Advent into motherhood.

I was talking to a friend recently about pregnancy and birth... I got to thinking about my journey through it.
All through my pregnancy, I read religiously about the foetus's progress daily... I made it to all the doctor visits, and grilled her with questions about everything related to pregnancy and child birth. She took to telling me what I would read on the internet, and what they do differently in India even before I opened my mouth! I ate veges and fruits and all healthy things. One month when I decided I had developed a craving for icecream (for once my DH let this go unchecked)... my doctor berated me for the weight gain... cravings is a myth she said, if you have intention of getting back to shape after the baby... dont dare touch those icecreams and chocos!!! So I wasnt pampered with having all the midnight cravings satisfied by DH. He kept remiding me of doctor's orders and generally suspecting my intentions (let me set the record straight by saying he was right in doing so... most of the cravings were gimmicks!)
Anyway, I worked till late night almost every day during my pregnancy (part due to nature of work, and partly due to my hard headedness) . I religiously walked though... and when I walked I ran in competition with some of my colleagues... my friend gomz noticing this, took to walking with me just to check my speed. I also climbed up and down 5 floors to my apartment every day! I stayed out late nights on weekends, going to restaurants and having fun (which I thought I could never do after the baby). On the whole I violated every traditional indian rule book.. boy was I crazy!!
Soon it was time to go on maternity leave and still no sign of the baby... Every day the whole world would call and ask me if I was feeling anything.. and was I feeling frustrated, and annoyed with anyone who dared ask. But I used this time to do extensive shopping for the baby... I read books, washed the babies clothes in dettol and waited. A couple of days after due date, still no baby - I dragged my MIL to the dentist. She was horrified at the suggestion, but my reasoning was... the dentist's place was close to the hospital. If I did go into labour I would just go and get admitted. My DH can then join me!
Finally after another frustrating day 4 days after my due date, I started having some pains. Now I had a lot of people around me declaring this was definitely not labour, it dint seem like it either... from the birth preparation classes I had attended. My DH and I had a quiet consultation and decided maybe the baby was just too cozy inside, so time to nudge it out! We figured if we went to the hospital at 11 pm in the night, they aint sending us back!! So we did that, and sure enough they let us stay. The next morning though the chief doctor looked at me and said, "Doesnt look like you are in labour. We will watch you till the afternoon and then send you home"! By this time I was ready to scream! An assistant doctor told me, dont eat a thing only fluids and keep walking, that might speed it up. I walked... and walked and walked... all day! round and round the little room. My husband was really worried for my sanity!! we sent everyone else home sure they would have protested to such ridiculous behaviour!!
But that worked... finally at 4 pm (5 days after my due date) the doctor declared I am ready and wheeled me into the labour room!! I will leave all the gross part out! At 9: 30 Pm (Yes 5 and a half hours later) Nantu decided to make an appearance!! (I should have known right then, stubborn kid!!). I felt nothing but relief. No elation, no motherly feeling, nada! My DH on the other hand felt everything. He was in the labour ward with me and held the baby first (after the doc ofcourse). I was so tired I didn't want to hold the baby right then... bad mommy!! All I wanted was sleep...(ha, was I in for a rude awakening!!!)
In the coming months I did many things which none of the tradionalists approved of. One such thing was letting my baby sleep in a cradle instead of my bed. What? I was so scared I would crush him! Also every time I woke up in the night, DH would be up making sure I was mixing the right amount of formula, The first month in my sleepless state I once poured a bottle of water into the formula can!
Like all things in life, I took pregnancy and child birth too lightly.... in retrospect it was a good thing too! I had a nice kid too, who stopped waking in the middle of the night at 4 months and decided to let us rest!!! Meanwhile I decided to start acting my part and became the world's most perfect mommy (yeah I knew you wouldn't fall for that.. I stumble through!!)