K~'s Birth Event

Dear K~,

Today, I want to share a few details with you regarding your birth. Your presence in my life was planned with patience and I truly relished every minute of carrying you, except for the last few days when I lost Dida, right before your birth.

15th June, 2004

6:00 pm - Visit to Dr. Veena Bhatt for a routine check up. She asked me to be ready with my bags and papers because you were in position to be born any time then.

7:00 pm: At HaldiRam's complex, Lajpat Nagar with Papa treating me to all my favourite dishes, especially Chaat and Dosa.

10:00 pm: Me fast asleep, tired after a long day and checking all important papers and bag was in order.

16th June, 2004

2:00 am - The first signs of labour begin. No painful contractions yet. I wake Papa up.

2:15 am - I inform the symptoms to Dr. Bhatt with Papa going nervous leading to an upset bowel.

2:30 am - I get dressed and mentally ready for the long haul, while Papa keeps the car ready with the suitcase and papers.

2:45am - Reach Moolchand Hospital. I get admitted into the Labour Waiting Room while Papa sets the Almirah in the Patient Private Room, where I would be shifted after your birth.

3:00 am - I am administered Enema, my Blood Pressure, Pulse Rate measured. A junior doctor goes through my papers carefully to study my case.

4:00 am - I am getting impatient and nervous. No pains as of now, but the associated labour symptoms are intensifying each minute. Papa is nowhere in sight! I ask the Nurse to let him meet me.

5:00 am - I can feel my lower back throbbing, well within tolerable limits. Even then, I prefer walking around instead of lying on the bed staring at the wall .... the most depressing act possible!

Papa is fast asleep in the Patient Private Room after he was strictly refused entry into the ward.

6:00 am - The first painful contractions begin, forcing me to lie down on the bed. As per the doctors around, you were progressing fast towards birth and so was my body responding exceptionally well to your efforts. The hormone levels were in complete sync, the cervix was opening at a rapid rate and the contractions had become very frequent and intense.

7:00 am - I was now experiencing the worst pain of my life and missed Dida badly. I had contractions every few minutes.

8:00 am - You were now ready to be born. The contractions were non-stop and I was rushed to the Delivery Room, which felt very cold and intimidating, with four new faces other than Dr. Bhatt whom I was consulting throughout pregnancy. Well, there was an addition of Dr. Anjali Mathur, Paediatrician, Sister Leena, a Nurse and a Gentleman, about whom I really did not feel like knowing anything. Jeez!

I was made to sit on the surgical station and explained about the equipment around me. Dr. Bhatt and Dr. Mathur made me comfortable by updating me about the progress so far and the procedure that still remained.

After forty three minutes of breathing in and out and undergoing countless painful contractions, you gave your first cry at 8:43 am. You were born head-out first, in the normal delivery mode .... all dirty and gooey .... screaming your lungs out with the maroon-greyish umbilical cord still connected to Mumma. I was speechless looking at you, unable to believe it was finally over .... I had become a mother after all! I held you for a while with you slipping away from my hands. The umbilical cord was separated from you and your tiny belly button was pegged with a blue coloured plastic peg.

You were wiped with a warm towel, my name labeled on your left foot, your response tested by pinching you at various places, clapping near your ears, torch being shined around your eyes and your breathing checked. You weighed 3.13 kg. and kept crying all this while, which was good to clear your lungs of any mucous or water, as per Dr. Mathur.

Inspite of being all sweaty, hungry and tired by then, I was dying to take you in my arms forever! However, I was given a shot and asked to close my eyes as my Pulse Rate had dropped alarmingly low, hinting at acute exhaustion. I was kept under observation for an hour ....

10 :00 am - I open my eyes to see you all wrapped up in a towel in Papa's arms who kept saying, "Ekdum Sonali Bendre lagti hai!" He just didn't know how to react to your stares and cries! I was then shifted to my Private Room which had a Baby Cot too.

The whole day, there were many visitors coming over to meet you and give their blessings too. It rained the whole night on 16th June 2004 and you did not sleep a wink. Papa wrapped you in his arms and kept running between Nursery, where you were fed milk and our Private Room. We kept staring at you helplessly, unable to understand your unstoppable cries and shrieks. Dadi arrived the next morning and took charge of you while me and Papa slept like a log over the bed and bench respectively. Dadi woke me up occasionally to feed you.

Life could never be the same again ........

I Love You K~, for coming into my life and making it beautiful!