A Moment of Panic

We went for the last of the antenatal classes on Tuesday. These are classes Daddy and Mommy are taking to prepare for your arrival in the world.

(Yes, there is no button to push whereby you just conveniently slip out of me in 3 seconds.)

Anyway, this last class was on "Pain Relief & the Process of Labour".

I think many mommies in the class changed their birthing plan after this session from "No epidural" to "Please pass the epidural or I'm bringing my own supply of Morphine".

An epidural, by the way, is a form of local anesthetic that's injected into the spine to numb the lower part of Mommy's body from pain. It's supposed to help Mommy give birth to you without a lot of screaming and harm to daddy.

I know Mommies and Daddies are supposed to be strong enough to face anything and everything. But you're coming out of a pretty tiny hole in Mommy's body. And even though it's meant to automatically stretch, there are cases where the muscles there are stiff.

(This is where Mommy might yell in pain.)

Sometimes the gyneacologist will do an "episiotomy" - or a cut - to help the hole expand more for you to come out. This requires stiching up after you're well and truly out of Mommy's tummy.

(These are two possible situations whereby Mommy could yell, too. And maybe cry and dig my nails deep into Daddy's Biotherm-softened skin.)

At this point, even Mommy wishes that a stork really delivers babies to the doorstep of parents' homes. But don't let anyone tell you that it's "sissy" to be scared. Fear is a natural defense mechanism for human beings that helps us make choices for survival. It is unnatural to not be afraid sometimes. Even for superheroes (just watch Batman with Mommy).

Anyway, after that lesson, the nurses took us around the Maternity and Labour rooms. Daddy felt his knees go weak when he saw the demonstration of how the pregnant Mom would lie on the bed.

I hope he doesn't faint because that would mean Mommy has two babies to take care of! Yet, deep inside, I know your Daddy would end up being inquisitive and ask the gynaecologist lots of questions as he and the midwives bring you out.