Birth Stories

Evan and I took a birthing class before Aiden was born. It was taught by my midwife's partner midwife, Cathy. She is the one who ended up delivering Aiden anyway, so it was a good thing we'd had 6 long evenings with her teaching us and knew her. At the final celebration class, there were two couples who came to share their birth stories.

Now, another class has been taught. Their final class, we and the other 3 couples from our class were asked back to share our stories. We went last Wednesday night. The kids were sick, so I couldn't show off Aiden. But it was wonderful. All our generation's babies were born the same week---so all 7 months.

I love birth stories though. Love them. I read random people's accounts of their most precious moments (birth stories) for fun. I don't even like being pregnant and I love all the juicy details of birth stories.

But it is not just the stories, I love the special sacred bonds that these events give to women who give birth, who have given birth, who help women give birth. And that night, in Cathy's living room, I was surrounded by those who shared joy at choosing a home birth path; who expressed deep earth shattering love for the women, Cathy and Bri, who caught their babies; who told of bonds between a husband and wife forged in the sweaty, painful moments of labor; who spoke reverently of the strength of their bodies; who owned the fear and unbelievable pain of child birth, sometimes even the trauma to their own bodies; who cried over the precious gift of their anticipated precious babies; and who understood the growth that comes from letting go and embracing the primal nature of the experience.

I felt connected and embraced in a quiet secure way. I found new and surprising emotion in a story well rehearsed and frequently repeated. I was taken aback by the new information about how parts of Kyle and Aiden's birth story are still raw for me. Still very emotional and painful to be repeated although until that night they had never been.

It was an incredible experience. I can't believe how much Cathy and Bri have changed me over the last year. How much they have showed me and how gently they have opened doors in my emotions that have never been touched. I have never before, and I say this with great certainty, trusted anyone so quickly and so completely in every way. I have never yearned for anyone to know me better. I have never felt that kind of sweet, gentle, non judging love. Thank you for the delightful evening.