When you are pregnant with your first baby, you have no idea what is about to happen to you through the pregnancy, including labor and delivery. You go along in your pregnancy, with morning sickness, swollen feet, and anything else that comes along. However, until you actually deliver your baby, you can't possibly understand what it feels like. How can you possibly describe to someone what a contraction

feels like? How can you create a mental picture of what it feels like when your milk comes in? What about the frustration of nature bearing down and you not being able to push because it isn't time? Impossible.

When this monumental "Birth Day" finally arrives, it is very overwhelming. Everything you have prepared for with prenatal vitamins, exercise and baby booties will finally arrive. Sometimes labor and deliveries are fast, as with emergency c-sections or just a fast delivery; some are slow and may take days. Either way, it is a physical and emotional experience that will forever be etched in your brain (as will as those pesky stretch marks).

Immediately after giving birth, you swear you'll never forget the physical pain or enormous emotions. However, as time passes you do eventually forget all the truly important details of what happened. Although you will probably remember if you had an epidural or the moment your water broke, there will be other details that you will forget. For example, who were those gentle nurses that helped ease the pain; who came to see you at the hospital; who called and what was your first meal after having the baby?

Birthing stories somewhat become like fishing stories (it was this BIG, with their hands 3 feet apart). Birthing stories become these horrendous stories from one end of the spectrum to the other. For example, according to my mother-in-law, she never had one contraction or birthing pain. The doctor had to stop her from playing cards to tell her that she was giving birth (is this possible?). Or on the other hand, the 7 day labors (is that possible?). The point is that we all forget the fine details of our actual labor and delivery.

Having two daughters, I did my best filling in the blank page in my pregnancy journal entitled, "Labor and Delivery." Pretty vague; I really didn't know what to write. I wish I would have done a better job journaling my births, so that one day I would be able to recall them more accurately. A detailed Birthing Journal would provide:

- An accurate account for future pregnancies and the important information your doctor needs.

- When your pregnant friends and family ask you questions about your labor and delivery you can answer them without making it the "Big Fish" story.

- When your own children start a family, you can answer their questions they may have for you. (Mom, when did you go to the hospital after you went into labor?)

- You create a keepsake to be passed on to your children and grandchildren about the miracle of birth.

Don't make the mistake most people make and think your memories will last forever. You'll only remember the big moments and forget the important details that are truly the important ones. Later in life, you'll regret not taking more time to create a family legacy.

Your family keepsake is not only passed down to the next generation, it can be used during difficult times to draw the family closer together, by remembering and re-experiencing the joyous moments.