Significance

One of the concepts I always try to address during a consult visit is the significance of birth. My parents know how significant the birth is to them, they await eagerly for their child and are preparing their homes & attending classes, essentially counting down the days; but it is also significant to me. I have always felt slightly voyeuristic at a birth, I am a witness to the love shared between partners, the loving touch & kiss, the shared awe in their eyes as they gaze at their infant; it becomes a moment out of time. I do consider those moments a privilege that I was asked to share with them. So even though I am working, and perhaps thinking of the next thing to do for the baby... is the cord still pulsing, the placenta coming, listening to baby's cry etc; I am also aware of the sanctity of the moment, I become part of the family also. So I wish to thank all my moms & dads out there, for allowing me to share that time with them. There are some families that I have been able to attend the births of all of their children. There should be a Auntie Midwife title, I feel. I wish I could celebrate with them all their birthdays, but it would be endless.
Sometimes I feel like I get a glimpse of their futures in those special moments after birth. I can see the love surrounding these infants... will they be artists or musicians, bankers or lawyers, doctors or carpenters? The future is ahead of them. But I know they received the best start in their life. Born into their mom's loving hands, with their father and family around to welcome them!