The First Spark

I still remember the first time I fell in love with pregnancy and birth. I was a teen, around 16 years old, when I stumbled upon a video on PBS called The Miracle of Life. If you have not had the pleasure of viewing this presentation, it is worth the hour of your time.

In this video, we follow the creation and development of an embryo, then fetus, then infant as the woman pushes her baby into the world. When I first watched this, it felt like magic. What an incredible process! How amazing is the human body! The experience enchanted me, and I wanted to know more.

So I chatted with a trusted adult in my life who was a labor and delivery nurse at that time. She encouraged me and even shared an OB textbook that she had used in nursing school. I pored over images, read descriptions, and fell more and more in love with this area of biology. The spark was lit.

Unfortunately, I did not have the support or guidance that would have fanned that spark into a burning flame. Years went by, and while the fire did not grow, the spark also did not die. It was always there, waiting for the right moment to ignite.

That moment arrived when I became pregnant with my first child in 2006. My firsthand experience of pregnancy was everything I hoped it would be, and I felt empowered in this body that was growing a new life. I wish I could say that birth was the same. While that part was a lot harder than pregnancy, it was no less magical. Once I birthed my son, that spark grew into a roaring fire that, while at times has diminished, has yet to go out.

The connection to the cycle of life began early for me. I've seen picture perfect textbook pregnancy and births, and I've seen loss too soon that guts a family and leaves them forever altered. I've celebrated the first experience of motherhood and watched as siblings tenderly welcomed the newest member in mesmerizing joy. Every moment I have spent in the birthing space has moved me, inspired me, and reminded me that when I am working with expectant parents and families, I am right where I am meant to be.