A little history about the Cesarean...It's all Greek to me

It seemed only appropriate that due to the incision on my belly that I find out a bit more about this procedure...

Caesareans in fiction
The first caesarean section according to mythology was performed by Apollo on his lover Coronis when he delivered Asklepios.

In Persian mythology, Rudaba's labor of Rostam was prolonged due to the extraordinary size of her baby. Zal, her lover and husband, was certain that his wife would die in labour. Rudabah was near death when Zal decided to summon the Simurgh. The Simurgh appeared and instructed him upon how to perform a cesarean section, thus saving Rudabah and the child, who later on became one of the greatest Persian heroes.

A caesarean section appears in Shakespeare's play Macbeth. Macbeth hears a prophecy that "none of woman born shall harm Macbeth," an impossibility, but later finds out that MacDuff was "from his mother's womb untimely ripp'd," the product of a caesarean section birth (not unlike Robert II of Scotland).

The stillborn child of character Catherine Barkley is delivered by caesarean section in the Hemingway novel A Farewell to Arms.

In the video game Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, a main character called 'The Boss' exposes a c-section scar to Naked Snake (The player's character). The scar is possibly from a blundered procedure and runs from the abdomen to the breasts, and is in the shape of a snake.

Lucas Domingos Rogerio Bonato

November 20th, 2009 will be a day that Cleber and I will never forget as it is the day that our precious son was born.

I arrived at the clinic at 7am and was brought into the preparation room. At 8:30, following a anti-bacterial shower, I was escorted by a nurse into the operating room where my life and that of Cleber's and our families was to forever change. Lucas arrived at 9:15 am (3,6 kilos and 51 cm long) in his creamy white glory only to find a mother who was hallucinating due to a bad reaction to morphine. Next thing I knew a pediatrician had brought over my squeaky clean child swaddled in a white blanket next to me so that I could admire him close-up although it was all a blur.... Four hours later and with Cleber stepping in to support me and cuddle with our baby Lucas while I was still dealing with the undesirable after effects from the morphine, we were whisked up to my room, no. 311, which would be my home for the next 6 days. All in all it was a wonderful experience and the staff at Sainte Felicite were a major reason why we were able to make the most of my stay and to enjoy every minute with our son. We feel so incredibly blessed that everything went as smoothly and that we are now the proud parents of a wonderfully calm little baby boy.

I suppose I could also have led in with the fact that he's the most beautiful child I've ever seen, the most intelligent, with a sparking future ahead but you already assumed that, right???

Here's to our family and friends, especially Grandmere Anne-Louise, Dedecek Jan, Auntie Marie-Louise, Avo Dirce and Tios Maurcio and Mauricio

We cannot wait to be able to share Lucas with you in person. He's truly our little miracle baby.

Love to you all!

Jour J /D-Day is tomorrow, Friday, November 20, 2009

Like Bo Derek and Otto von Habsburg before him, November 20th will signify the arrival of our little boy who is scheduled to arrive by c-section at 8:30 am. The past 48 hours have been quite eventful after receiving a declaration from the radiologue that there was no way on earth that this child was going to come out of me sane and safe via a natural birth (nor was I to come out of it unscathed) as I was apparently below the norm in size in my pelvic region (Sorry if this is TMI). Yesterday I received 2 phone calls from the OB staff, the first to cancel my appointment on Friday where I was to have another ultrasound and a second call to alert me to the fact that the c-section was scheduled for Friday (as in this Friday??? was my response). It seems that it was all happening and all I could do was go along for the ride. Thanks to everyone who helped me through the shock of a c-section. I'm totally zen and hey just think Jr will come out perfect, after not having to squeeze through any small spaces. I am apparently in very good hands, as my OB, Dr. Sabane, remarked to me today that he has "the best hands" at Saint Felicite, after my asking him to present his hands to me for a final review being that they were to be cutting me open the following morning...he does indeed have nice hands and a great sense of humor.

Needless to say Cleber and I are so EXCITED to meet Junior and we hope and pray that everything will go smoothly and that you will all be able to visit with him virtually or in person in the coming weeks.

Love to all of you!

Lucie-Anne and Cleber

Monday, November 16th 2009

It's approximately 2 weeks before the due date of Junior and all is ready: the room, the stroller, the baby clothes, my bags are packed for the clinic (I'll be giving birth at the Clinique Saint Felicite in the 15th Arrondisement of Paris), and we even have diapers ready and waiting.

At my last OB appointment Jr. was still very high and thus my Doctor has scheduled a radio and another ultrasound to determine whether I have the space to clear Jr through without too much stress. That was the moment that I cursed the fact that I could wear skinny jeans....now look where it's gotten me! Needless to say it seems that having eaten my weight in cheese has landed on Jr and he's a VERY healthy baby boy. Funny enough my mother warned me about the blessings and curses of the Guichard line of women... which include that we're incredibly fertile, small boned and are destined to suffer through long labors (apparently my mother was told that a c-section would be in her future and she just said "No". Oh mom, you are truly an original...)

On a side note there are moment when I wake Cleber up to let him that we're having a baby, as I still can't believe it...it truly is one of the most miraculous and anciety ridden adventures that I've been on. I pray that Junior is born healthy...and of course handsome and intelligent...the rest we'll just have to leave to chance. =)

We'll update you this week on the final decision as I have tests scheduled for Tuesday and Friday...

In Love and Peace,

Lucie-Anne, Cleber and Jr.