Iren:
The idea of giving birth alongside my husband had never crossed my mind!))) But when I gave birth to my son and my sister was nearly collapsing outside the maternity hospital, we decided that next time, we would give birth TOGETHER. So, when my son was almost 4 years old, the question arose: where and how to have our second child? I had my first at the PАG (Perinatal Center), and my experience there wasn’t the best. Besides the PАG, the only option for me due to health reasons was Maternity Hospital No. 5. I found out that they allowed births with husbands and that mothers could stay with their babies after delivery. At the PАG, the babies were separated from their mothers, which worried me a lot. But at that time, I was just relieved: I had no experience, struggled with breastfeeding, and if they had handed me the baby then, I honestly don’t know what I would have done. Plus, I was dealing with postpartum depression, crying day and night, my breasts hurt, and everything irritated me.
So, my sister and I went to Maternity Hospital No. 5 to ask the chief doctor for permission for joint births. It turned out to be quite simple: the chief doctor said we could give birth with anyone, even our grandmother, as long as we submitted the necessary tests! And all of this was absolutely free! We were thrilled; my sister got all her tests done, and for half a month before the delivery, she was packed and ready with her phone in hand, since I had delivered my first child two weeks early. My daughter, however, was born right on the due date, but like with my son, labor started at night.
Many relatives and friends disapproved of our plan, and there were all sorts of opinions! We didn’t listen to anyone; we just wanted to be together, to help each other, to truly be a support for one another. I am so grateful to have a twin sister! Huge thanks to our parents for bringing us into this world (even though they thought long and hard about it) and for raising us! We are three sisters: the eldest, and then there was supposed to be a boy… but instead, we got two more girls!!! I don’t know how our parents managed it all, but now that I have my own children, I understand that they are true HEROES!
My sister and I have a special bond: we’ve been together our whole lives, but we never get bored and always have something to talk about, which is why we always seem to have so little time to connect!
So, the long-awaited day arrived: at 2 AM, my water broke, and contractions began. My sister arrived at the hospital in 20 minutes. Of course, they immediately confused her with me, only they didn’t understand where my belly had gone??? I was so happy she was by my side! We understood each other without words, and since she already had a daughter, it was easier for her to navigate what needed to be done. She walked me around the room, rubbed my back, entertained me with her stories, brought me water, fulfilled all my whims, and kept me from panicking, encouraging me to walk. I didn’t think about anything or anyone; I was just myself next to my sister. How quickly that time flew by! I was walking, chatting, and almost gave birth in the room! I barely made it to the delivery room! Lyuda was always by my side, giving clear and loud advice in the delivery room, not allowing me to lose focus or panic. She encouraged me, saying it was almost over… If someone were to ask me what the happiest day of my life was, I would answer without hesitation: the two days I gave birth to my children! What a JOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All the pain and suffering fades away in an instant; it’s true what they say: “A woman, when she gives birth, experiences sorrow because her time has come! But when she gives birth, she experiences great joy because a person has come into the world.”
The joy you feel when they place a warm bundle on your stomach, and it squeaks and wriggles! When you see familiar and beloved features in it… and you realize: HOW HAPPY I AM!!!!!
Then our daughter was handed over to the caring hands of Aunt Lyuda, who weighed her and measured her with the nurse, hugging and carrying her for a long time! Once all the excitement settled down, my sister fed me, congratulated me again, kissed me, and then rushed home. She hadn’t slept all night! At home, as my husband recounted, she drank like never before, didn’t get tipsy at all, and couldn’t sleep for another day! : ))))
That was our shared experience. It was so much easier for me to go through it together! And after such a “baptism by fire,” we became even closer and more connected.
Sister, THANK YOU so much!
Yolka:
I believe the greatest happiness a person can experience in life is having many close, beloved people around them.
I am incredibly lucky: no matter the circumstances, I have had this close, beloved, dear person since the day I was born. We have been together since birth. Or rather, let me put it more accurately – T O G E T H E R. Always together. Even if we aren’t physically close at times. At any moment, without a second thought, I would give everything – not just anything – for HER – I would give my life if it were needed. I love her children as if they were my own; what can I say – we physically cannot live without each other. Our husbands have already come to terms with our endless phone calls and online chats. So, having joint births felt completely natural for us. How wonderful that we even thought of it!
Honestly, this is the only time in my life when I experienced such an important, exciting, and seemingly natural moment that I felt emotional for several days as if I were under the influence of drugs. The arrival of new life is a Miracle, incomparable to anything else! But… only by experiencing this alongside my sister did I realize HOW much I love her, HOW dear she is to me – if I could, I would reach for the stars to ease her pain, her condition. So I made sure she didn’t feel lonely, oh no!
And Ksyusha… that warm bundle nestled in your arms – it’s the whole world in your hands! I didn’t put her down for over two hours after giving birth, never leaving my sister’s side. It’s hard to recall a greater happiness: such shared, bright, joyful moments! We chatted non-stop, laughed, couldn’t take our eyes off Ksyusha, and couldn’t get enough of this happiness… Leaving the hospital (literally pulling myself away with sheer willpower and the understanding that my girls and I needed rest), we spent the ride home endlessly calling each other: “I love you so much! You did so well!” “And how much I love you! What would I do without you???”
P.S. It doesn’t matter whether it’s joint births or any other event – it only strengthens the understanding that you are not alone! There’s always a piece of you, a part of your life, a piece of yourself that is multiplied many times over! I can’t find the words to express that my sister is the most precious, most valuable thing I have in this world.