This photo was taken before our son Emiliano arrived. Max didn’t think I’d really go into labor at 32 weeks that day so he dressed for work, just in case!
Today, I am 35 weeks pregnant. I just felt a smooth rolling feeling underneath my belly as baby girl pressed her leg or arm up against me. Every week, her presence feels more real, and we’ve been preparing for her arrival by making room in her big sister’s bedroom and packing our hospital bag. But what’s also been taking up lots of brain space are two sweet labor-and-delivery moments…
The first one is introducing our two older kids — Ella and Emiliano — to their little sister. This Instagram reel has smart tips for that special moment. I love how the baby is in the bassinet when his older brother walks into the hospital room, and how his mom has her arms open to snuggle him in. Also the family group hug at the end? C’MON.
But my favorite part? The parents taped photos of the boy into the baby’s bassinet. That gesture created a space for him to feel loved and seen. It also showed him how excited his sister was to meet him. Isn’t that such an easy but beautiful tip?
Ella and Emiliano never had their meeting-for-the-first-time-in-the-hospital moment because after he was born, he spent the next month in the NICU, and they didn’t allow visitors under the age of 14. So, they first met at home, which is one of the greatest memories of my life. But this time around — if all goes smoothly with this delivery and my two children get to visit us in the hospital — I’d love to hang their pictures in the bassinet so they feel a sense of connection with their new sister.
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The second post-delivery moment I’m mustering up the courage to do is take a photo with my labor and delivery nurse. Whenever someone asks about my birth stories I ALWAYS talk about the nurses who helped me. These women! So kind and gentle, they were the safeguards of my body and soul in a moment that felt sacred but scary.
I’ll never forget the nurse who took care of me while I labored with Emiliano. She let me squeeze her hands as hard as I could when I got my epidural. And when I flinched with contractions, she pet my hair and led me through breathing exercises. She even stayed past her shift to see Emiliano arrive and write down his weight and height measurements on his baby tag.
Whenever I think of her, I tear up, and to this day, I regret not taking a photo with her. In the moment I felt too shy to ask and didn’t want to be a bother. But now I wish I could show a picture to Emiliano of the nurse who led me through one of the hardest moments of my life and helped bring him into this world.
If I’m lucky enough to meet another crew of caring labor and delivery nurses this time around, I’m going to go for it and ask for a quick selfie. Because these women and men are incredible, and play such a huge role in the moments we’ll always remember.
If you’ve delivered a baby, what labor and delivery moments did you find meaningful? Is there anything you’d recommend to others? I’d love to hear.
P.S. Who would you want in the room while giving birth, and what was the first meal you ate after giving birth? Plus, 10 ways to help new parents.
