Hubby and I with our babies in 2011
For the entire month of May, I’m a part of a campaign with 9 other bloggers for Bump Month. Nine websites across the country will all be particpiating in celebrating everything pregnancy. We’ll talk maternity and newborn and of course we’ll have some fab giveaways along the way to let you all play along and have some fun.
For this first week, we were tasked with sharing a personal birth story. Now I have two kids and two birth stories and this one really made me hesitate because I have two very different stories.
The first involves 22 hours of excruciating back labor with very little pain meds. It involves a distressed baby Nate. It involves panic and fear and my scream to my mother to please make sure my husband takes good care of the cats if I die because I was that petrified that neither I nor my baby would survive as they rushed me on a stretcher down to the operating room because my baby had to come out ASAP via emergency c-section.
It involves a healthy baby but a horrible recovery. I had a lot of pain during recovery and I was depressed. The latter wasn’t helped by the fact that I gave birth during the cold month of December.
And while it’s been seven years and I can look back and say, “well that sucked but I’m over it,” I still don’t like to dwell on it much.
December 2003. Crying while holding Nate for the very first time. Happy, traumatized, overwhelmed & relieved.
#2 was the complete opposite experience. A planned C-section, I happily chatted through my operation and still remember being on an endorphin high holding Cole in the recover room. I walked the hospital literally hours after the surgery because it was such a smooth and normal operation without the exhaustion of hours of labor. I felt great.
November 2006. Introducing Cole to big brother Nate just hours later. Totally relaxed & elated.
Two totally different experiences physically.
But here’s the bottom line and what I remember the most when I think about my two experiences giving birth – I remember the love I felt both times looking down and seeing my sons’ faces for the first time.
I remember the awe of knowing this little guy came from inside of me and that he was ours to love and cherish and take care of for life. I remember the innocence I had the first time around with Nate – being shocked that within minutes I could love someone so completely that it overwhelmed me.
And that’s really what it boils down to for me when I hear about anyone’s birth story. It doesn’t really matter how your kid came out. It doesn’t matter if they’re adopted. It doesn’t matter if they were sliced out of your stomach or they ripped out your vagina. What matters is that you’re a mother. And a baby is a miracle. Your life is forever changed in a way I can’t even explain in words. But I don’t need to explain it. If you’re a Mom reading this, you know what I mean. And if you’re not a mother yet but reading this as expecting Mother, you’ll get it soon enough.
Some of the fab Bump Month sponsors:
Other Bump Month Birth Stories:
Oh my gosh – we had like similar birth stories! My second one was bliss compared to the first one, but both beautiful and happy babies:) #grateful
I know exactly what you mean! Gazing at that little squished up face and knowing that it was our job to love and care for our beautiful, yet vulnerable, little baby forever still makes me tear up when I think about what it was like to hold each of our kids for the first time!
tearing up is right !. .. as i read your accounting. . and of course. . . it was two first hand events for me
). . but still moved me to read your view.
Bottom line is : for all the hard work preparing for the approximate 9 months and the actual ‘presentation’ event: so well worth it- you sure did received two precious gifts! . . as did I.
The look on your face with Nate says it all! So lovely and sweet!
I do know exactly what you mean. No matter how your child is born that moment when you connect with them is the most wonderful experience a mother can have.
awww… knowing you guys and having known you so long, I knew your stories, but reading it I can totally feel the emotion. You’re SO right… it’s all about the outcome and the relationships after having a baby, no matter how they got there.