The birth was a long one (15 hours or more) The experienced was intensified as my wife had suffered from Hyperemesis Gravidarum through almost the full term of her pregnancy. She had heightened aversions to food, perfumes, aftershaves , adverts showing food (could only keep down a little boiled rice and dry toast), my own clean body smell (showered about 4x a day). So weak was she through not being able to eat and vomiting so much that her life and our child's life could have been in danger (feared premature birth most I remember). Couple that also with high blood pressure and (at that point undiagnosed) angina, I was quietly fearful for both mother and child.

The atmosphere was very tense, even with the very good and experienced staff . I felt as if they feared also, due to my wife's weakened state, but didn't want to convey that concern to us. Prior to the actual birth I remember (several) monitors being attached (I think) through the birth canal to our daughters head(?) or wife's body. The contractions took a long while to build and for the actual birthing process to begin. As the actual birth happened , the staff were monitoring all vital signs of mother and baby, but I believe from memory went well . The surprise of all given the lack of food ingested during the pregnancy, my wife gave birth to a 7lb7oz baby girl.