Beautiful photos, especially of the mother just delivered with the baby caressing her face.

I do have to say, though...the pain of childbirth is really a very, very small part of what it is like to bring a child into the world. That is a very tiny slice of time: the real pain and sacrifice comes later in the day after day after day of laying self down for the sake of the little people who need you so much, of being more tired than you thought possible but needing to get up and give more of yourself, of always being on duty even when discouraged or scared or sick or distracted. Childbirth is really nothing compared to that challenge!

To me, this giving of self has been by far the most painful and rewarding part of being a mother: it is both the hardest and yet the most natural thing to do. And I find I have continually growing admiration for my mother and grandmothers as I understand better what they did in their lives that I took for granted even as I thought I respected them.