Our son Aaron was born in the CIMA hospital in San José today, after 37 weeks of pregnancy, at 14:37 local time, October 31, 2013, by Caesarean section. He's tiny - 47 cm and 2300 g - but vivacious and hungry, and appears to be healthy despite his size. His weight seems to be mostly in his balls, which are bigger than his penis. His feet are tiny, and he arrived into the world with a head of dark hair, just like his momma.

We expected he'd be premature, but we didn't expect it would have to be by C-section. Towards the end of the pregnancy, ultrasound showed calcifications in the placenta. According to the ultrasound specialist, these calcifications were signs of an intrauterine infection, which could have resulted from a week of a flu-like illness which Jana experienced in August. There was a low level of amniotic fluid, and the baby had been behind with weight progression for a while. Since the amniotic fluid is composed to a large extent of the baby's own urine, the gynecologist interpreted its low level as a sign that the baby wasn't getting the nutrition it needed. He recommended that Aaron would be better off outside, and that a C-section would be preferable to induced labor, because dilation hadn't yet taken place.

(Edit: According to another doctor we heard from, calcifications are as expected in late-stage pregnancy as wrinkles in an 80-year old woman. She argues that a lower than average weight is still normal, and a low level of amniotic fluid has no relationship to the nutrients the baby is getting. The CTG results were perfectly normal, so she thinks the C-section was unnecessary.)

Jana received epidural anesthesia, which was administered painlessly, and was awake throughout the procedure. I held the baby for about an hour after he was born, waiting for the mommy to come out of surgery, experiencing a variety of emotions, but mostly awe.

Jana and Aaron are now in their room at the hospital, where I'm returning shortly with some goodies.




The mommy's first look at Aaron




First time in his mother's arms




In the room now, and hungry!


Edited to add: Day #2




With daddy!




At home. :-)