It's a Maxwell BOY

[WonderingInWA]

I think NR-Anna looks lovely and just relieved! I remember feeling pretty radiant after the (completely natural) birth of my first child. I was relieved it was over and that it wasn't anything near as bad as I'd thought. I was seriously fearful of giving birth and was really surprised, after hearing all those horror stories, that if you don't fight your body, it generally goes pretty well.

And thank goodness little Joshua doesn't appear to look anything like Christopher.

[sippin0nsunshine]

I had epidurals and drugs with my first 3 babies and my last baby was my biggest (9 lbs 3 oz) and I had her naturally. I looked and felt the best after having her. I remember being amazed that I could get up and walk around easily right after she was born. I felt absolutely fantastic and was probably high on adrenalin! It was totally different when I had my others (2 were 8# and the other was 7#.).

I don't have any kids myself (just two furchildren) but two of my friends had their daughters naturally and they both said they felt great after (except friend #2 had tearing). Another friend of mine had an epidural and drugs with her first baby, and she said she felt miserable after and had a huge headache, but she went all natural with her second baby and she too said she felt great.

Either way, Anna looks happy and radiant. I hope she's allowed to enjoy her son for a while without all the in-laws being in her face.

[emmiedahl]

I had 3 children naturally, none of whom were 9 pounds but 2 were close. I can guarantee you I did not look anything nearly half as good as Anna does in this photo. I've seen plenty of photos of woman who have just finished giving birth. In my opinion she looks great. Sorry if for some reason you find that so offensive.

It took me hours to push out my biggest baby. I had bruising around my eyes from burst blood vessels. Even with the smallest ones, I looked exhausted and anemic. Lots of things are natural and still leave most women looking like a hot mess. Is there something wrong with acknowledging most of us don't hop off the bed ready for a marathon?

[WonderingInWA]

I wonder how long Joshua will get to just hang out with his mama before he gets a chore pack?

[Feberin]

I reserve my right to be pissed off about things that piss me off. I also reserve my right to be snippy about things that bother me.

Maybe one day I'll be more level headed about these issues and then I'll make some really awesome clear points, but that day is not today.

That woman is now under an incredible amount of pressure to be the perfect biblical self-sacrificing no-bad-feelings all-rainbows mother, and they've set her up for it in the worst way. Congratulating her for pulling it off is not a good thing from where I'm sitting. Yeah it makes me mad and yeah I'm snippy and kind of incoherent about it.

Are you trying to say that you're upset that there is such preasure on women to "look good" after giving birth especially in a fundie culture where giving birth is pretty much their job? I think Anna looks way more relaxed and naturally happy in the picture of her with the baby then she has looked in many other pictures with the Maxwells where she was probably putting on a fake smile and trying to "keep sweet". I think she looks genuinely happy and that makes me happy for her. I'm also glad that she had a healthy baby. However I'm sad to think of the life ahead of him.

[WonderingInWA]

When does blanket time start?

[Guest Anonymous]

I reserve my right to be pissed off about things that piss me off. I also reserve my right to be snippy about things that bother me.

Maybe one day I'll be more level headed about these issues and then I'll make some really awesome clear points, but that day is not today.

That woman is now under an incredible amount of pressure to be the perfect biblical self-sacrificing no-bad-feelings all-rainbows mother, and they've set her up for it in the worst way. Congratulating her for pulling it off is not a good thing from where I'm sitting. Yeah it makes me mad and yeah I'm snippy and kind of incoherent about it.

Be as snippy and pissed off as you like. But I suspect you may find a correlation between your snippy pissedness and those occasions when your "point has been missed".

[holothuroidea]

Be as snippy and pissed off as you like. But I suspect you may find a correlation between your snippy pissedness and those occasions when your "point has been missed".

I am well aware of that. If I was smart I'd keep my mouth shut, but sometimes I'm just dumb.

For my part, I looked like a wreck after my first birth (and suffered from very severe depression), and like a superstar after my second. The compliments I had about how good I looked with my second baby were like a slap in the face because I felt like I must have done something wrong the first time around.

But this thread isn't about me and I tried to stop the derailment like 15 posts ago or something.

I hope that NR-Anna feels as good as she looks.

[No Fun My Babe]

It took me hours to push out my biggest baby. I had bruising around my eyes from burst blood vessels. Even with the smallest ones, I looked exhausted and anemic. Lots of things are natural and still leave most women looking like a hot mess. Is there something wrong with acknowledging most of us don't hop off the bed ready for a marathon?

There's absolutely nothing wrong with that at all. That said, I do think she looks genuinely radiant and happy etc. etc., not fake or forced at all.

I feel really bad for the kid. Though he sure is cute for a newborn!

[emmiedahl]

I think she looks lovely.

The only birth in which I looked and felt good immediately after was the one with the epidural.

[Witsec7]

I'm of the opinion that Steve got wood when he found out it was a boy.

BTW did she birth at home?

[terranova]

I'm of the opinion that Steve got wood when he found out it was a boy.

BTW did she birth at home?

According to the post, she did, yup :)

[Witsec7]

According to the post, she did, yup :)

That makes me wonder if the father was allowed to be present at birth or if he was confined to reading bible passages with Steve.

[terranova]

That makes me wonder if the father was allowed to be present at birth or if he was confined to reading bible passages with Steve.

You don't think he was down the pub handing out cigars?

[Witsec7]

You don't think he was down the pub handing out cigars?

Not even chocolate ones.

[terranova]

Not even chocolate ones.

He was probably reading the "best of death" in the Bible with Steve and whipping himself with a cat o'nine tails. While wearing a hair shirt. Can't be too happy.

[Lillybee]

I wonder who delivered the baby. Did they use a real midwife, a doula or was she stuck with Ma Maxwell?

[Elle]

Yay for homebirth! Big baby too! She looks very happy. her delivery must have gone faster than my daughter's. I looked good and felt great, but was so tired! I do hope she had an actual properly-trained midwife present. With fundies, it's hit and miss on those who will spring for a midwife versus expecting first-time moms to do it unassisted (I've got no problem with those who have unassisted births who've had babies before, but I'm concerned about people who go unassisted without anyone who's been through at least a few natural childbirths, and with fundies, I think they're more likely to see life-threatening problems as "god's perfect plan" and are less likely to get help).

That said, poor baby, going to be raised a homophobic and likely racist bigot believing women are property.

[Guest Anonymous]

I am well aware of that. If I was smart I'd keep my mouth shut, but sometimes I'm just dumb.

For my part, I looked like a wreck after my first birth (and suffered from very severe depression), and like a superstar after my second. The compliments I had about how good I looked with my second baby were like a slap in the face because I felt like I must have done something wrong the first time around.

But this thread isn't about me and I tried to stop the derailment like 15 posts ago or something.

I hope that NR-Anna feels as good as she looks.

You started the derailment and pretty much brought yourself into it by claiming your own experience to be universal. If you felt slapped in the face by what someone else thought was a compliment to you, when you yourself gave birth, then that is perfectly valid as your experience, but it doesn't necessarily mean much to the next person.

I think Anna looked fantastic in the photo and that's great IMO, because a 9lb+ baby is a very big natural event and its bloody fantastic that she feels good so soon after. If Melanie has a rough time with her baby, I'll feel a lot of compassion for her pain, but I won't judge either as being better or worse than the other,

[Guest Anonymous]

I wonder who delivered the baby. Did they use a real midwife, a doula or was she stuck with Ma Maxwell?

For Melanie's births, Ma Max stayed at the top end of the bed and rehearsed scripture memory verses with her. I hope someone else was also present to catch the baby as he came out, because no-one is allowed to leave a bible verse half recited in Ma Maxwell's schoolroom.... :snooty:

[emmiedahl]

Is it normal to continue a home birth when there is meconium in the water? The baby's fingernails do look stained.

[Witsec7]

I think she looks lovely.

The only birth in which I looked and felt good immediately after was the one with the epidural.

LoL I was hopped up on morphine after pushing for over 9 hours. No I didn't look good. But I did have a live baby, and had I not had a reasonable home birth Dr. chances are the child would not have survived.

[terranova]

For Melanie's births, Ma Max stayed at the top end of the bed and rehearsed scripture memory verses with her. I hope someone else was also present to catch the baby as he came out, because no-one is allowed to leave a bible verse half recited in Ma Maxwell's schoolroom.... :snooty:

GOD I would KILL my mother in law if she tried to do that. I would get off my birthing bed and strangle her. Grrrr.

[WonderingInWA]

My guess is that he was home when the baby was born, but certainly not in the same room. That's women's work, you know. And God forbid, he should ever see the place where the baby came out. My guess is, in their family, that is a retina-burner. Don't have sex with the lights on, and don't ever look a gift-vagina in the mouth.

[Witsec7]

Is it normal to continue a home birth when there is meconium in the water? The baby's fingernails do look stained.

I don't know, I do know my OB down in Los Angeles had a contract, if you went into labor early or were late you went to the hosp. where he had privileges, and his birthing center was not an option.