Recording Their “Birth Day” Stories

My baby just turned one. It seems like only yesterday I was in the hospital, meeting my baby face-to-face for the first time. As you think about your children’s “birth day” stories, I’m sure you can recall this day with vivid clarity too. Are these stories in your head, or are they written on paper to be preserved?

A friend of mine inspired me by telling me she writes down the story of how each of her children came into the world (well, not that part!). She details the day of their birth and recounts it with them each year on their birthday. What a neat idea!

You don’t have to be a great writer to do this. Just write down all that you can remember about the day. If you had a c-section (or a complication) and were too groggy to remember some details or not present for parts of your baby’s first day, you can ask those who were there to help fill in any gaps for you.

Paint the picture of the day as best as you can. What was the weather like? What were your nurses like? What were you thinking when you could still think straight? :) Think about what you were doing at different times and write that down, too. That way, you can look at the clock on your child’s birthday each year and tell your son or daughter,

“Right now, on the day you were born, I was just getting to the hospital.”
“About this time, the doctor was running in the room.”
 “This is the time that Mommy was pushing to get you out.”
“This moment is when you were born, and it was so special to finally see you face-to-face.”

As you write your child’s birth story, add colorful details, like:

•  You know it’s not your first baby when your husband brings a mini-radio to listen to talk radio while you’re in labor
• Rush Limbaugh’s voice is not comforting during contractions, particularly contractions with pitocin
• Sitting in the bed Indian-style is not the same as sitting on a birthing ball, no matter what the nurse tells you
• The third time around, I was absolutely sure when I needed to push…and the doctor wasn’t there yet
• The pain medication wore off and your head was turned the wrong way.
• The excitement and wonder I felt over seeing you the first time and holding you on my stomach while the nurses cleaned you up
• And all the other private memories you want to share with your child each time another birthday rolls around

If you haven’t done this already, I encourage you to take some time to write it all down! A free birthday present for years to come—one your son or daughter will always cherish. It is fun to be able to look at the clock on each birthday and know what you were doing at that time on your child’s “birth day.”

(linked to Works for Me Wednesday)