Full Circle: Back to the Birthhouse

Will, Edie and I, Munich's finest Midwest trio, had our final appointment at da Geburtshaus Muenchen, where little one was born 15 weeks ago today. Like so many of my appointments in Germany, I was only somewhat clear on the purpose of our visit. I knew we'd get to meet with Susanne, the midwife who delivered E. Other than that, I submitted to my standard practice of playing along now and trying to decipher meaning later.

It seems that this appointment is sort of a closure type thing, where you meet in the room where your baby was born, go over your birth report and generally chat about your experience and how things are going now. Very nice. Susanne asked me when we thought we'd have our second one. After seeing a report that reminded me that I spent three hours in a bath tub having contractions every 3 minutes only to dilate another 4 centimeters, I was not in a good place to answer that question.

All in all, finding the Geburtshaus was probably the best turn of luck we've had here. A few of the midwives there asked me how I knew about this place - I imagine it struck them as a little odd since I spoke no German, had not ties to anyone in the country, and basically showed up at their doorstep when I was 33 weeks pregnant. I gave them the answer I gave so many partners at the law firm I worked at when asked how I found an answer - not fancy, but true - "Uh... Google."

We got in a little photoshoot before we left. I was so glad to have Susanne see Edie again. Although we only spent 12 or so hours together, I won't soon forget her. Will and I toyed with staging a (clothed) reenactment of the birth, but as de facto American representatives, we decided to do you all a favor.

[The picture of the floor is where Ms. E first laid after entering this world. Plus some towels, of course.]

[Also, I had a bad cold this day. So I overcompensated a little as far as looking happy in this picture. Hence, I look like an evil jester.]