Delivery-suite CHEAT
I’ll always remember the day I had my little boy – but for all the wrong reasons
Hearing the shrill chime of the doorbell, I jumped up.
I smoothed my hair, took one last look in the mirror.
Hadn’t felt this nervous in years!
‘Hello,’ I smiled, opening the door.
It was June 2017 and this was my first date with Ryan, then 21.
We’d been chatting on Facebook for weeks.
He was charming, complimenting my pictures and sending me sweet nothings.
Chatting over drinks, it felt so natural.
‘Let’s do this again soon,’ Ryan beamed.
I could already feel the sparks flying between us.
Though Ryan was seven years younger than me, he looked and acted older than his 21 years.
And age is just a number. From then on, things moved quickly.
Ryan moved into my house within three months.
Despite the age gap, I was sure he was ‘The One’.
Six months into the relationship, I fell pregnant. ‘I know it’s early days but I can’t wait for us to be a family,’ Ryan said, holding me close. Feeling his arms around me and knowing I was carrying our baby, I felt so content.
After a couple of weeks, I had a call from a friend.
‘I’ve heard that Ryan’s been messaging other girls,’ she said.
‘No!’ I gasped. Couldn’t believe my man would do that to me.
Suspicion niggling, I sneaked a look at his phone.
There, in plain sight, were streams of sexy messages. And not just to one girl. ‘How could you?’ I raged. ‘I’m carrying our child.’
I felt like such a fool, thinking everything was perfect.
‘It was a stupid mistake. I won’t do it again,’ Ryan promised me.
I was furious but my thoughts were muddled, my hormones turbulent.
Found myself gradually giving in.
I wanted desperately for us to be a family.
So, giving him the benefit
of the doubt, we tried to move on.
Only, weeks later, I suffered a miscarriage.
Ryan was my rock, proved how supportive he could be.
And I hoped we’d be able to put everything behind us.
So when I fell pregnant again a month later, I saw it as a second chance.
For the next few months, Ryan couldn’t do enough for me.
By my side for every scan, holding my hand at every appointment.
Finding out we were having a little boy, we were so happy.
Ryan was a loving boyfriend, soon to be a doting dad.
But truth was, I often thought about those flirty messages.
Don’t be paranoid, I told myself.
Still, at my 35-week scan in October 2019, I noticed that Ryan was engrossed in something on his phone.
I tried to convince myself he was just scrolling on Facebook.
And when I heard the thump of our little boy’s heartbeats, nothing else mattered to me.
Only then, the doctor looked worried.
‘We need to induce you – now,’ he said.
I had the high blood pressure condition pre-eclampsia, needed to have the baby early. I was terrified. But as Ryan gripped my hand, I knew I’d get through it with him by my side.
Wheeled into the delivery room, I tried to keep calm.
As the contractions started, I reached for Ryan’s hand again.
Only, it was attached to his phone.
Tap, tap, tap, eyes focused on the phone screen, not even glancing over at me.
As pain ripped through me, I screamed out.
He looked over, gave me a sympathetic grin. Then, back to his phone. What’s he playing at?! But I didn’t have time to think about it or yell at him – I was having a baby!
Hours later, I was rushed into the theatre for an emergency caesarean.
And as baby Liam arrived into the world, I was so relieved.
But he was five weeks early, and was whisked into Intensive Care.
Ryan went with him while I recovered.
‘He’s amazing,’ Ryan beamed, returning with pictures of our adorable boy.
Seeing Liam the following day, I fell instantly in love.
But something was playing on my mind.
‘Who were you texting as I gave birth?’ I asked Ryan.
He looked sheepish, wouldn’t meet my eye.
‘No one. I don’t remember,’ he blathered.
Trying to forget about it, I relished the precious time I had with baby Liam.
Discharged from hospital 10 days later, I couldn’t wait to get our munchkin home.
Only, as we settled back in, I noticed Ryan was glued to his phone yet again.
My suspicions came rushing back.
‘What’s going on?’ I demanded, snatching the phone from his hands.
Seeing a girl’s name, my heart sunk.
‘Were you texting her while I was giving birth to our son?’ I fumed.
He wasn’t wriggling out of this one.
Eventually, the truth came spilling out.
The father of my baby had been sexting other women throughout my entire pregnancy.
Even cheating on me while we were in the delivery suite.
Furious, I kicked Ryan out.
The depth of his betrayal was unbearable.
But when he begged forgiveness, I found myself wavering.
All I wanted was for us to be a family so
I took him back.
Sadly, he’s let me down again now. Seems he’ll never learn. Every mother remembers the pain of labour – but that delivery-suite cheat made sure I’ll never forget mine.
I felt like such a fool, thinking everything was perfect