As such, I've thought a little bit about children being present at births and the impact that may or may not have on them. I've never had any of my children present, but I have seen some births where they are, and I have found them a little bit more special for that family.
At one, the children where cheering for their mom and counting as she pushed her baby out. It added a sense of excitement and thrill for them. At another, a little three year old just watched as their new baby came into this world. At neither of these was there fear, or disgust with the whole presess. In fact, it was quite the opposite. I felt like having the children there added to the sense of awe about it all.
Birth used to be a part of life for families. It was sort of pulled out of our lives as births moved into the hospital. I'm not quite sure that all children should be a part of birth or that it is the best thing for everyone to do, but I kind of mourn the loss of that as a part of normal life. Birth really is a miracle, and children, with all their innocence, have added to that sense of miracle at the births I have seen them at.
1 comment:
You know that I had my oldest two kids at Liam's birth, and that was a really beautiful experience for us all. I had been really hesitant to have any of my kids there, but I had prayed about it and felt strongly that those two should be there. After that experience I find myself hoping that each of my children will have the privilege of witnessing natural birth first-hand, and I hope I'll be open enough to have all of my children present at the birth of my next child, whenever that may be.
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