Eleven years ago I gave birth to my first son. I was young but passionate and relatively educated for those pre-internet times. I had planned out my conception, pregnancy and birth in many ways but none prepared me for the emotional toll I was about to endure. On Halloween night, while watching trick-or-treaters at a local mall, I went into labor; quietly, painlessly. Early labor, but I knew. I took secret pride walking around the mall, largely pregnant, in the earliest stages of labor with my very first child. Contractions increased and we thought it important to head off to … Continue reading →