Our baby was quite comfortable in her old home and was not showing much desire to greet the new world, so 10 days after the due date the birth was induced. But it took only one attempt at the induction to get things going, so after five hours of labour Pinuccia gave birth to Stefania at 3.06pm on the 11th (Italian time), weighing in at 3280 grams and 50 cm. The accent is on the first 'a', but apart from that the pronunciation of the name should be easy even for English speakers. The birth went well with no problems, just like the pregnancy. Unexpectedly, I managed to remain for the whole birth without fainting. (I have a bit of a weak stomach for such things; I have been known to faint watching certain TV programs.) But I am glad I was able to stay, because it was a very emotional moment, and we both had a few tears in our eyes when Stefania appeared all at once during one big push.
Photos
| The first bath |  |
| About to be measured by the nurse |  |
| Day 2, after a good night's sleep (in which she only woke once for a feed) |  |
| With Pinuccia |  |
| And with me |  |
| Day 3 |  |