At a recent birth, I had the honor of watching a new young dad deliver his own son! Actually, his wife did most of the work! But the reason I'm sharing is because many couples don’t know that this is even an option.

Kristian and Paul Jordan had originally planned a homebirth with a Certified Nurse Midwife. However, in the last weeks of pregnancy, medical circumstances caused them to transfer their care to UNC Medical Center. Nevertheless, an alteration of their birth plan did not stop them from having the birth that they wanted. One of the things that was very important to them was to have Paul’s hands be the first to touch their son.

Kristian and Paul talked with their midwife in the hospital about their wishes and asked how she can help them make it possible. Shannon, the midwife, was very accommodating. When it was time to catch the baby, she had Paul suit up and sit on the bed next to her. She guided and coached him through delivery of the head and then the rest of his son’s body.

It was so beautiful to watch this couple work together to give birth to their son. Paul was the perfect coach and Kristian, the strong and determined mama. They attribute much of their knowledge to taking Bradley Method classes.

Paul said, "Through it all, I can't help but be amazed by the unbelievable miracle of the female body in labor, and I adore my wife all the more for that cherished experience. With tears, I wiped sweat from her forehead with a cold wash cloth, and I fell in love all over again. When my hands were the first to hold our baby and he laid on his mommy's chest for the first time, I again thought, "magnificent". I always thought that I would be scared or intimidated when holding him, but instead I felt an overwhelming emotion of affection and my fears disappeared."