who stole our hearts and took our breath away…

Witnessing the birth of our grandchild was an experience that I will never forget.  I have to say that birthing babies today is nothing like what I personally went through 32 years ago.  Long gone are the days of viewing the babies from a hospital nursery window. Dads and family in a nearby waiting room getting the news of having a boy or a girl.

It is all hands on deck!  Husband, parents, and siblings can now be in the room to comfort the mother and even assist with the birthing process.  Of course there are lots of different birthing methods, but the one I am talking about is the traditional one.

Women have their babies in a “birthing room”, (not a delivery room.) A big room with a strategically laid out plan. There is a hospital bed for the mother, a sofa, which turns into a bed, and 3 or 4 uncomfortable chairs.  A baby bassinet with all the monitors sits near by, waiting for the baby’s arrival.

Not knowing what to expect, and not sure if my husband and I could even handle the birthing process, our focus was to support our children having their first baby. We waited in the birthing room for hours and hours taking turns falling asleep, LOL.  While “on deck” we listened to the baby’s heartbeat and watching for the contractions on the monitor as they were becoming stronger and closer together. Our daughter-in-law was amazing!  She was calm, and concentrated on her breathing as the contractions came and subsided.  Our son by her side holding her hand as she squeezed all the blood out of it was sweet and emotional.

The team of nurses were great. Their constant observations, checking, and monitoring, was comforting to us all.

After 8 hours of laboring in the hospital, the time came to give birth.  And just like that, the room was humming with excitement. Nurses setting up the instrument table, warming up the bassinet, and turning on every monitor in sight. The Doctor gave words of encouragement as she put on her gloves and gown, which by the way was a bit alarming because she suited up as though there was going to be a flash flood!

So much going on and yet it was routinely organized and efficient.  We were given a few safety instructions, parents on one side of the bed and the husband on the other and then it was time. The doctor’s instructions to push upon contractions was evidence that a baby was coming.  Our daughter-in-law pushed for over an hour but the excitement felt like minutes. With each push a portion of the baby’s head was visible, dark hair with a cowlick and with the final push our grandchild was born.

Ten toes, ten fingers, and one wienie…,  A little boy!  7 1/2 pounds and 20 1/2 inches long.  And from that moment, we knew that our lives will never be the same and our hearts will forever belong to him.