Earlier that day, we had a really nice time hanging out with the new family that will be moving into Auntie Steph's condo (the Ward's are awesome!). However, since Séverine was technically eight days past her due date (though one day away from the date according to conception, which is of course another story), she laid herself down to take a nap in the afternoon. I was busily working in the studio next door, when I heard her cry out in shock and surprise. I knew immediately what was happening.
It turns out that Manu decided to begin his grand entrance while Séverine was sleeping, causing her water to break in bed. This was exactly at 4pm. Here we go!!!
50 minutes later the first contraction hit. Generally speaking, it is my understanding that many women experience an early labor before entering into active labor. Not Séverine. That first contraction was followed by steady, unrelenting contractions every two to four minutes for nearly three hours, each lasting an average 30 seconds (we kept a contraction timing log). In other words, active labor had begun right away. Manu had no intention of waiting very long to come...he knew his birthday HAD to be on the 18th!
Once it became clear that the labor was not going to slow down, we grabbed our things (pre-packed, thankfully), and jumped in a cab around 9:15pm. We decided to invite Auntie Steph to join us as a birthing companion, as our doula was unfortunately already tending to another delivery that evening.
Upon arriving at the hospital, we made the long, contraction filled walk down the hallway from the hospital's side entrance, since the construction to the building had rendered the front entrance closed for the summer. A short elevator ride up to the fifth floor, and we found ourselves at the nursing station of the family care center of the Jewish General Hospital of Montreal.Birth plans were distributed (natural childbirth, please...no drugs, needles, poking or prodding of any sort), and we were led to our room. The contractions were at this point getting stronger and closer together, and Séverine was strapped into a fetal monitor.
Sooner or later, a resident came to administer a cervical exam. Here's where things started moving really quickly....The girl who gave the exam, while not technically as experienced as some doctors, was almost certain the her fingers had hit a butt, not a head. To confirm, an ultrasound machine was brought in to take a look. Still not 100% sure what she was looking at, her superior was summoned to get a second opinion at the admittedly hard to read images.
This was all happening on a Saturday night. Oddly enough, the day before at our OBGYN appointment AND the day before that at the Hospital's non-stress test, Manu was head down. We don't know how or when it happened, perhaps the night before, perhaps during labor, but Manu had flipped over into a breech position. Since Séverine was already 5 1/2 centimeters dilated, a C-section was the only available option for being in such an advanced state of labor.
Meanwhile, the phase of the labor known as the "Sprint" in hypnobirthing lingo (a strong string of contractions without any sort of a break) had begun. One long, uninterrupted contraction was crippling my beautiful wife as consent forms and IVs were being thrown at her. Stephanie was being a rock star, whispering quiet assurances in French, while I was frantically trying to deal with the Hospital staff in preparing for an emergency surgery.
Séverine was finally prepped and wheeled down the hall to the elevator. We rode down to the third floor operating room where she was taken in to be prepped, and I was dressed in scrubs, and hair net and a face mask. It was my understanding that I would be allowed to be by her side through the whole procedure, but I was instead informed that I would have to wait outside in the hall for a half hour, just until Manu was ready to be removed. Talk about the longest half hour of my life!
Meanwhile, Stephanie left the hall to go call their parents, as it was clear that Séverine was going to need all the support and encouragement that she could get.
Finally, at long last, a nurse came to grab me and lead me into the O.R. The time had come. I walked in to find Séverine on the table, wrapped in blankets with only her head exposed. The lower half of her body was blocked by a curtain, behind which the surgeons were busily doing what needed to be done. The thing that really helped make all this madness bearable was the fact that the assistant anesthesiologist (never got her name...too bad), was the sweetest, most comforting person on earth. She was gently holding Séverine's head, talking her through the whole thing with sincerity and empathy. We were very lucky to have her there. I joined in with the encouragement, and Séverine was being an absolute trooper...as brave as I've ever seen her.
A couple minutes after I arrived, at 11.47pm, a bizzare gurgling sound was quickly replaced by the sound of a baby crying. It was as if time stood still as I looked beyond the curtain to see Manu for the first time, dangling by his feet. Nothing in our lives could have adequately prepared us for the feeling of seeing and hearing him for the first time, and words cannot possibly do that feeling any justice. Let's just say that the universe opened up wide that evening, and everything seemed to get very clear and beautiful.
Fortunately, I had the wherewithal to have my camera handy, and much of what transpired at this time was captured for posterity.
After being born, Manu was immediately taken aside to a bassinet and heat lamp to be cleaned, purged and clipped. I was given the honor of cutting the umbilical chord around 90 seconds later, after which I was given the further honor of massaging his vernix into his skin (nature's best skin cream).
Right after projectile peeing clear beyond the bassinet (causing a few doctors to jump back a step), he saw me for the first time. Once our eyes met, along with my gentle assurances, he was able to settle into a beautiful serenity.
Once his vernix was rubbed in and it was clear to everyone that this was a healthy, awesome baby, I grabbed him and brought him over to meet his mommy for the first time, who still had yet to lay her eyes on him.
Once Manu and Séverine had a good chance to bond and connect, the time had come to finish the surgery. Manu was therefore placed back in the bassinet, I gave some kisses to my wife, and we left the room to head back upstairs to the nursery. According to Séverine, the great assistant anesthesiologist shed some tears along with her after we left. She was really great.Once in the Nursery, Manu was weighed (7.1 lbs), and examined. As soon as all the formalities were completed, my shirt was off and Manu was skin-to-skin on my chest as fast as lightning.
The short remainder of Séverine's surgery and long stay in the recovery room lasted another two hours, Manu sleeping quietly on me the entire time. Aside from the fact that I was melting under the heat lamp that they placed over us, it was a truly magical time for us both. To this day, he still finds comfort in burying his face in the side of my neck. Too cute!It was also at this time that her parents arrived, and they and Steph said hello through the nursery window. They wandered between the window and checking up on Séverine, and were a great comfort to have around.
As the clock advanced towards 2am, and sleep was closing in on the both of us, Séverine's mom finally came to the window to pantomime that the new mommy had at long last been brought upstairs. Naturally, the nurse forgot to come get me, so I just went ahead and started bugging the staff until I found someone to guide us to the private recovery room that she had been moved into.Then the moment arrived, delayed only by two hours, that we had all been waiting for. Manu at long last was placed on his Mommy's chest, and the bonding continued (after nine months in the womb, that is). Simply beautiful.
It was late and we were all exhausted. The family made sure we were all set up, then went home to sleep. Manu fell asleep on his mommy's chest, I unfolded the vinyl chair-bed from hell, and our new family settled in for a four day hospital stay.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MANU!!!
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