In Praise of Husbands that Support Attachment Parenting/Natural Family Living

When I was pregnant with my first child, I knew I wanted an out-of-hospital birth.  Yet money was tight, and our HMO insurance wouldn't cover a dime if we chose to birth outside a hospital.  I felt defeated, trying to relegate myself to a hospital birth that I didn't really want.  My husband Reese knew how I felt about the hospital.  He knew - because he read with me books like Ina May Gaskin's Spiritual Midwifery - how amazing homebirth could be.  And so, while I flailed a bit in pity, he made up his mind to make a birth center birth possible for us.  He scoured the internet for birth centers.  He found one that looked promising and made us an appointment.  Together, we fell in love with the beautiful birth center and the warm and friendly midwife.  And he told me, in no uncertain terms, that we would make it work financially.   We paid some cash, we put the rest on a credit card, but by george, we did make it work. And thanks to Reese, we had amazing, loving prenatal care and a beautiful birth for our child.

Seven years later, and pregnant with baby # 3, Reese has done it again.  Earlier this week, I told him how uneasy I was feeling about the OB backup situation and the group nature of the midwife practice I'd chosen.  Seeing my sadness, he suggested we call Davi, the Los Angeles area midwife that delivered our second child.  Although the idea of birthing with Davi again made tears of joy well in my eyes, I worried she wouldn't want to do it, and worried that the Bay Area to Los Angeles logistics would be crazy.  Were it me alone, I would never have called.  Yet Reese - man of action that he is - called Davi immediately.  And within 24 hours, he had a conversation with her wherein she happily agreed to deliver our third and final baby.  I am in heaven.

I have been blessed with a husband that researches, and supports all things AP/NFL.  He deeply believes in home birth, he cherishes co-sleeping, he loves that I breastfeed our children, he rails against "cry it out."  We're completely on the same page about the dangers of vaccines, he would never even think to circumcise should we have a boy, he believes in green living and he eats more healthily than I.   Although none of these ideas and ideals were anywhere on our radar when we married nearly 11 years go, somehow, some way, we are perfectly aligned.

To my husband, I say to you - my gratitude for you is deep and without end.

To all husbands who stand with their wives to parent their children naturally and with love, compassion, and responsiveness, you are princes among men.  I know your wives, and children, feel equally blessed by your love.