The (7-hour) Aleck Saga

OH MY GOODNESS!!

At 11pm Sunday night, my pregnant woman's partner calls me and tells me she's in labour. After calling my mum and wishing her happy mothers day (Yep, it's mothers day :p Did you forget it? Heh, quick go wish your mum!!), I hurriedly donned on my T-shirt, jeans and jacket, and rushed down to the Women's and Children's.

When I reached there, Sue-Anne was just in the middle of her contractions. They started about 8 hours ago, but she didn't get to the hospital until night time. The clock ticked past, as I sat there, listening to her mum and sis talk crap to pass the time. During the wait, midwife Nicole was busy monitering the fetal heartbeat and contractions strength, and was nice enough to explain what they were doing, with the vaginal examination to check for cervical dilation and all. Her cervix was at 9cm then.

During the wait, I got to watch this procedure in which they pushed a tube up the vagina to prick the fetus' head slightly, and take a small sample of blood to test for its acidity, ensuring that the fetus is not under undue stress.

After 5 long hours, they decided that the fetus was in the wrong position for delivery, because during that time, cervical dilation was good, at 9cm, and contractions were regular and strong. They quickly opted for a Ceserean, and let me scrub in for the operation!!

WHOOOO HOOOOO

I was thought how to wear theatre dress, wash hands, wear operating gown and gloves, and within no time, was at the operating table beside Dr Roberts. He was really kind, and explained step by step as he started to slice the skin of her abdomen, cut through the rectal sheath, rectus abdominus, the peritonium, before reaching the amniotic sac. Blood was squirting each time he made a new incision. He cut the sac in one smooth slice, and the midwife quickly used a vaccum machine to suck up the amniotic fluid that gushed out instantly. He then made a small cut across the uterus, and there was the fetus!!!

WHEEE!!

He even let me cut the umbilical cord!!! WWWOWWW!!!

He removed the placenta, and then deftly stitched up the uterus, the peritonium, the muscle layers, and then the skin, and before I knew it, the operation was over.
I followed the newborn to take his blood sugar levels, and he was then presented to the family, who fawned over him with absolute delight!
He was a boy, and the couple had decided to name him Aleck.

Superbly wonderful and amazing experience. Wow. Went home at 7 plus in the morning, was exhausted after the nightly vigil. Wow.