Life dawns every minute of every hour of every day. You see it in fields, forests and shorelines, and in barns and bassinets.
You hear the cheep of a chick, whine of a puppy, cry of an infant.
You hold the awe and wonder in your heart, absorb the incredulous enormity of its unveiling, inhale the peace new life engenders.
With Oh Baby 2011, the Bermuda Sun celebrates the human birth, children born in 2010 to proud local and resident parents.
The babies’ pictures unfold in multiple pages, many of their faces traced in wide-eyed smiles.
Some are sleepy, some alert, others simply concerned at the intrusion. But each child charms with its own aura of promise.
Look at them. They’re black and white, European, Caribbean and Asian. They’re tiny or chubby, natural or posed. They’re delights to be held and cuddled, protected and loved. They’re the next generation. We introduce the photos with a series of articles intended to offer help, support and information.
Maternity portraiture of the pregnant woman and her partner, for example, provides a thoughtful alternative to the couple that wishes for something different with which to remember this phase of their lives. Pre-natal yoga is topical and designed to make the birthing process easier.
Gifts for the new mother suggests a means by which husbands can express their gratitude to the mother of their child. Family members and friends can also use these ideas to thank her for the life she has given their world.
Guidelines for expectant parents are a KEMH Maternity Team contribution to help the pregnant couple prepare for labour and delivery.
The La Leche League look at breastfeeding is an Oh Baby perennial. It discusses the reasons some women may not choose to nurse, early day challenges and how to overcome them, working while breastfeeding and the father’s role. It offers help where help is needed.
The first year of motherhood is featured in an article made personal by the experience of childbirth and lessons learned in early rearing.
A story on ‘Project Newborn’ relates not to the human animal, but to a marine mammal as part of the oceanic life cycle. Here, the sacred is also felt in a new dolphin pup’s whistles and clicks.
As you read these pages and browse through the pictures, consider the birth of the spirit and rebirth of the sunrise, surging of the tide and dust motes in sunlight at which the new infant will quickly learn to marvel.