Witnessing childbirth is one of the most beautiful and amazing experiences ever. For a couple, their experience was very much unexpected, unforgettable and quite simply — “magical”.
Truly an unforgettable experience
It was an unexpected event that unfolded on the dawn of May 4, 2018. Giacherie Tipik described the event as though, “The whole universe comes flashing in, million of years came together for that very moment. It was the most beautiful and magical feeling I’ve ever had.”
It was the morning he witnessed the birth of his fourth child, and it was his first time ever seeing his wife, Stacy Gregory give birth. According to him, he had never seen his first three children fresh from the womb due to circumstances. Hence, the experience that happened in the wee morning was an eye-opener to him.
What made the experience worthwhile was that it happened in the car with him helping to deliver the baby himself. “That was truly the scariest moment in our parenting life I must say.”
Sharing the story, Giacherie recalled that the time was almost 5am when Stacy woke him up. “She said that she might be having Braxton Hicks contractions. Though it was not consistent, as the day before she had not felt any pain,” he explained. The couple then headed out to the nearest hospital for a checkup.
Driving from Matang’s 10th Mile, they were stucked in the morning jam. According to him, since it was a one-way road, they decided to take a u-turn from 7th Mile back to Moyan, then towards MJC, “Because in my opinion, that route had at least two lanes for me to try squeeze in between.”
As the time got close to 6am, and the sun was about to rise, it was still drizzling. “As soon as we passed Stephen Yong’s traffic light, the road was heavily congested. This was where panic kicks in. Stacy was screaming, saying she can’t hold on any longer.”
Initially, the plan was for them to visit the government hospital, however, it was swiftly diverted to the closest one available. At that moment two years ago, the nearest to Giacherie and Stacy was the hospital at Rock Road.
“Since I was not thinking straight, I had forgotten of the existence of Klinik Ibu dan Anak along RPR Batu Kawa.”
Locked in by the traffic in the morning rush, a very distressed Stacy could not hold it any longer. “When we reached MJC, I quickly found a place to stop and immediately called for an ambulance,” said the father. It was at that very moment that Stacy’s water broke. “And she knew the baby was coming, she was in labour pain, and said she felt like ‘taking a dump’.”
In just one morning, he said his heart skipped countless of beats. “What ran through my head was how do we even deliver the baby? Let alone in the car? What if the baby suffocate? Should I cut her umbilical cord? Where is everyone?”
“Baby, baby, the baby is coming!” she said. “Hold on! The ambulance has to come first!” he responded. To which Giacherie received a resounding, “It is not me! It is the baby! She is forcing herself out!”
It was a very intense moment, said the husband. As soon as he could see his daughter’s head, he blanked-out and just went auto-pilot. “I only recalled a few hours later what happened.”
Giacherie said that he immediately reached for the emergency baby basket prepared by his wife. It was filled with a blanket, baby clothing, diapers, mittens, a bottle of water, and a book — the baby basket was bought at an art market a week before.
“While Stacy was pushing, I was getting ready for the baby to slip through my arms, onto the blanket. As soon as she was out, I quickly wrapped her.” His next task was the umbilical cord. “Since we both didn’t know what to do, we just let it hang as she held the baby.”
Going through labour in the car, Stacy shared that it was not hard to push as “It was the baby who pushed herself.”
Giacherie described the moment as “magical”. It was 6.15am and what worries the father was if the baby could not breathe. He remembered that once he held the baby for the first time, she cried. “And she opened her eyes while she was in Stacy’s arms.” The nurses came half an hour later, but all he wished for was the moment to hold for as long as he could.
With both parents being fans of the Star Wars franchise, and the baby being born on May the fourth (Star Wars Day), the baby girl was named Reshmi by her parents. Rae was from ‘Star Wars — The Force Awaken’ and Shmi being Anakin Skywalker’s mother.
