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Embracing Fatherhood
The journey of pregnancy and becoming a dad – the start of an extraordinary journey
The journey of pregnancy and becoming a dad – the start of an extraordinary journey
The Journey of Pregnancy and Becoming a Dad – The Start of an Extraordinary Journey
Thullio Dias Vieira and his partner Emily Randall never knew if the transition into pregnancy would be an easy one. To honour Father’s Day, Thullio shares his journey of becoming a Dad.
Discovering that you are going to be a father is a monumental moment filled with a mix of excitement, anxiety, and anticipation. Pregnancy was not only a transformative period for my partner Emily but also for me the father to be. As we embarked on this journey, understanding what to expect and how I could support Emily helped me navigate this life changing experience with confidence and joy.
Emily is one of three girls, all close in age and after the birth of her younger sister’s children could see the brilliant mother, she herself would become. Helping support with “Auntie and Uncle duties” we wanted to embark on the next chapter of our lives.
Together since Secondary School we knew the path we wanted to create for ourselves but never really knew if the transition into pregnancy would be an easy one. Emily herself had some medical conditions that could hinder pregnancy, however we were pleasantly surprised, as were both our families, at the announcement of our first pregnancy.
The first trimester went with little problems from my perspective. Emily would say otherwise with the awful morning sickness she was having and the extreme avoidance of certain foods. However, for me it was about supporting her. The first scan came, and for me, Caio became real, even though at that stage we did not know we were having a boy. Just seeing that heartbeat was for me reality, we were going to have a baby.
The next few weeks went well and we proceeded to the 20 week scan. It was at this point the sonographer noticed that Caio had what they thought was a duplex kidney. As Emily suffers from a heart condition, she was already assigned to an obstetrician as it had been established her pregnancy would be consultant led. Whilst this did make me feel anxious, knowing Emily and Caio were in exceptional hands gave me comfort.
Emily had many appointments and scans were forthcoming. Whilst they could not be sure, as time went on they realised Caio had in fact two cysts that would need further investigation once he was born. Given this and Emily’s heart condition it was decided it would be safer to deliver Caio in Southampton Hospital. Whilst we felt comfortable being under the Obstetrics Team here in Guernsey and the unknown of what was ahead in Southampton, we agreed with their decisions.
Then came to the tricky part, needing to be in Southampton for a prolonged period and trying to find a home from home experience so that we could both enjoy the last weeks of pregnancy.
We had heard of the Priaulx Premature Baby Foundation and contacted Sammy there for some help and guidance. We explained our circumstances and were put at ease immediately. Sammy said they could help and provide us with a flat for the duration of our hospital stay. How lucky were we, the pressure and stress of having to find somewhere to stay in an already difficult period.
With the help of the On Island Transport Team, we boarded Condor and headed to Southampton, three weeks before Emily’s due date. When we arrived at Aggie’s Burrow, we couldn’t believe how generous anyone could be. The foundation provided us a two bedroom, fully equipped flat, with every baby item you could think of and right next door to the Maternity Unit. We settled in and made this home.
Caio was born.
What a momentous occasion that brought me.
A flood of emotions and reflections.
An overwhelming sense of love as I held our son for the first time and the unconditional love that bound us together as a family and the unconditional love that bound us together as a family.
Whilst the birth didn’t go quite to plan and Emily ending up having an emergency c-section it was a comfort to me that l could bring our little family back to somewhere we had called home for the previous few weeks. Whilst we were only in Aggie’s Burrow for a few more days it gave us time to bond as a family and get used to our new addition, and of course the sleepless nights.
The PPBF expected nothing from us, they wanted us to have the most peaceful and stress free experience possible. Where would we have been without them. We are so grateful for all that they did for us during this time. Caio’s first boat trip home from Southampton went without any issues and we settled back into island life. With follow up medical appointments for Caio we are safe in the knowledge that the cysts are nothing to worry about.
Just before our first Christmas, when Caio was eight months old, we found ourselves back in Southampton. Caio had started showing unusual seizure like episodes and again the PPBF stepped in to help us. After a whirlwind few days and arriving in Southampton we needed somewhere to stay and we were offered Frankie’s Den. A beautiful home where again, we felt so comfortable and supported. The PPBF went above and beyond for us and the flat was equipped for us as parents and our baby boy. Thankfully, Caio is a thriving albeit mischievous one year old.
We are now a family of four, with Caio’s little brother Gabriel entering the world in May 2024. Whilst this transition from one to two children gave us a hill to climb, the two boys are my world and give me great satisfaction in knowing I am their Daddy.
Last Father’s Day with Caio was a milestone that I dreamt of, but Father’s Day this year with both my boys, Caio and Gabriel, gives me pure happiness and contentment and grounding me in the present moment, enjoying every moment with them.
Thank you to the Guernsey Press for publishing this article and supporting the PPBF for a year from 17th November 2023 until 17th November 2024 to support our Buy-A-Night campaign and help sell all nights for those 12 months.
The Buy-A-Night campaign is to help safeguard the future of the PPBF’s trio of Compassionate Housing flats in Southampton Hospital for Bailiwick of Guernsey families of critically ill babies and children being cared for at the city’s Hospital. We’re inviting supporters to buy a personalised night of your choice using an online calendar, which will help with the ongoing running costs that will keep these lifeline properties open. You can find out more by clicking here
