Eliza Bahneman and her husband’s lives underwent a permanent change on October 25, 2018, with the arrival of their little one, Bella.
Bella caused a surprise for her parents by arriving a couple of weeks ahead of schedule. Her unexpected arrival was akin to the arrival of a valuable gem. The declaration “We’re expecting a baby!” is something everyone anticipates when making choices about family planning.
The complete pregnancy journey spanned approximately nine months for my spouse and me. During this time, my apprehension and unease started to increase. The thought of becoming parents elicits a myriad of emotions.
I was lucky that my sister, sister-in-law, and a couple of close friends were aware of my pregnancy. Our pregnancies were staggered by a few weeks or months. It was truly delightful to have someone to share the ups and downs of pregnancy with.
Apart from the reality that unexpected challenges can arise at any moment, our journey has imparted valuable lessons about life. Change doesn’t always come when expected, but sometimes we are prepared for it.
Like many other pairs, as our delivery date drew near, we started experiencing the thrill of welcoming our baby into the world. The environment was perfectly arranged to welcome our newborn, and both our families and we were enthusiastic about revealing what we had created. Witnessing the traits our baby shared with each of us brought immense happiness.
Furthermore, I had been informed about the difficulties that nursing could bring. I was both apprehensive about the impending adjustments and excited about forming a strong connection with my child.
My experience with pregnancy was enjoyable and uncomplicated. It was later revealed that my heart-shaped uterus wasn’t the cause for being labeled as high risk. Due to giving birth to Bella at the age of 35, I underwent all required prenatal assessments alongside my monthly ultrasound scans. All the results returned as ‘typical.’
During the night of October 24th, my spouse was occupied with work while I was putting the finishing details on Bella’s room and organizing the diaper bag. Just before I retired to bed at 11:30, I sent a photo of my belly along with a message from Bella to her dad. It read, ‘Hello, Daddy, Mommy has a hunch that I might make an early entrance. She senses that her pregnancy won’t last much longer. I’m excited to meet you. Love you, Daddy.’
At 1:15 a.m. on October 25, 2018, my water broke, and Bella’s arrival occurred a month ahead of schedule. I was in a frenzy because we hadn’t taken any classes (which I later discovered weren’t really necessary). My hospital bag was only partially packed, the car seat wasn’t installed yet, and my hair and nails were in disarray. It was definitely not the labor scenario I had envisioned. In haste, we called...
