Big Smile, No Teeth: Magical vs Nightmarish – The two sides of having a baby

My boy was born on the eve of Covid-19, right before the world realised how bad things were going to get. I was still allowed into the delivery room to be with my wife as she was giving birth, a luxury many hospitals no longer allow. My wife also didn’t have to wear a mask during labour. So we had a decidedly pre-pandemic delivery.

Being present, I also watched the birth of my son, meaning I literally watched him emerge into the world. Not by choice mind you, only because the doctor called out, “James, here he comes!” My name is, of course, Jason, but my character on TV is James, though that’s not why I hesitated. I wasn’t sure I wanted to see the actual nitty gritty of how a baby is born but my doctor insisted: “Look, James! Look!”