Today should have been a day of joy. A new member welcomed into the family. Instead, I sit here thinking about the visceral image of a baby born weeks before its time, covered in vernix, with eyes shut like a newborn puppy’s. And I keep thinking to myself, even if you chose a cesarean for your birth, can you at least not wait for the baby to be ready? Why weeks before her time? Why cause her damage and pain, illness and complication for life? Isn’t life hard enough?
And as I thought about this, I begged for friends to share photos of full term babes. And some did. So here are some of those images.
When your doctor says induction for postdates or “late baby”, why wait? That’s why.
When your doctor says cesarean because your baby is too big, why wait?
That’s why.
When you can’t find a midwife and your only choices in physicians won’t do a VBAC, why wait?
THAT’s why.
I’ll have more to say on this later but I will never forget the day I met my third daughter.
Sixteen days after her “due date”.
Babies deserve their whole time, not just “full term”.
Full term is an illusion that we have painted ourselves into a corner on.
Why wait until labor? Why wait until birth?
Because your baby deserves the best damn start to life that they can possibly have.
They are relying on one person to help them. You.
You, their mother, have the ultimate responsibility to give them the gift not only of life, but of patience and responsibility, knowing the fragility of the life you carry.
Why wait?
Because there will never be another moment like this.