Daddy's Story (Part 1 - the beginning)

It's been over a week now since CMC was born and I'm only now finding the time to sit down and share my journey. I wanted to share the story of our labour and CMC's beginning from my POV. I don't for a second claim that the experience of a father is anything like what a mother goes through in labour but I do feel that too often that the role and and experience of fathers is somewhat marginalised. To be forced to watch, largely helpless while the woman you love is in pain is hard. I can say without hesitation, and I suspect I'm not the only man who feels this way that if there was any way I could have taken on some of that pain I would have done so in a heartbeat but that's just not the way it's designed, it' a pain that women have to go through and the men are left to try and find anything they can to support and help. It's a helpless and humbling process particularly when the mother pushes you away for much of the labour, but more on that later... Let's start at the beginning...