Pregnancy. That’s been my life the past nine months. My wife Heidi gave birth to our son on Sunday, June 22, and let me tell you; she has Big Balls. So does Lisa Schultz, the other half of TheWhole9.
Giving birth is momentous, and even the woman who delivers a baby doped out of her mind to avoid any pain is to be commended. But Heidi and Lisa chose natural childbirth. Not one aspirin, a shot of tequila, or even a bullet to bite on did either of them accept.
Unless you’ve gone through or witnessed labor and childbirth, you can’t even begin to imagine the pain. My wife labored for twelve hours, and starting immediately after her water broke, her contractions were never more than three minutes apart. This means no rest, zero breaks, and no time to come up for air. Towards the end, I would see panic drape her drenched face as the next oncoming contraction seized her. These things were like vultures perched about the room, each waiting for its turn to drop down and twist her as tight as it could. And still she would not buckle and ask for relief.
They say that parents immediately feel a bond for their newborn upon seeing it. I did, but it was not the overpowering, lightning bolt that so many men claim to have experienced. I’m not worried. This baby boy has grown big in me since we’ve had him home, and knowing how and who I am, I’ll be overbearing as he gets older. But what happened to me when my son appeared was that I fell hard all over again for my wife. The feeling that bombarded me, that I’d never felt before, was this new need to protect her, that I was honored to have been part of her labor, and lucky that she had ever agreed to be mine.
I wrestled varsity for Ohio State. Those were tough practices. Afterwards, we’d go over to The Horseshoe, Ohio State’s famed football stadium, and run every aisle of stairs in the place. But a Division I college wrestling practice is beans compared to natural childbirth.
Heidi and Lisa have Huevos Grandes for going through natural childbirth. By choosing this, they gave their children a little head-start. I can’t think of anything more commendable. Can you? If so, let me know.
