To the Dad of a Cesarean Baby:
You are a special guy. In the days to come, you will be needed more than ever before, and you will step up to the plate. After watching your wife experience the pain of labor and major surgery, you will be the first to hold your new baby girl and ensure she feels safe and loved. You will change the first and most disgusting diapers while your wife still can’t get out of her hospital bed. You will help her out of bed to brush her teeth and promise her she looks more beautiful than ever even though she definitely doesn’t feel that way.
You will drive them home safely, taking each corner gently so the incision from surgery won’t hurt. You will do more than your share, hauling laundry down the stairs that she can’t yet take, and lifting your toddler when she can’t. You will be the one getting up those first few nights, bringing your hungry newborn to your wife to feed when her incision hurts too much to get out of bed.
You will assure your wife she is enough when she feels vulnerable and helpless. You will remind her what she did to bring your children into the world is amazing. You will love this little family unconditionally, and know this time of your life is beautiful, raw, and so fleeting.
I write this five days post-C-section. I am sore and the simplest of movements, while becoming easier each day, are still challenging. My husband is amazing and has taken care of me as well as our newborn and toddler day and night. I appreciate him even more this time around than I did after my first C-section, and have more love for him and our two girls than I ever thought possible. This is for him.
A HOUSE WITH CHARACTER 