I steadily researched and prepared for a natural birth. I could imagine the mountaintop feeling of pushing my baby out with more strength than I had ever found in life before. That sense of accomplishment would crest into the euphoric moment when the doctor would wriggle that slippery bundle onto my chest. I would meet my firstborn for the first time in a moment of soaring emotion and triumph.
I thought I would come out of labor strong. I would be a force of nature. Hear me roar!
