A brand new human being

I'm writing this from my hospital bed, with my 19-hour old son lying hiccuping beside me. Alec William Buckley came into the world at 4.17pm (Central European Time) on Tuesday 5th February, weighing 3.3kg (7lb 5oz for the old-fashioned types) and exactly half a metre long. We are biased, of course, but we think we picked a good 'un. He has my mouth, Andy's toes and an excellent grip which Andy believes bodes well for climbing. 

I don't think this is the right forum to give a gritty blow-by-blow account of the birth, but I'm happy to say that it was a largely untraumatic and surprisingly calm experience for us all. I had gestational diabetes during the last third of the pregnancy, which can produce big babies if not well-managed but fortunately didn't present any problems for us. That said, they don't like to let mothers go beyond their due date out here (in the UK they induce at 38 weeks more or less as standard) so I was induced on the evening of our due date - Monday 4th. Unluckily for me, the induction brought on very strong contractions immediately (whereas for many people it takes 12 hours to work) so I spent a very sleepless night putting up with one strong contraction after another, with absolutely no rest between them, much like the last phase of labour is supposed to be, and after 10 hours of this I was completely shattered. The only pain relief they offer here is an epidural - there is no gas and air option, or any other  drugs available - so when I was told that my 10 hours of contractions hadn't actually made any progress, I was very glad to accept it. What followed was just wonderful - I could feel what was happening but was able to rest throughout the day and when we were told, much earlier than expected, that it was time to push I was refuelled and ready. Alec came out 45 minutes later and Andy and I sobbed and sobbed. It was a wonderful experience that is making me teary again just thinking about it. 

The private healthcare system out here is also something to rave about, and although many people have balked at the idea that they will keep us in hospital for 5 days, I am feeling very glad about it at the moment. I have a lovely private room that is far nicer than many hotels I've stayed in and I'm being very well looked after (while paying for it of course!). As well as the cleaning staff who come and go and bring me fresh tea, the midwives who pop in every hour to check up on us, the flatscreen TV on the wall and the bottle of champagne in the fridge (!), my first post-birth meal, brought to me in the delivery suite, was a three-course bonanza that included sirloin steak and a patisserie style dessert. I think I'm getting crab salad for lunch today. The hospital also happens to be just a stone's throw from CERN so Andy can come and go from work while I'm here, and we can look out to his office building from our window. 

If it seems strange that I have the time and energy to write a blog post less than a day after giving birth, it's because of this wonderful care. Alec has been sleeping peacefully for most of his life so far, only waking up to feed and scrutinise his besotted parents for a few minutes before dropping off again. And with free Wifi in the hospital it's a great opportunity to catch up with people before the real hard graft - going home and doing it alone - begins at the weekend.

That said, we can't wait to see what the future will bring to our new little family unit. The early signs are promising.