Confessions of a 1st time dad:
WYSIWYG: What you see is what you get. That's what I thought when I saw the red coloured crying slimey baby for the first time. I was torn between my wife who was very pale, anemic and on the other end the baby who I'm meeting for the first time. It's one of those rare moments in my adult life I gently cried without being noticed. May be my emotions were also confused.
I had a long night but surprisingly I wasnt hungry,tired instead I was alert till the baby arrived. For the last 9 months we have waited for this moment but now everything was a dream and without knowing I completed all the required formalities. You can compare it with the Indian marriage ritual which goes on for hours together where everyone else except the marrying couple enjoy the evening.
My son was born in a foreign country, without the normal posse of friends and relatives gathered outside. Though apprehensive initially but we found the medical system in the US quite structured and friendly but only if you have a health insurance. We knew what to expect, thanks to the classes we attended as first time parents. I know it sounds absurd, but it's a must parents who manage it without their moms, aunts to guide you through it. My biggest worry was how to hold my son...I had never held a baby as I was scared of it.
Finalising the doctor:
It wasnt tough as few of my friends referred to the G & Ob. they found friendly and knows the ways of Indians. We got our 1st confirmation after 3 months and the doctor was really happy to announce the news to us. Frankly, I didnt know how to react but looking at their faces I had to smile back. For me unless you see,feel,touch, How will I be happy. After few visits the ultrasound screen displayed a small baby with a pounding heart of a horse in front of us. It was first proof of a living being and it was quite an experience,so I still have the print out of it. Well then I'm going to be a Father....
The doctor, nurses and even the receptionist at the G & Ob. practice seemed distant relations because of their caring and ready to help attitude. Were they faking it, may be even so I think they take it as part of their job to make you comfortable and happy about the whole experience. The receptionist will address my wife sweetie,darling and mummy just to make her comfortable and at ease.
9 Months and the mood swings of a dad :-) :
Thankfully Mrs. Mishra didn't have any cravings but frequent mood swings, well that continues to this day, so cant tell you the difference much. D-day is 14-Apr-11 declared the doctor. In anticipation we read books, subscribed to websites and attended classes in preparation of the delivery. You need car seat to be installed in your car before they can hand-over the baby to drive home. So a big list of shopping list was prepared and we started buying things in our sweet time.
Everything went perfect till 6th month when the doctor advised us to visit an Oncologist for breast cancer. The fears were unfounded and after numerous visits and tests the doctor confirmed that the would be mummy is hale n hearty. What a sigh of relief, those were testing times and one I would definitely like to forget. My in laws arrived in the US before a month and I was overjoyed as there was help, good food and no pressure on me to come home early, so more time for volleyball :-)
On the day of the delivery:
On 11-Apr after having sumptuous dinner, we all went to bed and within half an hour my wife informed of water break...the 1st sign for delivery. We already had packed a bag with
all the must need stuff for hospital and without further delay I drove to Wakemed hospital at Cary. We filled a form and were asked to go to a room, well the room was quite a sight. It was full of gadgets and thankfully a bed for the attendant. Epidural is a nice invention, when my wife was supposed to be crying on top of her voice, instead she was snoring, while I was sitting wide eyed at the bed side. No similarity between bollywood movies and here...no drama at all...The Ob. doctor came at around 11:30 AM on 12-Apr and within 20 mins Varin Mishra came to this world (11:52 AM to be precise). Everything looked perfectly normal except my wife's anemic face and my hand which was paining as she pressed real hard. The crying, moving bundle was weighed and then tagged in the arm with mummy's name in it. In the US mummy is always the first reference to the baby, may be because single parent concept is quite prevalent there.
My mom-in law was shedding happy tears looking at the baby...Varin looked really cute with those beautiful eyes, protruding nose and the occasional coo-cooing. When I held him for the first time, I really felt different(Read emotional) as if something/someone is mine and I'm responsible for him.
WYSIWYG: What you see is what you get. That's what I thought when I saw the red coloured crying slimey baby for the first time. I was torn between my wife who was very pale, anemic and on the other end the baby who I'm meeting for the first time. It's one of those rare moments in my adult life I gently cried without being noticed. May be my emotions were also confused.
I had a long night but surprisingly I wasnt hungry,tired instead I was alert till the baby arrived. For the last 9 months we have waited for this moment but now everything was a dream and without knowing I completed all the required formalities. You can compare it with the Indian marriage ritual which goes on for hours together where everyone else except the marrying couple enjoy the evening.
My son was born in a foreign country, without the normal posse of friends and relatives gathered outside. Though apprehensive initially but we found the medical system in the US quite structured and friendly but only if you have a health insurance. We knew what to expect, thanks to the classes we attended as first time parents. I know it sounds absurd, but it's a must parents who manage it without their moms, aunts to guide you through it. My biggest worry was how to hold my son...I had never held a baby as I was scared of it.
Finalising the doctor:
It wasnt tough as few of my friends referred to the G & Ob. they found friendly and knows the ways of Indians. We got our 1st confirmation after 3 months and the doctor was really happy to announce the news to us. Frankly, I didnt know how to react but looking at their faces I had to smile back. For me unless you see,feel,touch, How will I be happy. After few visits the ultrasound screen displayed a small baby with a pounding heart of a horse in front of us. It was first proof of a living being and it was quite an experience,so I still have the print out of it. Well then I'm going to be a Father....
The doctor, nurses and even the receptionist at the G & Ob. practice seemed distant relations because of their caring and ready to help attitude. Were they faking it, may be even so I think they take it as part of their job to make you comfortable and happy about the whole experience. The receptionist will address my wife sweetie,darling and mummy just to make her comfortable and at ease.
9 Months and the mood swings of a dad :-) :
Thankfully Mrs. Mishra didn't have any cravings but frequent mood swings, well that continues to this day, so cant tell you the difference much. D-day is 14-Apr-11 declared the doctor. In anticipation we read books, subscribed to websites and attended classes in preparation of the delivery. You need car seat to be installed in your car before they can hand-over the baby to drive home. So a big list of shopping list was prepared and we started buying things in our sweet time.
Everything went perfect till 6th month when the doctor advised us to visit an Oncologist for breast cancer. The fears were unfounded and after numerous visits and tests the doctor confirmed that the would be mummy is hale n hearty. What a sigh of relief, those were testing times and one I would definitely like to forget. My in laws arrived in the US before a month and I was overjoyed as there was help, good food and no pressure on me to come home early, so more time for volleyball :-)
On the day of the delivery:
On 11-Apr after having sumptuous dinner, we all went to bed and within half an hour my wife informed of water break...the 1st sign for delivery. We already had packed a bag with
all the must need stuff for hospital and without further delay I drove to Wakemed hospital at Cary. We filled a form and were asked to go to a room, well the room was quite a sight. It was full of gadgets and thankfully a bed for the attendant. Epidural is a nice invention, when my wife was supposed to be crying on top of her voice, instead she was snoring, while I was sitting wide eyed at the bed side. No similarity between bollywood movies and here...no drama at all...The Ob. doctor came at around 11:30 AM on 12-Apr and within 20 mins Varin Mishra came to this world (11:52 AM to be precise). Everything looked perfectly normal except my wife's anemic face and my hand which was paining as she pressed real hard. The crying, moving bundle was weighed and then tagged in the arm with mummy's name in it. In the US mummy is always the first reference to the baby, may be because single parent concept is quite prevalent there.
My mom-in law was shedding happy tears looking at the baby...Varin looked really cute with those beautiful eyes, protruding nose and the occasional coo-cooing. When I held him for the first time, I really felt different(Read emotional) as if something/someone is mine and I'm responsible for him.
