Emily and I continued to take turns applying pressure. Robin started to panic. Her two previous labors were 36 and 48 hours long. Here we were just four hours or so into it, and Robin was so uncomfortable and in pain, that I thought she was going to give up. I was really scared. After all of our planning, would we have to transport her to the hospital? I could live with a hospital birth, but in my mind, for the past nine months, I saw us having our baby at home, in our bed.
Mary Ann decided to check Robin. Robin was sure she was stuck at 3 cm and that labor was going to go on for another 30 hours. "I can't keep doing this for 30 hours," she cried. I was ready to cry, too, but I thought I'd better hide my disappointment. I really didn't want to give up - easy for me to say, I wasn't in labor. Well, as luck would have it, Robin was at 8 cm! It wasn't going to be 30 hours after all.
Now it was time for me to panic! Our mothers weren't there. Neither was the other apprentice nor Robin's sister. Neither were the kids, who had gone to McDonald's with my mother. And, Robin's doula, Eve, was not there. I got on the phone and called everybody. I must have had a lot of urgency in my voice, as everybody raced over.
Now that everybody was here, the calm quiet atmosphere that was so conducive was nothing more than labor history. We wanted to video tape the whole event, so we had to turn on the lights. I prayed that Robin was far enough along that all the commotion would be inconsequential. I guess it was. I worried anyway.
Robin decided to move to the bed and prop herself up on some pillows, face up. She was indeed in transition. Things were getting pretty serious now. The kids were getting pretty excited. Again, I just had to hope the seriousness of second stage would make Robin block out everything. Robin told me after the birth that she was only aware of me and her doula, Eve.
After pushing for just a few very intense minutes, we saw our baby's head. It had hair. I thought I was going to cry. I put my hand on the head to help catch my baby. I was just so excited! Three more pushes and out shot my baby. I couldn't tell what it was. The midwives held the baby facing Hilary, our five year old daughter, so that she could announce the sex of the baby. "It's Isaac." Now I cried my eyes out. I held Robin and we cried and cried. It was wonderful. I had a boy. I did not have any preference, and everybody was convinced I wanted a girl, but I had a baby. That's what I really wanted.
Mary Ann tried to put Isaac on Robin's chest, but he had such a short cord, he wouldn't reach past her belly button. So, I got to hold him and watch him open his eyes and breathe and move around and cry. He was more beautiful and more moving than anything else in my life had ever been. I finally had a baby! It was wonderful. I really knew that I loved Robin at that moment. What a wonderful wife! What a wonderful mother!
Hilary got to cut the cord, which freaked her out a little bit at first. I'm sure that's something she'll remember forever.
I held the baby while Robin delivered the placenta. I wasn't sure what was going on around the room at the time. I spent an unknown amount of time just staring into my babies eyes. They were beautiful, dark and blue. Wow, what a beautiful baby. I know I'm the daddy so I have to think that, but I was impressed. I expected some shriveled up ugly baby. I knew I'd love it anyway. But, this I didn't expect. A beautiful baby boy! My baby boy! Isaac!
After the placenta was out and Robin was cleaned up, we kicked everybody out and turned off the video camera. Robin, Isaac, and I got to spend our first moments alone. Isaac laid on Robin's chest and picked his head up and looked around. I was again very impressed. "I certainly must have the most amazing and gorgeous newborn ever!" I thought to myself. How happy could one man be? It was wonderful.
Isaac nursed, and I cried. I had a new son.
