[Leica] Tales from yesteryear 2! :-)

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

Tina Manley asked: 

Subject:Tales from yesteryear! :-)

 

> Ted -  I hope these are excerpts from your book (with photo 

illustrations in the book of course)I'm waiting but,in the 

meantime,keep these gems coming!!<

 

Oxygen.

Over the years many assignments have placed me in first time situations

Shooting  the first birthing was one I'll never forget..

 

I had worked in operating rooms before, but this was the first time for a
birthing.  

So I was apprehensive as it isn't every day you are at the birth of a new
human

being. At this writing it's close to a hundred or so now.

 

Arriving at the hospital early to meet the "mother-to-be" I discovered she
was already in labour and this was a first for her also. We sure were a
nervous pair.

 

When it came time to move her to the delivery room I was so hyper I wasn't
sure I could cope with the situation.  But as the nurses and doctor got into
action I became immersed in shooting and the anxiety disappeared.

 

There was the usual breathing and pushing routine and then a quick few words
from the doctor and suddenly there was a brand new baby. :-)

I was so surprised by the quickness of everything I very nearly missed it.  

A little wrinkled, more old looking, than new baby. But it was blue! :-(

 

I thought "My God it's her first and it's a blue baby!"  I was thinking it
was a 

problem with the child in a medical sense. As I continued shooting, the baby


started hollering and changing colour becoming  a beautiful pink!  Look at
that 

WOW! There was no problem after all, it only needed those first gasps of
oxygen.

 

And each new birth brings wonderment as much as the previous, but not as
much as the first!  But I kind of shed a tear at everyone because each is a
miracle and I'm an emotional jerk.