Who witnessed your birth? And your children?

[CathrynRose]

I know my mom was there for mine.... I don't know about anyone else.

My 18 y/o had me, my ex-husband and my g/f Gretchen.

My 14 y/o had me, my ex husband and my g/f Lora.

I subsequently was also there for Lora's daughter's birth, as well just a few months later. I cut the cord. It grossed her husband out, so I got to cut it.

 

[JVL1018]

I had my husband, the OB and the nurse and that was it-to me giving birth is a private thing.
I don't let anyone but the dr or DH see me naked under the best of circumstances, I certainly wasn't about to start inviting people to see my hoo ha when I had a baby coming out. Nope, not even my mom, whom I loved more than anything and whom I was extremely close to.
My husband is fantastic: calm, collected, would never freak out at a birth(and if he would I would have told him to get over it-quickly) or anything so we were good to go.

 

[MaumeeMom]

I had my husband, the OB and the nurse and that was it-to me giving birth is a private thing.
I don't let anyone but the dr or DH see me naked under the best of circumstances, I certainly wasn't about to start inviting people to see my hoo ha when I had a baby coming out. Nope, not even my mom, whom I loved more than anything and whom I was extremely close to.
My husband is fantastic: calm, collected, would never freak out at a birth(and if he would I would have told him to get over it-quickly) or anything so we were good to go.

That's exactly how I felt! No way was anyone but DH going to be in that room.

With DS#1 my MiL tried to come in but I told the nurse when we first got to the hospital not to let anyone in, especially the MiL. When the nurse told her she couldn't come in she pulled a chair up to the doorway and parked herself just outside. I told my DH to make her go to the waiting room with everyone else. He tried to get me to let her stay and I am surprised my head didn't spin all the way around. I told him get her out of there or I would rip out my IV and move her myself. He hustled her out of there. That was really my only nasty labor moment.

 

[Katy Belle]

When I was born in 1968 it was an emergency c-section, pre-mature, and my mom had lost 2 babies prior. The only people in there were lots of medical staff!

My husband was with me for the birth of all 3 of our sons. He was fantastic!
I was so lucky to have him with me.

Katy

 

[Nancy]

I guess I'm sort of an anomaly. I didn't want my mother in there at all. In fact, besides my husband, I didn't want anyone else in there except the doctor and nurses. With my first child, we lived 1000 miles away from any family so we didn't have a choice. With my second child, we lived in our hometown and I dreaded telling anyone when the delivery would be. I didn't even want anyone else at the hospital until I was out of recovery. Both of mine were c-sections, the first was emergency, the second was planned. I really wanted our bonding time to be uninterrupted and having moms, sisters, aunts and uncles nearby would have been too much for me to handle.

I'm with you, I wanted no one but DH and the medical people needed to deliver my baby. No one allowed at the hospital sitting around waiting either. They were able to come in when it was normal visiting hours,but I didn't want a lot of people hanging around me all the time...just me,DH and baby for all 3.

 

[disykat]

My dad was present when I was born by c-section, but only because he was a doctor.

My husband wasn't allowed into my emergency c-section for my first. For my second c-section he was there. DH was the only one with me through both labors.

My labor was long enough with the first that my mother arrived before we left for the hospital. (She came when we called since it was a 10 hour drive.) She ended up at our house for another day and a half before coming to the hospital when he was born! Both my parents were at my house babysitting my older child during my second labor and surgery. The only reason either of them would have come to the hospital prior to the birth is if my dh was incapacitated for some reason. They didn't feel it was their place and I agreed. Dad had seen waaay too many unhappy labor room situations with families during his career.

 

[maslex]

Not sure about when I was born. But when both my boys were born, my DH & mother were in the room with me. Then the nurse that basically delivered both my boys (at time that I delivered the dr was with another birth) was my DH's stepmother, was that was kind of cool too. Kind of chapped my MIL's behind, but OH WELL....you're not a nurse!!! LOL

 

[SydSim]

No one but the dogsitter knew that we were going to the hospital, so only DH was in the delivery with me. Everyone else found out when I got out of the recovery room and into my post-partum bed. I tend to have stalkers in my family

 

[Mouse House Mama]

All four kids it was just DH and whatever medical staff that needed to be there. To be honest, I was in so much pain that I didn't care if the entire staff at the hospital wanted to pop in for a peek but there was no way I was going to have any familiy members in there staring at my hoo ha waiting for the baby to come out and then go and have Sunday dinner with them. I don't care what anyone says, they will at some point be thinking something about that.

 

[Disney Ella]

No one was there with my mother.

For my first DD, there was the doctor, 2 residents, a nurse and DH. Before DD's twin was born, DH decided he'd seen enough and had to leave the room. I don't think I'd want anyone else in the room during birth.

 

[look1angel]

When I was born in 1960 my mom was temporally put under & woke to find out she had a girl, dad was in waiting room.

With all 3 of my own kids it was my X husband only.

In 2002 with my surrogate baby it was my best friend, my 2 girls (they were 16 & 19), both the mom & dad, (good friends) & X husband. my son (he was 18) waited out in the waiting area with the couples 4 yr old son. I had a great cheering section

When I got remarried last year she was my flower girl imagine that!

 

[mjkacmom]

DH and my mom for 3 of my births (including c/s of my twins), and only DH for #3, only because it was 3 am, and dm and mil couldn't get there in time. My mother has never stopped thanking me for allowing her to be there when her grandchildren were born. I figure if I'm going to let a roomfull of strangers be there (and it was quite a party with my twins), I might as well let my mom in there!

 

[Keli]

At my birth it was just medical personnel, mom, and my older twin sister, lol.

For my dd's birth it was just medical personnel and me. I had an emergency c-section and dh didn't want to be in there for that.

 

[Liberty Belle]

My birth: just my mom. I don't think they even allowed fathers to be in the room.

My oldest's birth: My mom and my husband.

My youngest's birth: just my husband.

 

[tazdev3225]

My birth was just my mom, it was the 50's, and she was in what they called a twilight sleep. My dad was kicked out of the hospital by my grandparents and it was hours before he knew I was born.

DS - just my DH and I wouldn't have survived without him. My DS got stuck.
DD1 - DH was with me until they raced me down the hall for an emergency C-section
DD2 - she was a planned C-section. I was unconscious but DH was there and held her before me. It was one of the best experiences of his life. He stood on the same side as the Dr and loved watching it.

I have 6 grandkids
DGS1 - I raced home from VA to get to the hospital minutes before he waas born but wasn't in the room
DGS2 - he was premature and I got pictures of him seconds after he was born. DDIL had no connection with her family. It was the first birth I ever got to see
DGD1 - I was in there with my DD and her SO, it was an amazing experience and my DGD was the image of her mother, she still is
DGS3 - My DD let me in with her again they were in a car accident and she was really nervous
DGS4 - I went to the hospital to say Hi and head to the cafeteria. The midwife made me and the other grandmom the stirrups. DD didn't care that I saw it but was a little freaked out by her MIL being there. It turned out to be a good thing since DGS didn't breathe right away and DD was terrified
DGD2 - My DD wanted her and her SO only. It was fine with me I watched the other 2 kids and took them to the hospital to see their new sister after she was born.
I missed out on my kids but have always thought seeing 4 of my grandkids enter the world to be a privilege.

 

[Meriweather]

Mine...just my mother

Both of my kids....just DH

 

[golfgal]

Mine-pretty sure it was just my mom but I was an emergency C-section and I think she was knocked out. My grandma might have been there-she was a nurse in the hospital-I don't know for sure

For our kids it was just DH and me. I know my mom was put out that we didn't invite her but I didn't need to babysit her while I was in labor. Our twins were a scheduled C-Section but we didn't tell any family until they were born. The only ones that knew we were going in were some good friends that were keeping our oldest while we were in the hospital.

 

[castleview]

My mom was the only non-medical person in the room for my birth. DH and I were the only ones present for our three kids - I had absolutely no interest in having anyone else there. Come to think of it, even if I wanted my mother in the delivery room , she probably would have declined the invite. I have to say, I'm always surprised by the relatives who believe they're entitled to be in the room.

 

[lemondog]

I was born in 1972, so my mom didn't even witness the birth -- she was knocked out!

None of us witnessed my 8yo's birth...she is adopted from Russia.

Just DH and I witnessed our twins' birth...I had to have a c-section b/c they were both breech. They only allowed 1 person in the OR with me.

 

[powellrj]

Mine, just my mom. They sent my dad to work and when he came back to the hospital he waited in the waiting room.

For my first DS he was an emergency C-section so it was just me and the medical personal. Husbands weren't allowed.

For #2 and #3, they were both planned c-sections so DH was with me both times. I am not sure I would have wanted anyone other than DH with me. My mom would have been very high maintance and I didn't feel the need to share the moment with my other kids.