Dude To Dad: Episode Two "Our Incredibly Easy (For Me) Birth Story" - Fatherly

Scroll through YouTube and you’ll find a plethora of videos featuring powerful earth goddesses describing inspirational birth stories. These Moms are truly amazing. But what about Dad?

What about the guy who bravely pulls up the rideshare app? The warrior poet who grabs the overnight bag? The Uber-Father who witnesses the miracle of birth and doesn’t even faint, just sways slightly?

Dads, your video has arrived! In this episode of Dude To Dad you get to watch my wife and me — SPOILER ALERT — have our baby. Water breaks! Laboring occurs! And I totally stood there and … did … stuff?

Okay. This episode is not really about ol’Dude To Dad. This episode is about my incredible partner, the warrior poet, earth goddess, Michael Jordan of giving birth: my wife Caitlin. It’s about the feeling of watching someone come into being. The cliche is that life is a miracle. The cliche is true. Birth is exhausting, emotional, life-affirming, terrifying, and incredible.

Editing this footage has been illuminating. Even though I didn’t give birth, I am there for my partner — cracking jokes, staying awake, being present. I’m lucky to have this video to remember these moments.

Birth stories are about Mom, but someone has to help preserve them, document them. Michael Jordan needs Scottie Pippen, even if he’s just nervously holding a phone, trying to capture someone’s first moments on Earth.

This is Dude to Dad.