It’s not rare to find myself waiting for a massage client in my office or performing maintenance around the building when a client in labor comes in. After some years of witnessing these moments, I gave myself the title of “midhusband.” Let me tell you some stories from a man’s point of view.
I can remember a few months back, I was here with a client that had already had several births with us. Despite having experienced this process before, the look on the father’s face was priceless. The baby was only an hour or so old when he brought him out to the family room and exclaimed, “James, it doesn’t get any better than this!!” Of course, I could only agree. There is nothing better than seeing new life being brought into this world, and the love in this man’s eye was contagious.
Another time, I was in the office with a different client. About midway through the massage, I heard a woman experiencing some labor pains. I told my client, “Well, it seems as though we have a labor in process!” He chuckled and said, “I don’t see many people being able to say that.” We both laughed and finished the session. After the client left, I heard the father of the child ask the midwife, “Is that the baby’s head?” Based off the emotions in the man’s voice mere moments later, I can only assume the answer was yes.
As a therapist, I can honestly say that most of my days are pretty quiet. My clients typically come and go without much event. But anytime we get to experience the excitement of birth, it makes the day a whole lot better. The positive energy is an amazing feeling, and the ways these parents celebrate their births are heartwarming.
Wishing you all healthy and joyful deliveries, and for those parents that I have had the pleasure of celebrating with–even from a distance–I thank you!