And so the journey begins...

On the seventh evening of January 2010, Mama was asked to be admitted to the hospital, so that labour could be induced, to help me come out. The contractions began around 10:00pm and gradually intensified through the night. Towards dawn, my mother was unable to cope with the pain and requested for an epidural*. Many instruments were attached to mama, to monitor my progress. Everybody was unhappy with mama's decision of opting for an epidural and she was shouted at by the hospital staff. The epidural and the long labour made mama very sleepy and tired. Towards the last leg of labour, mama tried to push me out for three and a half hours, but was just unable to do so. Meanwhile, I had gotten my self in a spot, where normally my entire body should have been facing backwards, I had my head positioned correctly, but my shoulders were upright and hence was acting as a block to my way out. The progress was slow and it was already past noon.  Dr. Priscilla Christo then decided to pull me out using forceps and took mama into the labour room at 1:15 pm. Thanks to the strong and competent doctor, I was taken out safe and sound at 1:55pm on Friday, the 8th of January 2010. The pediatrician, Dr. Mahendra flushed my stomach and made sure I was in the pink of health. Mama in her semi-conscious state still thought she needed to push, and had the doctors laughing, by asking them if she still needed to do so. The doctors stitched mama up, while I was bathed and presented to the family. Amma - my maternal grandmother was the first to hold me. Only after a while did I see Papa. I was too sleepy to be meet the rest of the family and was only waiting for mama to hold me close! I was clothed in a white tie-up shirt with orange flowers and a nappy and wrapped with a blue flannel blanket with teddy bear motifs - all provided by the hospital. I was happy to be in this world, though I did miss the warm, secure place I stayed in for forty weeks!

*Epidural: An analgesic which is inserted in the epidural column in the spine, which helps numbs the area, so that contractions are not as intense.