（Scroll down to read in English）
2025年6月27日に第一子の娘が誕生した。
名前は明依（めい）。
もう何年になるだろう。
妻と妊活を始めて、凍結胚移植で昨年秋に初めての妊娠。
当時私はモザンビーク、妻はアゼルバイジャンに居た。
凍結胚移植は過去に3回挑戦し、妊娠には至らなかった。
そして4回目。正直、あまり期待せずにいた昨年秋、妊娠が発覚した時には妻と飛び上がって喜んだ。
同時に出産までの道のりも長く、不安も沢山あった。
全てが初めてのことで、これから自分たちの人生がどう変化していくのかもよくわからなかった。
昨年12月からアゼルバイジャン・バクーでの夫婦生活がスタートし、夫婦で一緒にお腹の中の赤ちゃんの成長を見守ることができた。
バクーの病院はしっかりしていたし、生活環境も問題なく、妻は多少のつわりを体験しながらも一度も体調を崩すこともなかった。
今年5月に日本に帰ってきて産休（臨月）に入るまで、妻はPCに向かい、アゼルバイジャンの仕事をした。
都会のバクーでは生活・医療環境共に問題なかった / We had no stress in Baku, in terms of living and medical conditions
夫婦2人で過ごせる時間もあとわずか、と、
人に言われて、確かに、と思いつつも、実際に赤ちゃんが産まれたらどんな生活になるのかは想像しようにもできない。
2人で出かけたり、ゆっくりレストランで食事をできるのも今だけかぁと、何となく考えながら過ごした。
気になる性別は、おそらく女の子であることはバクーの病院で知った。
アゼルバイジャンの病院では性別を公表することに慎重だった。
男の子が好まれる社会なのだそうだ。
そんな異国の風習にあっけにとられつつ、2人で我が子の名前を考え始めた。
妻の身体では、お腹が大きくなるだけでなく、色々の変化が起こる。
つわりはそんなにひどくなかった。
揚げ物が食べたくて突然マックポテトを買ったり、今までは買わなかったお菓子を買うようになったり。
甘党の私よりも妻が甘党になった。食べる量も増える。
妻が自分と同じぐらいの量を食べる、普通だったらありえない光景だが、赤ちゃんのための栄養も摂取していると考えれば納得。
お腹が大きくなるにつれて、歩くのが好きな妻も、少しずつ歩ける距離もスピードも落ちていった。
妻は体質上、むくみが出やすかった。
赤ちゃんをお腹の中で育てるために、妻のさまざまな身体の機能が変化する、その様子を興味深く見守った。
5月の東京、大量の荷物を持ってアゼルバイジャンから帰国。
家族の助けももらい、病院から近くのマンスリーマンションに入居。
臨月に入るまで、妻は家やカフェやシェアオフィスに出かけ仕事。
また、夫婦揃って出かけることのできる最後の時間を満喫した。
久々の東京生活 / Back in Tokyo life after a long time
家族からのサポートだけでなく、友人・知人から出産に向けて沢山の応援をいただいた。
使わなくなったベビーベッドから服、哺乳瓶、おむつまで、ほとんど必要なものが買わずに揃ったのは本当にありがたかった。
そして出産予定日の約1週間前、検診に行くと、妊娠高血圧の診断。
妊娠高血圧への最良の対処は分娩、とのことで、その日から入院、翌日から分娩になると告げられる。
動転！
突如として、夫婦2人での日常生活が終わり、そこから10日間、妻は入院生活に。
そこから3日間、分娩するために促進剤などの薬を投入し、陣痛もあった。
そして3日目、赤ちゃんが出てくるための子宮口の開きが十分ではなく、血圧も高め、その状況を見て、妻と赤ちゃんの安全のためにも帝王切開に踏み切ることとなった。
そのお告げがお医者さんから下った時も、妻は陣痛を体験していた。
その痛みと、自然分娩できなかった悔しさから、涙が出ていた。
本当に本当に、よく頑張った。
帝王切開というなんともインパクトのある響きは、何か恐ろしさを感じるもの。
そしてこれは最良の手段であり、プロによる手術であると言うことを自分に言い聞かせ、手術の準備ができる間、なんとも言えない感情を抱えながら病院の廊下で待機した。
妻の母も居て、後からうちの両親も来た。
手術室に入るのは大丈夫ですか？
と、看護師さんに質問される。
自分自身が患者として手術室に入った体験は実は2回あるが、完全麻酔だったため、中の様子は全く知らない。
人の手術に立ち会ったこともないため、「わかりませんが多分大丈夫です」としか言えなかった。
手術の準備が整い、私は手術室に入った。
キビキビと手術をするお医者さんの真横で、妻と会話しながら、出産を見守る。
不安と期待となんとも言えない感情。
慌ただしい手術室の中、そんな感情を持ちながらも落ち着いて会話する我々夫婦。
「赤ちゃん、もうすぐ産まれますよー」
そう言われると緊張。
そして手術開始から20分もしないうちに明依が産声をあげて自分の目の前に現れた。
明依は最初元気に泣いていたが、妻の胸の上に置かれると安心したように静かに呼吸していた。
一安心。感動。
麻酔の影響で気持ち悪さと寒気を感じる妻に心配になったが、お医者さんとコミュニケーションして適切に処置してもらう。
6月27日 16:16 3398g。
お誕生日 / Birthday
ここから1週間の入院。
産後の妻と明依と病棟の中に私も宿泊することができた。
夜は1-3時間置きに明依の鳴き声で起きる生活を体験。
最初は戸惑ったおむつも授乳・ミルクも徐々に慣れていく。
細長い簡易ベッドでしかも不規則な睡眠で私の身体はガチガチに。
これまで朝早く起き、夜も割と規則的に寝ていた生活から一変、明依の泣くタイミングによって生活が形成されていく様を実感。
出産直後は痛みから歩くのもおぼつかなかった妻も、少しずつ回復した。
問題だった妻の血圧も安定し、予定通り1週間で退院できた。
突然の入院から陣痛を経て帝王切開での出産、そして退院までの慌ただしい日々。
お医者さん、看護師さん、助産師さんの助けがあって、ここまでやってきた。
ものすごいプロフェッショナリズムに頭が下がる。
そして母子共に健康であることに感謝しかない。
先週から、妻と明依、私の３人での新たな生活がスタート。
母、父として、全く新しい人生のスタートだ。
家は、近くに緑が多く、ゆっくり暮らせる場所として、国分寺に住むことにした。
まだ1週間ほどだが、とても気に入っている。
国分寺に引っ越した / Kokubunji neighbourhood
日本で家を借りて生活するうえで少し困ったのが、家具付き物件のチョイスがあまり無いこと。
アゼルバイジャンやモザンビーク、他にも妻が駐在してきた全ての国で、家具付きの物件の賃貸が一般的で、気軽にできた。
極端な話、スーツケースだけで移住できる環境があった。
日本にはそのオプションの選択肢が少ないと感じる。
色々探したが条件に合う物件はなかったため、今回は普通の物件を賃貸して、家具・家電を自分たちで手配した。
アゼルバイジャンから持ってきた荷物と、実家から回収した荷物、それに加え必要なものはレンタルしたり、買ったり。
”必要なもの”で、あっという間に荷物が増えて、愕然とする。
定住するならこれでいいのかもしれないけど、我々夫婦としては40代までは海外に行って色々と挑戦するという方針なので、荷物は出来る限り減らして、身軽に動き回れるようにしておきたい。
断捨離というやつが必要だ。
明依もつれて来年の前半にはどこかの異国にいるかもしれない。いないかもしれない。
色々と予測不可能な世界なので・・・。
目の前の荷物や、生活品が整ってきた家の中の様子を見て、また引っ越しすると思うとちょっとゾッとするけど、まずは明依の成長を見守りながら３人での生活を満喫していきたい。
その間、年末以降のプランを夫婦で少しずつ練ってこう。
生後2週間、家族写真 / Family photo when May became 2 weeks old
日本にいる間、できることなら自分の貢献できる分野で仕事もしたいと考えているし、何より日本にいるみなさんと出来る限り直接お会いし、キャッチアップをしたいので、みなさまよろしくお願いします。
On 27 June 2025, our first daughter was born.
Her name is May.
My wife and I have been wanting to have a baby for years now, and last autumn, my wife became pregnant for the first time through Frozen Embryo Transfer(FET).
At the time, I was in Mozambique, and my wife was in Azerbaijan.
We had previously attempted FET three times without success.
And then came the fourth attempt.
Honestly, I tried not to have too much expectation, but when we found out that my wife was pregnant last autumn, we jumped for joy.
At the same time, the journey to childbirth was long and filled with worries.
Everything was new to us, and we had no idea how our lives would change from there.
In December last year, we started living together in Baku, Azerbaijan, and were able to watch our baby grow inside my wife’s belly together.
The hospital in Baku was reliable, and the living environment was good.
My wife experienced some morning sickness but she was generally healthy.
After returning to Japan in May and until her maternity leave (in her final month of pregnancy), she continued working for her Azerbaijan position remotely.
People would tell us, that our time as a couple is coming to an end soon, of course we understood that, but we also couldn’t imagine what life would be like once the baby arrived.
We would go out to explore new places or eat out at restaurants, thinking, that our time as a couple is maybe coming to an end soon, in the back of our minds.
We found out that our baby was likely a girl, at the hospital in Baku.
The hospital in Azerbaijan was cautious about revealing the gender.
Apparently, boys are preferred in Azerbaijani society.
While we were a bit surprised by this foreign custom, my wife and I began thinking about the name for our child.
All this time, it wasn’t just my wife's belly getting bigger; various changes were happening in her body.
Luckily, her morning sickness wasn't too bad.
She would be craving for french fries suddenly, ending up running to McDonald's to get some, and also started buying sweets she never used to buy.
She became a bigger sweet tooth than me.
She also started eating larger portions.
It's unusual to see my wife eating as much as I do, but it makes sense when you consider that she's also consuming nutrients for the baby.
As her belly grew larger, she gradually found it harder to walk as far or as quickly as before.
She was also prone to swelling.
I watched with interest as my wife's various bodily functions changed on a daily basis in order to nurture the baby inside her.
In May, we returned to Tokyo from Azerbaijan with loads of luggages.
With the help of our family, we moved into a furnished small apartment near the hospital.
Until she entered her final month of pregnancy, my wife continued to work from home, cafes, and shared offices.
We also made the most of the last moments we could spend together as a couple.
In addition to the support from our family, we received a lot of encouragement from friends in Japan.
We are so grateful that we were able to gather almost everything we needed—from a baby bed to clothes, bottles, and diapers—without having to buy much.
About a week before the due date, during a regular check-up, my wife was diagnosed with pregnancy-induced hypertension.
”The best solution for this situation is delivery,” the doctor said, and just like that, my wife was admitted to the hospital that same day, the delivery scheduled to start the next day.
So suddenly, our daily life as a couple came to an end, and for the next 10 days, my wife was hospitalised.
Over the next three days, she was given medications for inducing labour, and she experienced labour pains.
However, on the third day, the cervix had not opened enough for the baby to come out, and also her blood pressure was high.
Considering the situation, the doctor decided to conduct caesarean section to assure the safety of both my wife and the baby.
The doctor delivered this message whilst my wife was experiencing labour pain.
The pain and her frustration of not being able to give birth naturally brought tears to her eyes.
I can’t express how proud and grateful I am for my wife’s commitment and effort.
The term “caesarean section” has such a strong impression and can feel scary.
I kept telling myself that this was the best option and that it was a professional surgical procedure.
While waiting in the hospital corridor for the surgery to begin, I felt a mix of emotions that were hard to describe.
My wife's mother was there, and my parents arrived later.
“Do you have any concerns(worries) entering the operating room?”
the nurse asked me.
I had actually been in an operating room twice before as a patient, but both times I was under general anaesthesia, so I had no recollection of what it was like inside.
I had never been present for another person's surgery either, so I could only say, “I don't know, but I think I'll be okay.”
Once the surgery was ready, I entered the operating room.
As the surgeons worked swiftly, I sat right next to my wife’s bed, talking with my wife.
Mixed feelings of worry, anticipation, and something in between.
Amid the busy actions inside the operating room, my wife and I remained calm and continued our conversation.
”The baby is almost coming out!”
Doctor’s call gets us a bit tense.
Finally after about 20 minutes from the start of surgery, our daughter “May” appeared before our eyes.
May was crying vigorously at first, but when placed on her mother's chest, she stopped crying and relaxed.
My wife and I were both relieved and moved.
I was worried to see my wife feeling nauseous and chilly due to the anaesthesia, but soon after communicating with the doctor, she was OK.
May was born at 16:16 on 27th of June 2025, at 3,398 grams.
From here, a week-long hospital stay began.
I was able to sleep in the same hospital room with my wife and May.
We had our first experience of waking up every 1-3 hours throughout the evening with May’s cries.
We were puzzled first, waking up, changing diapers, feeding milk and so on, but gradually got the hang of it.
While staying at the hospital, I had to sleep on a narrow, foldable bed, in irregular sleep patterns, which left my body stiff after a few days.
Before May was born, our lives has been structured around waking up early in the morning and sleeping relatively regularly at night, but this had completely transformed now, with our schedule dictated by May’s crying patterns.
My wife, who could barely walk first due to the pain from the caesarean section, gradually recovered.
Her blood pressure, which had been a concern, fortunately had stabilised, and we were able to leave the hospital as planned after one week.
From the sudden hospitalisation, going through labour, to the caesarean section, it was one of the most hectic 10 days in my life.
Thanks to the doctors, nurses, and midwives, we made it through.
Their professionalism was truly impressive.
I am deeply grateful that both mother and child are healthy.
And so just last week, our new life as a family of three—my wife, May, and I—began.
As a mother and father, this is the start of a completely new chapter.
We decided to live in Kokubunji in Tokyo, a place with plenty of greenery nearby where we can live at peace.
It's only been about a week, but we really like it here.
One of the challenges we faced renting a home in Japan is the limited selection of furnished properties.
In Azerbaijan, Mozambique, and all the other countries where my wife has been stationed, renting a furnished property was common practice and straightforward.
Technically, we could move into a house with just some suitcases.
I feel that this option is limited in Japan.
After searching extensively, we couldn’t find a furnished property that met our conditions, so we decided to rent a regular apartment and arrange furnitures and other appliances on our own.
We brought back items from Azerbaijan, retrieved items from our parents’ homes, and rented or purchased necessary items.
Soon the house was filled with “necessary items,” leaving us stunned as to how much stuff we surround ourselves to create our daily lives.
If we were to settle down permanently in Japan, this might be fine.
But our plan is to explore living overseas during our 40s, so we want to keep our belongings to a minimum.
We need to declutter.
We might be in some other country next year, with May. Or we might not.
It’s a world full of uncertainties…
Looking at all the belongings at home, the thought of moving again makes me a bit overwhelmed, but for now, we would like to enjoy our life here in Tokyo, watching May grow up.
In the meantime, we’ll gradually work out our plans after the end of this year.
While in Japan, I am willing to work in wherever field I can contribute, and above all, I want to meet everyone in Japan in person as much as possible and catch up.
Hope to see you all soon!