Love at first sight?

As we both worked at the hospital the scan was due to be performed at, there was no problem in getting to the appointment, and we turned up nervous and excited. The waiting room was full of toddler's toys and other expectant mothers in various stages of pregnancy were waiting for their scans.

Soon the sonographer called us in and we entered a darkened room and Michele was directed to a large bed. After smearing Michele's belly in jelly, the sonographer placed the probe into position and turned the machine on.

With baited breath I watched the screen and saw the crude real-time image of what was our 16 week old baby. It was exactly as I had seen in the books and on the internet - a rough person-shaped thing with an enlarged head - but it was the first time that I saw my child and realised that this was really happening; I was going to be a parent.

Up till now Michele could have been binging on cream cakes to get that bump, but now there was no doubt - there was a little person inside.

The sonographer printed several images off, telling us that they weren't strong enough to withstand photocopying, and handed them to me.

As I walked back to work, I had a kind of strange fuzzy feeling inside me. Looking at this helpless life forming in Michele's stomach, was I feeling the first stirrings of parental love...?