It doesn't get much newer than this. Emma was 9 when Lucas was born, and she was in attendance for most of my labor. I had a drug-free birth with both of my kids, and although my labor with Emma was very peaceful and calm, it got a little more intense with Lucas. It was a short labor, but WAY tougher. When things got a little crazy towards the end, my sister took Emma out of the room and they waited until immediately after his birth, when she was able to give him his first bath.
She has mixed feelings about being present during the more difficult moments of my labor, but the one very positive result is that I never had to worry about her being a teenaged parent! And ultimately she was very, very happy to be such an intimate part of her brother's arrival into the world.
I have taught childbirth classes and done professional labor support...probably the most meaningful work I've ever done in my life. Although I made this decision to have Emma present for Lucas' birth, I don't think it's a decision I would make again or even recommend. While I think it was beneficial in many ways, I also know that if something bad had happened to the baby, and my 9 year old had witnessed that, it would have done irreparable damage to her psyche. I didn't realize it at the time, but that's probably not a risk worth taking.
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