My baby brother just became a father. In the back seat of his car. Yes, really! The birth of a first child is the birth of a new family. And what better place to experience this sacred moment, than in a Subaru Outback parked out in the driveway?
Of course, this wasn’t in the birth plan. I was hoping to be their doula at a midwife assisted hospital birth. Although we live hundreds of miles apart, I had arranged to be visiting there around the due date, and our fingers were crossed that the timing would work out. But 2 days before we headed down there, I got the call: “Kenny just delivered the baby in the backseat of his car!”
My sister in law is an absolute Birthing Warrior Goddess, the likes of whom I have only heard stories about! I cannot imagine how intense a 3 hour labor must be, with no time to really get into the rhythm of the contractions, no time to establish a routine for coping… no time to think! She had to rely on instinct, and trust, to help baby Autumn come into the world safely. Trust in her husband to know what to do, but most of all, trust in her own body to know what to do.
The aftermath was a flurry of excitement for the new mama and papa, with lots of family and friends visiting the hospital where they were recovering, looking to hear Autumn’s amazing birth story. They were also receiving visits from numerous news organizations… because everyone loves a good story with a happy ending, right?
But in all the excitement, no one was stopping to consider how very scary and traumatic this experience had been for them. It wasn’t until they were finally released and sent home that they were really able to process all that had happened. All that could have happened. And to count their blessings and gaze upon the fruits of their labor as she slept soundly, seemingly unaware of the impact her arrival had on them!
This little girl came into our world on her own terms. The birth plans her parents and their midwife had made for the day of her birth were of no concern to her. And isn’t that the greatest lesson in parenting that any new mom or dad can hope for? They came out of this birth experience with the realization that we, as parents, have no control. And that we have no need for control. What we need is trust. If we trust in ourselves, and trust in each other, we can handle whatever this parenting journey has in store for us. Even if it includes birthing in the backseat.