Happy 7th birthday Hank!

I met Hank’s parents, Nicole & Matt, in my March 2012 Empowered Birth series.  I will never forget this group of parents for a couple of reasons.  First, we had *three* pre term births in the class.  Three babies decided to arrive at 34 weeks during the class series.  Thankfully all of the babies did great thanks to care from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.  Secondly–this class was quiet.  Like really really quiet.  There was one dad who liked to laugh and joke around but everyone else was 100% serious, 100% of the time.   I’d ask a question and they would stare.  I’d make a joke and more staring.  I went down in flames on a weekly basis.

I always suggest to my classes that they stay in touch to support each other.  They surprised me when they exchanged contact information and set up a class Facebook group..  Shortly after class ended, the rest of the babies began to arrive.  It seemed like we got a birth announcement every week.  Friendships and relationships blossomed between moms, dads and babies.  They got together every week and later they even celebrated holidays together.  It was truly a beautiful thing to see them support one another and grow as parents within this village they created.

Anyhow, Nicole & Matt were the caboose of our class with the latest due date.   Matt messaged me on Facebook after the first day of labor and he kept me updated through day two.   So a long labor *and* their poor doula, Cindy, had a terrible case of chiggers.  At some point on day three I went to the hospital, in my pajama pants, to drop off coffee and an in person pep talk.   Little did I know that I’d be staying for the birth, and gaining two friends for life.  In my relatively short time at this birth I helped Matt fire a nurse, we had endless laughs,  a couple of serious conversations,  I learned how to use a fancy camera, and the term “toulas” came to be (toulas=two doulas, as in me and Cindy).   Once we got to postpartum, I fed Nicole a Jimmy John’s sandwich because she was literally too tired to feed herself.  There really is nothing a doula won’t do for you, folks.

So happy happy birthday to you, dear Hank.  I’m grateful you and the other kids were born, and I’m grateful for all of your moms & dads.  What a gift you all are to one another and to me, too.