In today’s post we include excerpts from Delivery, by Emanuela Barasch Rubinstein, that centre on Daphne the new mother.
In the first excerpt, Daphne reflects on holding the newborn baby:
“I hold him, breathing in the scent, such a pleasant, milky fragrance, flesh without the slightest trace of sweat or dirt. I caress his cheek anxiously, my finger looks huge next to the tiny cheek, it seems that one careless move might hurt my son. Yes, this is my son. I am a mother and I have a son. I keep repeating these words, closing my eyes, stifling laughter that may burst out any moment into a roar of pure happiness.”
Excerpt 2: Daphne’s reflection on the emotional effect of giving birth:
“I discovered that the torment generated a new, unfamiliar fragility. Every contraction tearing my body created a new kind of meekness, every exploding vein produced self- doubt—I found that pain truly makes you see yourself, demonstrating your frailty, leaving you feeble, distrusting yourself. The night after the delivery, when the suffering was fresh and the wound still bleeding, I cried in bed, overwhelmed by my physical weakness, my failure to hold back, the marks torture left even when pain itself had subsided, and for the first time in my life I saw myself in all my weakness. I always thought I was an optimistic person, willing to make any effort to overcome obstacles. But after the birth I realized pain could break me down in an instant: one contraction, the body is torn, and all that is left are cries of pain and nothing else. Postpartum depression? No, a different person after giving birth.”
Excerpt 3:Daphne on being a mother:
“Only Tomer makes me sigh with relief. When he crawls away from me as fast as he can and then looks back at me as if caught in mischief, staring at me smiling, when he bursts into laughter, I feel that the ancient musical instrument within me finally makes a new, pleasant sound, and not a dreary old one.”
You can read about Emanuela on our Authors Page.
Delivery, published by Holland House Books earlier this month, is available to order direct from Holland House books
Waterstones, Hive, Wordery, & Amazon.
