Have you ever witnessed someone elses birth? - Page 2

[Meli65]

I am training to be a doula and as such attended two births over the summer. One was at a hospital and was pretty hard to watch -- the other was a homebirth and was fabulous!

[Flower of Bliss]

I was present for the birth of my little brother. I was 2.5. It was a natural birth at a birthing center.

I was present for the birth of one of my first cousins. He's now almost 3. It was a hospital birth - pitocin, epidural, episiotomy and all. It was still a pretty amazing thing.

(I was also present for several cat and dog deliveries )

[AugustLia23]

As a labor support/student midwife. Every birth is a miracle.

[AngieB]

No, but I really, really, really would like to. I had three good friends at my last birth and they keep talking about how great the experience was and I want to see a birth from the other side also. It's to bad because I think my birth was the last one for all of us.

[the_lissa]

I saw my sister being born.

[Juvysen]

I had been hoping/expecting my husband would video tape *my* last labor and delivery, but alas, he picked up the still camera instead. I was kind of disappointed afterward, because I was so curious what it looked like, um, not in the middle of it? Anyway, if I give birth again, he will be harassed into taping it. I WANNA SEE, I WANNA SEE! :

Anyway, no I've never seen other birth either.

[pdxmomazon]

hee hee hee! I was there when my wife gave birth to our daughter. I remember when she crowned, I was holding my wife's leg, and the midwife asked if i wanted to touch her head. it was the softest most precious touch ever.

[Ruthla]

Originally Posted by RileysmamaNM

No not yet

I would feel so honored if someone ask me to be at their birth, wow.

:

I have a feeling I won't be at anybody's birth until my grandchildren are born. At least, I hope I'll be there when my daughters give birth- we have a very open and trusting relationship, we can talk about ANYTHING, but I'll completely understand if I'm not wanted there at the last moment (or any moment before that.)

[ishereal]

No I wish I could though, hopefully one day.

[applejuice]

Yes, my younger siblings, ages 11, 14, 17 at home.

[NaomiMcC]

Yup. I was the official photographer at a friend's birth. Totally. Cool. (until the episiotomy...I had to leave the room for a moment...)

[liberal_chick]

I was there when my step-mother had my little sister. I was 12 and got to cut the cord.

[lilgsmommy]

Just in the past 2 years I was able to witness 3 vag births and 1 c/section.

The c/section for me was really emotional, because it was my good friends birth, plus it allowed me to really see how my twins were born 6 months earlier, and gave me a little closer on some of the feelings I was having surrounding thier birth. I was glad she asked me to be there!

[durafemina]

yup. . .in midwifery school. ..so 20-something in the last 2 years

(and yes, I get teary at every one)

[applejuice]

I think it is sad that many women have no idea what it means or feels like to have a baby nowadays. Birth is secluded and sanitized in our culture.

[Smokering]

I and my two older sisters saw the birth of my littlest sister when I was 12. It was pretty amazing. I don't know quite why my mother let us watch--perhaps we just wore her down with nagging!--but I'm glad she did, especially since Abby turned out to be the youngest member of our family.

Details have sadly blurred over the years, but I remember Abby crowning... watching the contraction 'numbers' jump on the machine and saying 'That was a big one, Mum!' (yes, I'm sure she needed to be told!)... a fair amount of blood and goop and gore, and not being perturbed by it... being very impressed with how calm and rational Mum was during the event (she warned us all beforehand that if she yelled at us, it was just because of the pain, but she never did yell at all)... Dad fainting... my older, medically-inclined sister who'd been snobbish about the whole thing coming over all funny when Abby was born and having to sit down... me anxiously telling the midwife 'Don't drop her!' because Abby looked so slippery. And of course, the immense and overwhelming relief that the baby was a girl--my family had 5 girls already, but my sisters and I wanted to keep it girls-only!

Now I'm pregnant with my own, I can't imagine having ANYONE other than DH and the midwives present at 'my' birth. Maybe that feeling will change when I have older children, but for now I'm being jealously exclusive--selfish me!

[staceyshoe]

I was present at the first births of 2 close friends. It was an amazing experience! I actually felt more touched by their births than my own ds's because I was just so exhausted after going through labor. Watching another life being born is such an emotional experience.

[forestrymom]

Yep. I watched my best friend give birth to her son. It was amazing! I have a very special bond with her son now--he's 7!

[amyjeans]

Boy, I guess I'm the odd one.
I've never witnessed another's birth, and I don't think I would want to. Simply because my belief is it is a tremendously private and personal experience and I would in no way want to interfere with the process.
I like to be completely alone (with the exception of my dh to keep the baby from hitting the floor).
Now if I were to witness it, Like Ruthla said, it would be my grandkids, and only if my daughters really really wanted me present. I would never ask to be there.

am I weird?

[ziursrm]

Almost/Sorta,
I was supposed to attend my friends homebirth, but she had the baby so quickly that I missed the baby zooming out and arrived just in time to watch her deliver the placenta.