Childbirth: My Perspective

What can I say about childbirth except, "I wish men could experience childbirth in the same manner as women".  Sharing in the experience is most definitely not the same.  I have had two personal experiences with childbirth:  one was the birth of my nephew and the other was the birth of my youngest son, Amir.  I have chosen to blog about my personal experience giving birth because it was very different from the birth of my nephew.

I was the birth coach for my sister-in-law with their second child.  That experience was somewhat like playing the role of the male (especially if you have not given birth before).  I was extremely excited when they called me and said that I needed to head to the hospital because they had taken her in.  I was also overwhelmed with honor that she had chosen me, over her husband, to be her coach.  Little did I know!

My sister-in-law was giving birth to their second child.  She made it look so easy.  The doctors were going to send her home because they thought she was not ready.  She made me plead her case to make them admit her.  Needless to say, she knew best; she had the baby before they could admit her.  She gave three good pushes and he was here.  Easy as pie!

Unfortunately, that experience gave me a false sense of what childbirth could potentially be for myself.  When I became pregnant with my son, I was sick (vomiting) everyday for my entire pregnancy.  I had two delivery due dates.  He was born right in the middle of the dates, on September 11th.  Yes! 9/11.  I had been in labor for three whole days!  I was devastated that my son was being born on that date.  I wanted to wait; but his heart rate had stopped three times and the doctor ordered an emergency C-section (after three days of pure pain...). He was delivered in all of 3 minutes.  I went into shock.  I had been in  labor without an epidural for three days for no reason.

After his arrival, I had to be wrapped in hot wraps in orders to bring  my body down to normal temperature.  I went into a deep depression and withdrew into a phase of post partum.  My husband took a leave from work in order to help me with our son.  Our older children took on a major role around the house as well.

When I was in the hospital, my head nurse made me breastfeed my son just hours after he was born.  I initially wanted to nurse him; but after he was born, I did not want anything to do with nursing him.  She was an older, much wiser woman. I believe she could tell that I was having a hard time trying to adjust to my new son.  She would not give me a break.  She was persistent and she kept me involved; whether I wanted to or not.

I thank her for that!  I do not think that I would have made it through that extremely difficult time in my life had it not been for her.  I had never witnessed anyone going through childbirth, (before, during, and after), as I had.  Once might think that I would never want to do that again.  Just the opposite, I would love to have another child, even at my age.