first_in_time | This Can Hardly Wait

Barbara glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. Ian's break time had just started. She knew because he sometimes called her instead of going into the staff room and eating with everyone else. Today, however, she wasn't going to give him the chance to eat for the moment, not with such important news.

The dial tone ws loud and clear as Barbara picked up their telephone, and each number she punched in had it's own sound to make. When she heard the ringing on the other end, her heart sped up and almost leapt from her mouth when a secretary answered.

"Yes, hello. I'd like to speak to Ian Chesterton please. This is his wife."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

first_in_time

"You're doing fine," Barbara told him and took the dirty nappy for the moment. "Now the fresh nappy goes under his little hips. I think that you pin the edges together."

From:

splendid_roman

Ian gave it a go, but it was harder than taking one off and seemed impossible using only two hands.

He hadn't got very far when a nurse put her head round the curtains. "I heard the baby crying and wanted to see if everything was all right." She looked over at Ian trying to change John's nappy and frowned. "You're letting him do it?" she asked Barbara, making it sound like that was a crime.

From:

first_in_time

"You should have called for help," the nurse said with pursed lips. It seemed to be a trend among the nurses in the hospital.

"The doctor told me to move as little a possible," Barbara feebly argued.

"Well this is meant to be the wife's duty but I can show the both of you how to do it just incase this happens again in the future." The nurse gently nudged Ian out of the way. "Now, most importantly, always have something under the child's little bottom. Just because his nappy is full doesn't mean there won't be an encore," she explained quite happily over the baby's cries. She had the bottom wiped and a new nappy under him in one fluid motion.

"The best way to remember how we put nappies on is is: the lower angle holds him down while the two either side pin him in. It's best to do this as quickly as you can when they're so little because they get cold easily."

Barbara felt as though she had blinked and the baby was changed.

"Now it's time for cuddles," she continued and handed John to Ian, "he's still not used to being outside the womb, so long periods without contact aren't encouraged. In the first few weeks he'll often cry because he doesn't know where you are, and he hats only going to repeat itself once he's a toddler."

From:

splendid_roman

Ian wasn't sure he was any the wiser about how it worked, but at least now that John had a clean nappy on, and was being held again, he stopped crying. "Thank you," he said.

The nurse nodded. "Call me if you need anything else," she said to Barbara, and left.

"I suppose at least we'll get plenty of practice at that," Ian said, sitting back down. "But everything I do is wrong, according to the nurses here."

From:

first_in_time

"You're a man in the maternity ward. What did you expect?" she chuckled.

From:

splendid_roman

"I am John's father. It does need two people to make a baby." He sighed. "At least John doesn't care." He was looking up at Ian, rapt.

From:

first_in_time

"Yes but this is the place where the more messy side of things happen, the things no woman discusses with her husband. Or if she does she gets to watch him squirm through the whole thing. That's why they don't expect you to know anything. Things like changing nappies and feeding him I'm meant to know and then teach you about. Making a baby does indeed take two people but it's a societal norm that it's raised by the mother." Barbara gave him a small smile. "But I don't care what society wants me or us to be like. We're in this together and we'll share the tasks."

From:

splendid_roman

He smiled back. "The messy things are just biology. I know what they are." But he hadn't really heard discussions about them in the way that women discussed them and if he saw them he probably wouldn't be quite so keen either.

"We both decided to have this baby. It doesn't seem fair to let you do all the work."

From:

first_in_time

"Not every man studies science or reads up on biology when Thu find put their wife is pregnant," Barbara grinned but then her look softened. "I'm so very lucky to have you."

From:

splendid_roman

"It wasn't all for you," he said, and grinned. "I did it for my future students too. Although I hope none of them get pregnant while they're still at school." He frowned at the idea. "And don't you go getting any girls pregnant before you're twenty one," he told John.

From:

first_in_time

"I think that if he keeps those eyes he could be quite the heart breaker. Women go mad for such dazzling blue eyes," she told them both. John merely grunted.

From:

splendid_roman

Ian smiled at her. "He's adorable now. I think he's going to grow up to be as handsome and as modest as his father."

From:

first_in_time

Barbara rolled her eyes. "If all the men were as handsome and as modest as you this ward wouldn't be nearly as full because there's only one of me."

From:

splendid_roman

He chuckled. "I'm glad there's only one of you."

From:

first_in_time

"Me too. The world would be rather dull otherwise." Barbara watched John as he wriggled a little and grunted up at Ian. "I think he loves you."

From:

splendid_roman

"That's good, because I love him too." He smiled at John, then leaned down to kiss him.

From:

first_in_time

Barbara watched them both, entranced. They had created their own happy little family full of love and joy. She was suddenly quite excited for what was to come.

"It feels strange to be able to breathe without a little person pushing into my lungs or kicking me when I sit still for too long. I keep expecting it but then remember that he's no longer inside."

From:

splendid_roman

He chuckled. "He can just kick you from the outside now."

As if in response, John grunted and wriggled.

From:

first_in_time

"Don't encourage him," Barbara chuckled and reached out to run the tip of a finger over his little forehead. "I don't need a violent son from such a young age."

From:

splendid_roman

"He's going to be a footballer, aren't you?" Ian said with a grin.

John just wriggled some more.

"I'm going to take that as a yes."

From:

first_in_time

"That could have been a 'no' or a 'I'd rather think about it some more when I can walk'," Barbara smiled, "besides, being a footballer is overrated. Just ask anyone with any sense in their skulls."