Babies and Little Dove

“Nope Miss, the placenta comes after the baby.”

I clarified with the young first-time mother as she thought the placenta comes out before the baby. I guided her throughout the whole labour process because she was already quivering when I first saw her being wheeled into the delivery room. Giving birth is a very painful process, and it is not surprising for some mothers to have trepidation when delivering their first child.

I delivered the babies of mothers younger than me, some at only 20 years old. I accompanied them throughout their contractions, taught them how to breathe and relax when they feel contraction pain, how to conserve their energy at the early phase of labour and the force they needed to give for the final push to expel the baby out of the womb.

I never imagined I would be guiding these first-time mothers through the process of giving birth. I felt like I am an experienced mother as I guided these young girls through their delivery step by step, calming them down when they are in great pain, sharing their joys when the baby finally comes out and breaking the good news to the waiting father. I am still single. I will never be able to conceive. I may never give birth to my own child. I would never experience the joy and pains of motherhood! Okay, that didn’t sound quite right. Ha ha!

I remember performing my first delivery. Giving birth naturally (through the vagina) is a gory affair. It's like war at a battlefield. There will be blood everywhere, funny smells and lots of screaming. My hands were trembling when I was cutting my first umbilical cord. I took a deep breath and calmed myself down as I steadied my hands to hold the baby. “You can do it Little Dove,” I silently cheered myself on. The matured staff nurse cum midwife was smiling at me. My hands trembled again when I was gently pulling the slippery placenta out from the mother.

“Just hold it with both hands. It won’t bite!”

The staff nurse giggled aloud to me.

I gave myself a hi-five after my first delivery. It was quite a traumatic experience for me.

I helped wrap the babies with cloth to keep them warm after the nurses cleaned them and put them in the baby cot. I always try to wrap them à la Alexander McQueen and tie a nice ribbon to knot. No excuse not to look fabulous on the baby’s first day of life. I cooed at them as I see them sleeping so peacefully. I christened all the babies I delivered “Chicken.” I think it’s a cute name. Suddenly I miss my stray pet kitten. Where has it gone? :(

I am now crowned the O&G specialist by my classmates. I guess the extra time I spent in the wards and labour room taught me a lot and it reflected on my performance. Some people are really good with children, some with the elderly and I seem to be quite good when it comes to women. That is really ironic as I am gay and my straight guy friends (or lesbian) would give anything to be in my shoes. I didn’t really think about it until recently when friends saw and pointed it out. Being good with pregnant women is the last thing on my mind. Moreover, I have no intentions on becoming a gynaecologist at all. Whatever I become in the future, I will remind myself to stay humble and remain down to earth. I come from humble origins and my parents ingrained this very trait in me since young.

After wheeling the patient back to the ward, I passed the little baby in my arms back to the father.

“Don’t!’ the father yelled and jumped a step backwards. “I’m scared. I might drop the baby.”

What a funny daddy!