Months leading up to the big event were filled with Chile Rellenos and
The Simpsons reruns.
I woke up, just like any other day, and began to get ready for school.
Then Mom said, “You can’t go to school today. Your sister is in labor.”
As we rushed to the Birthing Clinic, I had no idea what was in store for the day.
By the end of it, we would journey on a “rollercoaster of emotions” together.
When we arrived, they took you to your room and prepared the bath.
Whether you would have a water birth was yet to be determined.
To think you had been in labor all through the night was hard for me to grasp.
As the final hours approached, I watched you morph into an animal, desperate to
get your baby out…naturally.
First the Doctor broke your water.
I held your hand and told you to keep pushing.
Even when you said you could not do it anymore,
I encouraged you and cheered you on,
“You can do this. Keep going!”
Then the moaning.
Next the crowning.
Then she cut.
And finally, he arrived.
Your beautiful baby boy, flapped his arms like a bird’s wings.
It was amazing!
I was terrified, but also overcome with a feeling of euphoria.
A bond we will always share.
A love beyond measure.
A reason to live.
Family.
Phoebe Glen is a writer who self-published Sexcapades: Lessons in Sex Ed in 2017. Originally from Arizona, she landed in Portland, Oregon, after living abroad in Europe for three years. She enjoys sharing stories and her opinions with everyone, and is passionate about creating a more comprehensive Sex Education in the USA. Find more of her writing at http://phoebeglen.com/