Surangi, The Child Bride

Part 14

"Kaku, when can we see the baby?" Surangi followed Sharayu around like a tail, eager to get a glimpse of the infant who came into the world in the still of the night when the children were fast asleep. As the women wound up the kitchen after dinner the previous night Vidya went into labour and the midwife was sent for, with Yashoda and Sharayu rallying to assist with the birth. As this was Vidya's first child the labour stretched on and she put up a brave front, at least until the contractions came with increased frequency and her water broke.

"Not long now!" The midwife assured Vidya who was feeling drained due to hours of enduring pain.  From time to time the midwife kept checking to see how much Vidya had dilated and whether the birth was proceeding without glitches such as signs of fetal distress. Vidya was given tiny sips of water to keep her hydrated. Pots of boiling water were kept in readiness to sterilise the blade to be used to cut the infant's umbilical cord. Although Vidya had been mentally prepared to expect changes in her body during the various stages of labour, she suddenly felt out of control. 

No matter how calm she tried to stay when the pain reached a crescendo she could not keep herself from moaning, even if she tried to muffle the sound. The children were forcibly sent off to sleep due to the late hour while the adults were too anxious to go to sleep. The men counted prayer beads, and were ready to immerse the Ganesh idol in a basin of water if problems cropped up, in the belief that holding the deity to ransom would help facilitate the birth. Access to the birthing room was restricted to prevent contamination. Inside Yashoda and Sharayu did as the midwife instructed. 

A couple of hours before dawn Vidya mustered all the strength she could gather, pushing until the baby's head and later the shoulders and body were propelled out of the birth canal. As the midwife swung into action attending to the infant and expertly cutting the cord she cleaned the baby and applied antiseptic salve. Yashoda attended to Vidya who wore a faint smile on her face even as her son screamed indignantly when his lungs filled with air for the first time. The baby was born hale and hearty, with just as much downy hair on his scalp as on the skin of a peach. 

In a few minutes Vidya's contractions began again and the afterbirth was delivered uneventfully. The midwife breathed a sigh of relief along with Yashoda, there was no reason to worry now. The mother, the baby and the birthing space were scrubbed meticulously and the exhausted Vidya fell back on her mattress which was covered in clean sheets. The midwife handed her the newborn wrapped in swaddling clothes and encouraged her to put him to her breast. "He will learn to suck on the nipple by instinct, have some patience! Your first milk will come forth soon. Try and nurse him as soon as you can. Breastmilk will be his only nourishment until he is six months old!" She advised her.

 After attending to mother and infant and having advised Yashoda on the medicines to be given, the midwife disposed off the afterbirth and was escorted home. She would return over the next few days to watch over Vidya and the child. "Sharayu, try and get some sleep for a couple of hours, you must be tired!" Yashoda told Sharayu and sent her away,  choosing to stay with Vidya who had fallen asleep along with her son. Yashoda placed the baby in the cradle and lay down on her own mattress to try and catch a few precious moments of shuteye. Both mother and daughter were still sleeping when the family woke up and Sharayu lit the kitchen fires to boil the fresh milk and to make breakfast.

Surangi could not contain her excitement. She was glad that school was closed today as it was Sunday, it meant that she could snatch the opportunity to see the infant. She offered to help Sharayu when Yashoda was away taking a bath. The men and the children had soji or semolina pudding and warm milk for breakfast. "Surangi, no one can enter the lying-in room and Vidya and the baby are fast asleep. Access to them will be restricted for a few days until the baby builds up immunity after a few days of nursing on his mother's milk. You can handle him after his baarse (naming ceremony traditionally held on the 12th day after birth)." Sharayu explained to her that the mother and infant needed to be isolated to prevent infection.