Hi everyone,
Well the time has finally come. Claire and I now have a bubbly little boy named Hamish Oliver. Apologies for not returnining everyone’s phone messages, I’ve been providing the critical nappy changes and burping duties while Claire gets her body back into one piece. Word seems to be getting around that the event is complete, and so thankyou to everyone for all the lovely flowers and presents that bubs is receiving.
For the rest of this, click on any of the pictures to view a bigger version. I’m hoping to add more over the next couple of days in between feeds, baths and burping (hehe… and that’s just for myself).
Here’s a quick rundown of the events leading up to today. Tueday we had an Obstetrician appointment, at which there were some questions raised about Claire’s blood pressure. The pregnancy caused a couple of spikes which weren’t able to be controlled by medication, so the doctor decided to move ahead a week early with the birth.
Packed after work, we headed down to the hospital at 8pm where they started the lovely procedure of inducing Claire using a gel. The next 12 hours were spent into the labour room waiting for the gel to work and the action to begin. Unfortunately the chairs and bed in the room were incredibly uncomfortable, so it’s no surprise that we didn’t get much sleep. Oh, and I just remembered the SCREAMING PREGNANT WOMEN GIVING BIRTH in the rooms next to us… Why they don’t make these rooms soundproof I do not know. There was one point where Claire turned to me and said “do you think we can get out of this???”. Exactly what I was thinking, but I didn’t have all that much hope that it would be possible.
The next morning, they started a hormone drip to get things moving. From this point on the next eight hours involved lots of pain and drugs, and STILL more waiting. Honestly, where the hell is the eject button for this child?
Eventually, after going through an almost complete labour, Hamish’s head got a bit stuck and he wasn’t able to completely get through. About 8pm the Obstetrician decided that enough was enough, and that Hamish was getting a litte too stressed. I was told to get into scrubs and head up with Claire to surgery, where a surgery team were waiting for us, ready to do a c-section.
I’m not quite sure what happened in the next hour. I was spending far too much time trying not to be sick, and helping Claire who was also trying not to vomit into her oxygen mask (something that would have been quite funny – but totally wrong).
After at 8:15pm, with no sleep in 36 hours I was handed our little bubs. Unfortunately what the photo doesn’t show is the massive cone this child had for his head (Bashing on a cervix for the better part of a day tends to do that). It can be seen slightly in the photo before, but within 12 hours had almost completely disappeared. So he was blue, gunk from the uterus was dripping from his arms and legs, and he had a cone head. It was a lovely sight that I hope not to see again. It reminded me of a scene from the movie ”The creature from the black lagoon”.
Because of the stronger drugs that are used for a C-section, Claire had to stay in recovery for a while, but Hamish and I were able to sneak out and down into one of the only spare rooms in the hospital (Room 9… sound familiar M&J?). Apparently pushing out a child is all the rage these days, so we had to wait overnight before we got a normal room.
While we were waiting for Claire to arrive, I had a chance to go camera crazy and get some shots of the little one.
Eventually the drugs wore off and Claire was able to come down from recovery. Considering the ordeal she had gone through, she seemed rather calm and happy. The rest of the night was spent looking after Hamish, although for some strange reason I cannot remember anything at all. Maybe it’s because I was passed out on a couch in the hallway, totally shirking my responsibilities as a parent for the comfort of sleep. In my defence I think a truck could have ran past me and I wouldn’t have waked up… no sleep for almost two days does that to you.
Finally, a couple more photos of mum and bubs. I think this was from yesterday, or maybe the day before. Who knows… The days are all quite a blur at the moment. I went home to feed and play with Charlie, our neglected hairy child who is really pissed at us not being home at the moment, and inadvertantly fell alseep on the floor in the lounge room. That too I can’t remember much of, except I do recall being woken with a wet doggy tounge in my ear. Yuch.
So that is how the story goes. I’m collecting more photos for the blog, so if you happen to take any of bubs over the coming days please send them through. Now time for another night of crying, feeding, nappies with black sticky poo in them, and the feeling that I am totally out of my comfort zone. Ohwell, it’s worth it for the little one.
P.S. Birth note in the paper on Saturday.
P.P.S Just realised I forgot all of the specifics. A Boy, 8 Pounds 0 Ounces = 3.62kgs, 51cm in length, 36cm head circumference (like you needed to know that…), born at 8:15, on 15th October.
