Well, I am now a father to a beautiful baby Girl! But what a time we went through to get her here.
Sunday the 20th of April 18:00 hours Emma’s labour started. We went on through the night until eventually admitting her to hospital at 07:00 hours Monday morning to what I thought was going to be a couple more hours labour until our new long awaited arrival. How wrong could I have possibly been!
We were admitted to room 4 of the maternity ward for around two hours then moved to the birthing pool as we wanted a water birth. By the time it reached 15:00 hours on Monday Emma had been in labour for a total of 21 hours and the fatigue was starting to kick in big time!
16:30 was the time to which I will never forget. This was the time for Emma to start pushing our baby into this world. She pushed and pushed but nothing was happening. An hour later and still no sign of our baby I turned to look at our midwife (a close personal friend of the family) and I knew there was something not going to plan. There was a different look, a not so positive look on her face as she conversed with her supporting midwife.
A little while after, the duty registrar came into the room and examined Emma. At this point I wanted to pick her up and take her out of the hospital and bring her home. I have never seen my wife in so much pain! The registrar gave an internal exam to determine the position of the baby and as she suspected, the baby was facing the wrong way. She was facing outward and her spine was against Emma’s spine, therefore making it very hard to push the baby out as she was so tried.
17:00 hours, Emma was rushed to a new room ready for an epidural to ease the pain and hopefully deliver. Too late! The baby’s heart rate dropped and the staff rushed in to help. The lower part of the bed was removed and Emma’s legs placed in stirrups. She was then given another internal exam to determine once again the position of the baby.
At this point Emma was crying with the pain and all there was to offer her was Gas and Air (Nitrogen and Oxygen mix) I have never been so scared for the lives of my wife and unborn child. The fear I felt was one I have never felt before.
The registrar appeared once again with a tray of what looked like medieval instruments. She proceeded to give Emma a local injection and inserted the forceps to prepare to grab our baby and pull her out. Instructing Emma to push while she pulled, the head began to appear and she started to cry. One more push and she was out at 17:09 on Monday the 21st of April. Fear, worry and pain did soon turned into relief, happiness and joy. We have a healthy baby girl kicking and screaming from her ordeal.
Three days on and baby Evie Isabella Sumner is fit and well, keeping me and Emma awake nearly 24/7 but I do not care one bit. Becoming a father has been the most emotional moment of my life, and I do think it will take some beating. A true miracle of nature and one which I will never forget!
Here are some pictures of baby Evie:
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Congratulations!!! Daniel and Emma you have A BEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL, Well done!! They say the first is always the hardest to deliver. Lots of Love and BEST WISHES
xx
Tara
Hi Daniel,
Congradulations on the birth of your new baby girl. I’m so glad to hear everything worked out fine. I know exactly what you mean when you stated this was the scariest time of your life.
I have been through this 4 times, and these are precious memories I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
There is no other feeling that I know of that even compares, to the birth of your child it’s like being ontop of the world.
So again congradulations to you and your wife..
Kindest Regards,
William Potts
Wow! Daniel. Congratulations to you and Emma and welcome to baby Evie.
I found your account of the birth very interesting and also emotional.
It seems strange hearing the story from a man’s point of view and very touching.
The birth of my first child was almost exactly the same, the long hours, the lay of the baby, too late for the epidural, the dratted stirrups and the archaic instruments (only I had ventouse and not clamps). Very, very frightening if it’s your first baby and you don’t know what to expect.
I expect the shock of it all will stick in Emma’s memory for a long time but it’s all worth it – Evie looks beautiful. They say the first one is always the most difficult. It took me 4 years to pluck up the courage to go through it all again. But the second time you know a little bit more what to expect and it’s sooooo much easier.
Now, you’ll be able to get on with your projects whilst you’re doing the night feeds
Take care
Very best wishes
Paula Brett
http://www.PaulaBrettBlog.com
Thanks Guys Were getting on fine. I still feel a little phased by it all.
Emma is coping great (womens instinct)we have our next one planned for 2010 already:)
‘Now, you’ll be able to get on with your projects whilst you’re doing the night feeds
’
Lets hope so. I do feel like I have fallen behind a little over the past few weeks.
Thanks again for the great comments.
Congratulations Daniel and Emma on the birth of your new baby girl. I have been through this experience six months ago and it was very much more difficult in a developing country like mine (Yemen). Sometimes we can’t find “Oxygen/Gaz” in a Gov’t hospital.
Now as my son Elias grows , I can’t resist to play with him for long hours LOL
Daniel, I think you are given a new life after that car accident and birth experience, so I think that will make you evaluate life much more and work better. We must thank God for the life and loved ones he gave us , that we are afraid to even think of losing. We would never enjoy this if we were not given life by God.
Everyday is a new day…have a WONDERFUL SPRING day!
Congratulations Daniel, what a beautiful baby girl! I have a great deal of admiration for your wife that she can even think about number two at this stage, so soon after such a long and difficult labour.
There is nothing so huge in your life as the birth of your first child, except the birth of the second (and presumably each one after that – I only had two). Amazingly, the next child brings with it just as much love and joy as the first.
I, too had a difficult first birth – long labour, too tired to push, forceps. The second one was much easier.
Now, my first baby is expecting her first baby. I will be a granny by July.
I have a question for you Daniel – how on earth does anyone find time to complete IM projects and still deal with other necessities of living?
Enjoy your wonderful little girl. They grow up very quickly.
very best wishes
Sue
Hi, Daniel and Emma!
Congrats on the birth of little Evie! I was there for the birth of my daughter, Erin, in April… of 1986! How time flows by so quickly! There will be days and weeks and months that will all be exhausting and new for you both but the reward is right there in your arms. Cherish all the moments, the ones that make you frustrated and tired and the many joys – as a man, Daniel, you will get to see the “other side of the coin” as your young daugter grows up. This is a special journey that will bring insight and wisdom to you. My daughter in now 22 years old and is now teaching me things about life in the present era – iPods, digital cameras, computers, all these thing SHE grew up with! At least she has a fine appreciation of her old man’s music and knows who the BEATTLES were! The first few weeks are the toughest, I recall – those midnight feedings! Changing diapers! But when she smiles at you… who cares about anything else?
Congrats to you both young parents! And Welcome to the world, lil Evie!
Best, David~
Hi Daniel. Congratulations to you both..aw what a sweetie! I bet you cant stop looking at her now
I was like that with my two!
God Bless…
Thank you again for all the fantastic comments, it means so much to us.
‘Borkan’ Thanks for the comments. As for the car accident, I cannot bare think of what I could have lost in that car wreck. I never realised how much my little girl means to me until she actually arrived. Someone has been smiling down on me over the last few weeks!
‘Sue French’ I am taking some time away and doing only as much as I can until I can structure a routine around Evie time:) It looks like late nights, early mornings and between naps for I.M.
Congratulations Dan & Emma, I’m sure you’ll make great parents!
That sounds like a real marathon birth, thank god i’m not a woman
Daniel,
She is beautiful. Congratulations! You did great!
Your description of the event, like Paula mentioned, was a very moving one. Although it has been 16 1/2, 23, and 25 years since I have been through the experience, your words brought me right back to it.
Good luck with your projects and have fun with the nightly duties
Ron
http://www.5star-ebooks.com/blog
Hi Daniel,
Congratulations to you and Emma on the birth of Evie Isabella.
WOW – you brought back the memories, The exact same thing happened with my first child. As time goes by it’s easy to forget those feeling of natures miracle…
Well you certainly have your work cut out for you now…..lol
And what better motivation could you wish for to keep you working when you haven’t slept in days….
Here’s hoping you soon get into the routine of night feeds and give Emma plenty of time to rest.
Warmest Regards
Randy
http://www.SalesLetterABC.com
Thank you Dan, Ron and Randy
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Oh the night feeding! Tell me about it I think I have had around two hours last night.
Thanks again for the comments guys.
Hi Daniel,
A big congrats on BABY EVIE!!!!!!!!! She’s beautiful! GOD bless her. That was a very emotional story by the way. Melinda and I have been trying for 9 years, and still no luck. We wish you and your beautiful family lots health and happiness.
Your Friend,
Omar
Hey Omar,
Thanks for the post. I’m sure you and your wife will succeed!
Sleepless nights and crying is all I get these days, but it’s worth it:)
Dan
Hi Dan
Great news congrats on the birth of Evie!
Luckily never had to go through anything as draining as your ordeal when my kids were born Dan, I’m just glad everyones OK
However, when I was born I was part of a hospital blunder that caused me to have permanent Cerebal Palsy and brain damage, so after seing what my Mam has gone through – I can understand the situation you both COULD have been in…
All the best to all of you
Regards
Ray
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