Dad's birth story

Dads Birth Story

My wife and I had been married for the past two years. Till that time, we had both decided that we would individually focus on our respective careers, especially she, since she had (still has!) a well-paying corporate job with one of the leading cinema exhibitor chains.

But once those two years lapsed, we both thought it ideal to welcome a new addition to the family, and started working towards that goal...ahem, ahem! Soon enough, her regular doctor – the gynaecologist whom she had been consulting for a long time, had the good news we had been hoping to hear for a long time, my wife’s pregnancy!

The labour process

My wife went into labour around the same time that the doctor had predicted. In any case, with me being a very cautious person, I had got her admitted into the hospital meant for our baby’s delivery, well in advance, so there was really no concern with regard to medical care and attention that my wife was due to receive anyway.

Yes, I stood by her side at all times, taking a week off from my work – which was anyway not a challenge in any way since I do not do a “job” as such and work freelance, without any bonding that ties a lot of individuals down to their duties.

I feel that the mere fact I was by the side of my wife made a huge difference to her and gave her the much needed confidence and strength to go ahead with the entire pain and effort of child delivery, with relative ease.

The delivery process

Unfortunately, delivery of the baby was not the smoothest of processes which we had hoped to have. I say this because instead of the routine, “normal” delivery, my wife had a Caesarean or C-section as it is commonly referred to. Undoubtedly, she had to go through unbearable pain through those final moments as she was giving birth, but again, as I mentioned in the previous section, the very fact that I was there by her side at all times gave her a lot of strength from within.

The bundle of joy finally arrives!

In August 2012, the little bundle of joy which we had been hoping to have for a long time, finally arrived and it was a baby boy whom we duly named as Honey at home while the proper (or official) name would be Siddhant which in Sanskrit means ‘principle’ (typically it is in our culture to give all newborns at least two names – one which we will refer to them casually at home, and the other the official name, which will go on their birth certificates as well as be the name by which the world in general will officially refer to them as).

Lessons from our experience

I think the primary lesson which all prospective parents can learn from our experience – fathers in particular, is the importance of being there for each other. After all, in my case, her parents were there by our side throughout the delivery period, but the very fact that I was there by my wife’s side, made a WORLD OF DIFFERENCE to her – take my word on that!

You as a prospective father – if so – should definitely take cues from my experience and act accordingly.