The moment you meet your baby for the first time is one you will never forget. There is often a rush of emotions like nothing you have ever felt before. I am trusted to witness this sweet time when new parents meet their babies and finally get to just take it all in, every wrinkle, yawn and little thing that makes them yours. You have waited so long to see if she has your eyes or his nose. You’ve wondered if she will have a full head of hair or no hair at all. When the baby is finally here, I look at the parents. I remind you to open your eyes, look at your baby, hold your baby. I look for the contentment and joy on your face. I see the tears, the smile, the love and sometimes the reality and magnitude of what just happened in your eyes. I celebrate when you celebrate and I keep you grounded when it’s all too much.
Your baby is here, you’re getting your first look at this beautiful, tiny person you made and brought into this world. Everything else stands still.
This meeting is often so long in the making and can feel overwhelming and exhilarating...it's what you have been waiting for the entire pregnancy. It is hitting you that this baby is yours and you may not know what to do or say. It is okay to just be with them, to say their name and tell them how glad you are to have them here with you.
This is a time for bonding, getting to know the newest member of your family and relief after the birth and a long pregnancy. It looks unique for every family. Sometimes the first look at the new baby is through an isolette or a little while after the birth as you’re waking up from surgery. Sometimes it’s a swaddled baby, held cheek to cheek with you in the operating room. Other times it’s surreal as you lift your baby up from the warm water or they are placed on your chest and yours is the first face they see. No matter how you meet your baby for the first time, it is beautiful and marks the beginning of something magical. I watch you as you breathe in this baby and I take a step back, because this moment is your family’s first. It is all about you and there is nothing in the world that compares.