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Now that Tim has been to the classes and has some idea of what to expect he is feeling a lot more comfortable. All he has to do now is play the waiting game.
Almost there
As the big day got closer and closer for Tim he decided to find out a bit more of what to expect.
“We attended the baby classes at King Edward birthing centre and it was interesting to get the facts and figures and a bit of preparation,” he said.
“But I wouldn’t say it’s essential for everyone, if anyone is totally freaking out then it is worth the time and effort for the reassurance.”
Now that Tim had the lowdown from the experts he was feeling pretty confident about the remainder of the pregnancy.
“I was definitely feeling pretty good about the whole situation right throughout the third trimester but I am sure that was due to my wife,” he said.
“She was so well prepared, so happy and so confident that my job was made very easy.”
All Tim had to do now was wait it out and make sure he knew how to get to the hospital.
“Two weeks before our due date my wife packed a bag of things ready for when we went into the hospital,” he said.
“When she was done packing she said ‘I’m ready to have my baby now!’ which I just scoffed at, but not 5 hours later my wife was sitting up in bed with contractions.
Luckily for Tim he hadn’t left it too late for his share of the preparation and was already acutely aware of the best route to hospital.
“The drive to the hospital was urgent but relatively calm and in hindsight we arrived way too early,” he said.
“It was not at all how I’d imagined it would be from the stereotypical movie portrayal.”
Tim said his wife handled the labour like a champion and as he stood by her side providing the support she needed the hours were just flying by.
“After about 20 hours of labour the pain was starting to take its toll on my wife,” said Tim.
“I remember getting a little worried as she was really starting to swear and shout at me which was fine, but I knew she must have been in pretty substantial pain.
“When I look back at that moment today it’s actually pretty funny in a twisted, light-hearted kind of way.”
By this stage, Tim’s wife had gone past the thirty hour mark and the expected arrival was showing no signs of making an appearance any time soon so the doctors decided it was time to intervene.
Tim’s wife was rolled up to theatre for an emergency caesarean section.
“The birth itself was an intense emotional experience and certainly not one I’ll ever forget,” said Tim.
“I remember as the doctors pulled my daughter out I couldn’t believe it was all really finally happening.
“They put her in my arms and I was so choked up with emotion, I had tears rolling down my face and was barely able to speak.
“I could hear my wife in the background asking me over and over ‘Is she beautiful?’ And I eventually managed to choke out a yes while handing our daughter over to her mum for the first time…it was incredibly intense.”
Click here to read Tim’s experiences during the 1st trimester.
Click here to read Tim’s experiences during the 2nd trimester.
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Read about other fathers to be and their experiences during the third trimester. |
