a condition where there is a deficiency of amniotic fluid.

Both the reasons directed my pregnancy towards a planned caesarean. Doctors explained the condition in details and said they can wait only till the time the baby is not harmed. I was asked to rest as much as possible and the baby was monitored regularly.

On one such check-up, in the last week of February, doctors said its time and asked me to get admitted the next morning. My husband and I went to the ice cream parlour instead and grabbed two cups of vanilla ice creams! (My pregnancy cravings were not affected by any kind of shock). We enjoyed our ‘we time’ that we knew we’ll not be getting for a long time now. We returned home and made the big announcement. Everyone was exhilarated and completed the last minute preparations.

I couldn’t sleep that night, forget about taking rest, I couldn’t even shut my eyes for long. In my previous pregnancy, I went into labour naturally. It was a different experience altogether. This time I knew what’s going to happen the next day. I could visualize the operation theatre, those injections, the very painful spinal anaesthesia, after effects of c-section, and the long time to get back to normal life. The only relief was, there’ll be no labour pain this time. Life was about to change again.

This night was different, I couldn’t think of anything, I couldn’t sleep either. Somehow early in the morning I fell asleep and woke up thinking it was my final exam today! I was advised not to eat or drink anything before the operation and I woke up keeping that in mind. I was excited, nervous, impatient and concerned all at the same time. My sister and brother-in-law reached right in time to accompany me and my husband to the hospital. I had to leave behind my son at home with his grandparents and that made me tearful. I promised to meet him soon and we left after the morning prayers were done.

In the hospital, we began with a few formalities and then we were taken to the room. I changed to the hospital clothes and the medication was started. We were asked to wait patiently as there was still time. Back at home, my parents and in-laws were all waiting for our call to come to the hospital.

In the hospital room, my sister, brother-in-law, my husband and I were killing time, chatting and taking selfies. Every time a hospital staff would enter, we thought it was time, but we kept waiting. Finally, at around 1:30 p.m. I was asked to be ready. We immediately called up our parents to be ready as well and then I was taken to the operation theatre.

I would now get to meet my baby, this was the only thing on my mind. The wait was coming to an end and also the several hilarious gender predictions. As per experts, most of my pregnancy symptoms were predicting a boy and rest a girl. I didn’t gain much weight, so it was a boy inside, I loved eating sweet so it was a girl, I was glowing means a boy, everybody else was delivering a girl, so it might be a girl. I met such experts everywhere and they confused me to the core. So, I left it to the doctors to reveal the gender of my baby.

The operation started, I couldn’t keep calm anymore, the doctors continuously asked me to relax, but I panicked. Local anaesthesia started working and immediately I was numb waist down. I could still feel what they were doing, I could still feel my baby kick and then they put the oxygen mask around my mouth. The doctor continued to talk to me, help me relax and then he asked me, “Rashi, your first born is a boy or a girl?”

“A boy,” I said and looked at him.

“We are almost done, you’ll now get to know if it’s a girl or a boy.”

I tried to smile.

“Just a few more seconds, three, two, one and it’s a girl!”

“Really?”

“Yes,” he lifted the baby above and said, “Here’s your princess.”

What a beautiful sight it was, I was grinning from ear to ear with the oxygen mask still intact.

“Happy?”

“Very happy,” I said and I wished my husband was there to share this beautiful moment with me.

Outside the operation theatre, my entire family was holding their breath to get the news and they were exuberant when they came to know a girl was born.

When I came out, through my half-open eyes, I could see the happy and smiling faces of my daughter’s grandparents, aunt, uncle, brothers and the happiest of them all, her dad.

Such a wonderful day to remember and celebrate.