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Gaz knew that all the books and classes in the world wouldn’t be enough to completely prepare anyone for the birth of their child but they did help him to retain some control over a seemingly crazy situation. When the big day did arrive for Gaz and his partner they had a birth experience that wasn’t part of their ‘plan’.
Inner peace has been located
By the third trimester Gaz says he was becoming totally comfortable with the idea of becoming a father.
“I had tracked down all the baby stuff we needed like a cot and change table and the amount of gifts and advice we were getting from friends and family was just overwhelming,” said Gaz.
“We had read heaps of pregnancy books and been to classes at the hospital so I was feeling as confident as I could be leading up to the birth.”
Heading towards the end of the pregnancy Gaz loved spending time bonding with baby and couldn’t wait for him to pop out.
“I used to talk to the baby through the tummy all the time about tree houses and go-karts and baggy green caps,” he said.
“I would also hold my headphones to the belly so the baby could listen to music.
“I felt like we were already starting to get to know one another and that made me so excited.”
Gaz had no shortage of support throughout the pregnancy both from family and friends but not all the advice was easy to take.
“I found it hard to relate to other dads as I felt like a bit of a fraud not actually having a baby yet and sometimes I thought I was prepared enough for the baby without needing extra advice,” he said.
“But it was comforting to talk to mates with babies and have them say that they are there for you.”
“As my partner was becoming bigger and bigger she was finding it hard to do some of the things around the house which lead to her becoming a bit frustrated – this was made double by the fact that most of her clothes were now way too small so it was really important for me to be there for her and help her out.”
A change of plans
Gaz’s partner had just gone into labour when the midwife decided to do another quick ultrasound based on a gut feeling.
It was a good thing she did as they discovered that little bubs was in the breach position. There wasn’t much time for discussion as the contractions were getting stronger and if they were to have a caesarean section they needed to get to theatre straight away.
“I was very nervous at this point because we never discussed caesarean as an option so it was completely unknown territory for the both of us,” said Gaz.
“All of the hospital staff were really good at helping us through the whole process.
“Once I came into the theatre where my partner was it was only a matter of minutes before we were introduced to our little baby.
Kodak moment for dad and bubs
“The doctor left some chord on so I could cut it which made for some good photos!
“They wrapped him up and I carried him over to my partner and we had our very first family hug.
“While mum was in post op the midwives left me and baby to ourselves in the nursery. I will never forget that time we spent together.
“The first hour of my son’s life was spent in my arms as we just sat back and got to know one another.”
Click here to read Gaz’s experiences during the 1st trimester.
Click here to read Gaz’s experiences during the 2nd trimester.
Click here to read Gaz’s experiences as a new dad.
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Read about other fathers to be and their experiences during the third trimester. |
