Baby Joel, our pride
Judy Adeba’s labour and delivery experience was narrated by Clayton, her husband.
‘I was getting impatient. I could not wait for Joel to arrive. After four and a half hours of constantly rubbing her back and soothing her, she was ready to have the baby.’
It was a Sunday. I left for church, leaving my pregnant wife Judy at home. She felt an urge to go to the bathroom. This was accompanied by cramp-like pains. She did not think much about her discomfort and so she went back to sleep and waited for the pains to pass. Her brother who was staying with us tried calling me but by then I had started preaching in church and so my phone was off.
He hence had to come to the church himself and get me. I excused myself and rushed Judy to hospital. By then she was only 1cm dilated. I naively thought that 1cm dilated referred to a countdown from ten backwards and that she was about zero, the ideal dilation. How wrong I was! Her labour pains increased at around 6pm and I was present to massage her back as she progressed into delivery stage. By 8pm Judy was 4cm dilated.
The doctor had to induce her, for she had started bleeding at midnight. I was getting impatient. I could not wait for Joel to arrive. After four and a half hours of constantly rubbing her back and soothing her, she was ready to have the baby. I was asked to wait outside the delivery room: but in there, Judy could not communicate with the nurses (she is deaf and dumb). Hence I had to go in. Baby Joel was born on 25th of September at 1am.
Coming home
We left hospital at around midday, on the same day our son was born. Thankfully, friends and family helped us clear the hospital bills and cater for our comfortable stay at home in the first few days. Though Joel is a peaceful baby, there were a few trying moments at first. As Judy cannot hear, I had to nudge her to wake up and attend to Joel whenever he woke up at night. And during the day when she would not be able to actively do the house chores, I would take over and help out. This was difficult in the beginning, but as time passed. I adapted. I would nap during the day whenever possible. Attending to a newborn baby was not a new experience though as I had previously babysat my nephews and nieces before.
Trying moments
Judy had an episiotomy. Her cut though did not heal fast enough. Eight weeks after delivery she had to be re-stitched. Then our baby started getting sick. His umbilical cord got an infection when the pegged hanging part finally fell off. That meant trips to the hospital and a huge medical bill. And soon after he got a malaria attack and we had to rush back to the hospital, once again. Shortly after, his mother fell sick too.
Most joyous moment
I first held my son immediately after birth, even before he could be cleaned. I was overjoyed. I was proud to be his dad. The little wiggly being resembled his maternal grandfather so much that it made me smile as the nurses took to cleaning him. It just made me appreciate how far I as a human being had come—from a small helpless creature to an able being.
A changed life
Before Joel came along, nothing ever really worried us. Judy did not have to work, for the income I made was enough to cater for both of us. Now eight months later, we are more careful with what we do with work and finances. Judy has started an income generating activity to cover for additional family needs. And before I leave the house, I have to ensure Joel is under his mother’s watch. And now more of our focus is on raising Joel in the best way ever. I would want him to follow in my footsteps and become a pastor. But I will let him pursue his dreams with my full support.
END: BL22/57