Family Talk: Childbirth

Yesterday my cousin gave birth to her second child, and first
daughter. Needless to say, I am extremely excited and very happy.

While she had been having contractions, on and off, for a few weeks, she
officially went into labor, after being induced.

Obviously, as mothers (and I say mothers here for a reason), we know all
of the emotions that we go through the day we go through labor and
delivery. I highlight mothers here not because fathers don't also share
that amazing experience of childbirth, but because they will never really
know the pain (physical pain) involved with childbirth.

Some mothers might argue that giving birth is not all that painful, after
getting an epidural. I, my friends, was not so lucky to experience giving
birth to either of my children with the help of an epidural, or any other
pain alleviating medicine.

Throughout my first pregnancy, with my son, I did express my desire to
have a natural delivery. My doctor was on board and understood how much
that meant to me. I thought, "I'm strong, I can handle it."

That all faded away when I actually went into labor. The pain is nothing
I've ever experienced before, or since. My labor progressed so quickly
that by the time I reached the hospital, my doctor told me there wasn't
any time for me to get an epidural. Believe me when I say, I did ask for one.

By the time I was having my second child, my daughter, my only concern was getting to the hospital in time. After my experience with giving birth to my son, and reading how each consecutive labor and delivery is quicker than the last, my hopes for getting the epidural were secondary to just giving birth in my hospital.

My concerns were warranted, as, and this is no exaggeration, I gave birth to my daughter only 25 minutes after arriving to the hospital.

Giving birth is a special event in every parents life, and hands-down one of, if not the, most important days of our lives. Our stories of the experience of childbirth are some of the most vivid ones we'll ever be able to recant and tell. Not only do I love telling the stories of my childrens' birth, but I love to hear the tales of others.