Wednesday 28 January 2009

“Just one more push Mrs D”

I was laid on a hospital bed with cold jelly (not the strawberry kind) on my belly. The man doing the scan told us it was a girl. My second girl, husbands third.

The clothes were in boxes from our first, we had all the equipment and were ready. All we had to do was agree on a name and wonder what our daughter (then 13 months) would make of having to share us with another.

We were delighted but I still took great pleasure in teasing my husband that he would be surrounded by women forever. He had always dreamt of having a son to share his obsessions with. Who would he play or watch golf/football/cricket with? I suggested his daughters, but this did not ease his frustration. His mother kept telling him she was one of five sisters. I reminded him that I wanted lots of children so surely somewhere along the way there would be a boy. I could see the newspaper headlines ‘Woman gives birth to son after 15 daughters’

… and his mother continued to tell him she was one of five sisters.

When my due date came and went I became tired and emotional. The midwife had told me four weeks earlier that she thought the birth was imminent … I believed her. I had an 18 month old rampaging through the house, a husband starting a new business from the confines of the attic and blocked drains; the house, not mine.

My husband and his friend had bought tickets for the White Stripes assuming that the baby would arrive on or before her due date. How I laughed ... probably because weeping and rocking back and forth was the only other option at this point.

Seven days past my due date we arrived at the hospital for a check up and I was given a stretch and sweep (which is as uncomfortable as it sounds). The nurse talked about inducing on the night of the White Stripes gig. I laughed more heartily than before. My husband tried to talk the nurse into changing the day. With much eye rolling and tutting she agreed.

Needless to say my husband missed the White Stripes gig.

I won’t bore you with a full birth story; I’ll just let you in on the ending …

“Just one more push Mrs D”

There were many expletives, some shouting, screaming (all mine) then silence.

The shock was too much, my husband wept and I will NEVER forget seeing my sons willy for the first time.

My special, mischievous, surprise boy … and on my husband’s birthday.

Happy Birthday Boys, 3 and 40 today.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's lovely! Happy birthday you two!

Kitty said...

Oh, how fantastic! Happy Birthday to your boys.

My son was born FAST - I think I was in shock. I knew he was going to be a boy, so no suprises on the front bottom, but when the midwife held him up and I saw his lower cheeks for the first time ... :-O My first thought was 'OMG - I've forgotten to grow him a bum!' ... tiny little cheekage. So that's why men always wear a belt - they have no 'proper' bum with which to hold up their trousers?!

x

Tim Atkinson said...

What a tailx (sorry, tale!

Robert said...

When my wife got pregnant 8 years ago, I was convinced that it would be a girl.

I was already the father of 5 - 4 of whom were girls. My son has autism & severe learning difficulties, so the normal father/son relationship never happened there and I had resigned myself to never having that experience.

As men age, their sperm deteriorates - and the male producing sperm is the first to go. Older men generally produce girls - and 8 years ago I was one of those older fathers-to-be. My wife wanted to have a boy, but finally accepted that the chances were remote - even more so because she was one of 3 daughters.

Imagine our surprise when we discovered that OUR baby had a willy! So I have some idea how YOU felt.

I hope your lads have a great birthday.

Anonymous said...

What a surprise!

I hope your son doesn't continue expecting an awed silence ever time he takes his pants off though....!

Nicola said...

Happy Birthday boys!! What a great story. A similar thing happened to a friend but in reverse. She had a boy and was told she was expecting another, but it was a girl. The poor thing was pretty much nappy-less for the first week of her life cos they kept having to stare at her bits to reassure themselves it hadn't been a dream. And go on an urgent pink shopping hunt of course.

thanks for sharing Laura x

Nicky said...

Happy birthday boys!

Great story, I didn't know what K was going to be, but my sister said if I had a boy she would push it back in! She went on to have two boys and I was not allowed to return the favour!

Corey Schwartz said...

What a great surprise. Happy birthday! 3-year-old boys are the best!

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful birthday surprise... You planned the whole didn't you? You and your uterus.

Happy birthday to your boys!

Lucy Filet said...

Love this story!

Happy Birthday to the boys!

Anonymous said...

Well told story, I'm still smiling. I hope your hair cut wasn't too traumatic and I bet you look lovely.

Ladybird World Mother said...

Happy Birthday to the Three year old and the Forty year old!! You are clever to arrange such a present on your husband's 37th birthday. Have a good one!

Mum's the word said...

Hi Laura,
What a fantastic story about your birthday boys. Your husband must be over the moon.
I have a friend who has 3 girls and just gave birth to her 4th child. A complete shocker.....it was a boy. I could have made a ton of money on that bet.
Enjoy!!!!!
jo

Jen said...

what an awesome story. Happy birthday to your boys.

3 Bay B Chicks said...

Bless you for not sharing the minute details of your birth experience. It may very well have been more than your fans, like me, could handle! :)

A hearty congratulations and happy birthday to you and your family. What wonderful news!

-Francesca

Anonymous said...

Perhaps it was no bad thing, before the age of scans, to adopt a 'wait and see' attitude! Whatever you got was always a surprise back then!

Sparx said...

What a cool story! Just saw your blog for the first time so this was a completely surprise ending, loved it!

Swift Jan said...

What a gorgeous story!!!!

Thanks for your kind words on my blog :)

Anonymous said...

A Lovely story. Happy Birthday to your boys!

CJ xx

Audrey said...

Ah....that's a nice story. Bummer about the White Stripes though!

Zip n Tizzy said...

Happy Birthday to both of them!
And how nice for you not to have to do this 14 more times!

Iota said...

Great story.

A friend of mine already had a boy, and was told by a blurting-out doctor that her second was going to be a boy too (she didn't want to know, the doctor didn't bother to ask). The birth was high drama, speedy emergency caesarean with worried doctors, during a thunderstorm, lightning and thunder crashing all around, my friend out cold, husband not allowed in the operating theatre. When she awoke, all befuddled, thank goodness a tactful midwife had made it her business to be right on hand to explain why the baby had a pink baby hat on.

Ella said...

A great story!

I'm really glad to have found your blog.