"I knew I had to push, it came naturally, from within." And he did it so much, guided by a primordial instinct, that little Francesco was born into the world in his bathroom: strong and healthy.
To tell a birth, troubled in ways but not in the technical sense of the term, is mother Monica Uccheddu, 31 years old. Grew up in Lombardy, father of Sant'Antioco, resident in Cassina Rizzardi (Como), closely linked to her beloved Sardinia.
The date set for the happy event was two weeks away a few days ago. "We were calm," says the girl, also on behalf of her husband Daniele Villa: a man who, as rarely happens, did not play the role of passive spectator in this affair. "So calm that we went to the cinema for his forty-first birthday." In projection there was "The big day", by Aldo, Giovanni and Giacomo. They didn't have time to see the film, but they lived it, the big day.
“Suddenly I felt a contraction. I didn't know exactly what it was, but I understood it», continues the thirty-one year old, «we decided to go to the hospital. But I didn't have the bag with everything I needed. So we went home to pick it up. They say that the first child takes a long time to arrive ». They say, but it's not always like this.
Because once in the house «I was no longer able to walk. The contractions became more and more frequent. Suddenly I knew what to do: push. It came naturally to me." Monica was in the bathroom: «At the first strong push, a transparent bag came out, I had no idea what it was. Then my husband, who was there in front, said “I see the head”. And I pushed again."
And here is Francis. «I was sitting on the bidet», Monica laughs now, «Daniele literally took it on the fly».
The story goes on with an engaging lightness. What do you do in these moments? "We asked ourselves. The baby immediately cried, had a beautiful color. We understood that he was fine. Only that there was the cord, blood, that liquid». At some point, someone who knows how to act has to intervene. In theory, at least: «We called the number of the delivery room that had been left for us. We explained what had happened: the operator who answered didn't believe us. “You don't play these jokes,” he said. Well, we decided to break up with her and called 112».
The right number: «The operator said to cover the baby with a towel and bring him close to my tummy, to make him feel my warmth. He gave us reassuring directions. In the meantime, he sent an ambulance ».
And mom and baby were taken to the hospital: the analyzes revealed perfect values. A perfectly successful delivery.
«Today we officially returned home», concludes Monica, «even after the jaundice». Which also comes to children born with all the comforts, in the hospital. Francesco, with his parents, of course, also passed this test.
Henry Fresu