birth

October 10, 2011 by Eleni |

Fabulous at 40 (days)

Life begins at 40…or so birthday cards and makeup aimed at “mature skin” would have us believe. But there does seem to be something magical and mystical about the 40 day mark for infants. And the more I look into it, the more I realize that it marks the end of a liminal stage; after…

Earthquakes, Hurricanes, and Other Acts of God and Man

There’s a Yiddish saying that when man plans, God laughs. Apparently, when I plan, the laughter comes from my infant daughter Amalía, who was due to arrive in this world on August 19th, if not before, my doctors said, judging from her size. When I heard that, I began making plans. And it wasn’t just…

Of Holy Mothers and Floating Babies–or Waitin’, Wishin’, and a Hopin’

We’re officially on Amalía Watch 2011. I guess since she’s only going to be born once, it’s Amalía Watch, period, but I like the way Amalía Watch 2011 makes it sound that much more official, like an election or a hurricane. At 35 weeks, one of my doctors told me that given Amalía’s size, she…

Sibling Revelry

Are you ready for Raksha Bandhan? It’s August 13th this year. I know, that’s 10 days away. But if you’re not Hindu, and this is your first Raksha Bandhan, you might need some time to prepare yourself to celebrate. The way I understand it, Raksha Bandhan is a celebration of siblings. It started out a…

Beauty from Birth

At our childbirth prep class on Sunday I bravely asked the visiting pediatrician the question my husband wanted answered, but was too shy to articulate: When is it appropriate to pierce the baby’s ears? We had already covered how soon a baby can fly in an airplane, and spent 10 minutes on the pros and…

Birth Control?

When my husband and I walked into the hospital-run birthing class last Sunday, carrying the yoga mat and two pillows we had been instructed to bring, there were lots of pregnant women in t-shirts and leggings. And then there was one pregnant lady in white short shorts, a full face of makeup, and nude patent…