Mom of the babe is ME…

Easily the most life-changing event when I became mommie second-time around in the most dramatic fashion.

The scene: A typical friday morning

Lights....camera....ACTION!

With about 10 mins to go for R’s school car to arrive, I instinctively feel "Its happening now." I tell C, let’s go as soon as possible.

C: "Whaaa???"

With his brain whizzing, C comes to term with the reality in store, after all Mother knows best. Finally the baby is locked and loaded. He/She is on her way out. OMG!

We reached the hospital around 9 am and checked into the Carnation deluxe room of the hospital. (note to self: C must negotiate harder with the insurance providers for coverage)

Then begins the wait!

TIME: 2PM

Gyny: "She is dilated but no progress...see you in soon."

Me: The contractions seem to be making me uncomfortable!

Gyny: "And so it should. See you in 3 hrs. Nurse - do the NST every two hours"

(Break for explanation:
NST: Stress test to check if the contractions result in the baby progressing down the delivery canal. End of break.)

TIME: 12 noon until next day

Gyny: "She continues to be at 2 cm. Normal delivery is still an option if you are motivated. Let’s not rush. However, if I find traces of distress for either the mother or baby during labor I’ll go in for a C-section"

Me:"Thanks doc" (Thinking: I love this woman. So in control. No rush for C-section.)

Gyny: "Keep those NSTs going nurse." ( note to Self: Each freaking NST is going to cost me a bomb!)

TIME: 7PM

I get this sudden craving for Gobi Manchurian. C rushes to pick them up a neighborhood hotel. Savor a delicious Chinese meal.

TIME: 11 PM

NSTs continue

TIME: 2.30 AM

Weird sensation in the abdomen, must be the Chinese meal.

Time: 3.00 AM

Crampy pain every five minutes, or am I hallucinating! May be it’s the contractions intensifying…Time to call the nurse….

Gyny: "You are having steady contractions, five minutes, but yet the baby isn’t descending. Ok, now we really need to ask ourselves - could we be doing something more fun. I know I could. I guess, we may have to move to option 2. I am going to recommend emergency c-section, considering it seems to be dysfunctional labour and a history of previous c-section! "

Me:"Ok."

Gyny:"Nurse.."

Nurse:"Yeah, yeah, i know. Freakin NST."

TIME: 5.30 AM

Braving the contractions, I ready myself for a cut up session (for the second-time..Phew!). At least…the wait is over…

TIM E: 5.51AM, Sunday, January 25, 2008, Shankarambal Hospital, 1st floor OT, Dsouza road, Bangalore, India.

Baby cry in the background...

Gyny: "Congratulations."

Me: "What is it? Boy or girl?"

Gyny:"Girl, of course"

Me: (with broad smile on my face, despite the cut up session in progress):"Wow!" (Thinking: Finally I have company at home…couldn’t have handled another boy at home. We didn’t have a good boy name short listed anyhow!)

Asst. Gyny (making tiny baby kiss my face): "Here's your beautiful daughter!"

Me: "Let me see her one more time please…" (Thinking: I need a strategy to keep boys away from my baby girl. She's got uber cool looks and boys are baaaad)

TIME: 7 AM, Back in the recovery room. C looks relieved as do the others. I am exhausted beyond comprehension.

The superstar- in- the- making is happily cuddled up in the incubator (it’s a practice with the hospital to have all kiddos in the incubator for a day… translates as another line time in the long bill we’d face shortly!)

My friends, I would like to introduce you to my beautiful daughter – Aahana. I refer to her with everything but her name – chinnu, bubbles, motsu… are some of the synonyms.

So, that’s the story of her entry into my life, the two days of part-time labour I endured, and the story of how a successful and confident MBA became a nappy-changing, baby-butt-powdering, 3am lullaby singing, mommie of the babe!

(PS: Aahana in Sanskrit means "First ray of the sun or Morning Glory.")

(PPS: chinnu, motsu, bubbles…. in Sanskrit mean absolutely nothing.)

More updates once I get some respite from diaper changes and feeding sessions...:-)