Behind The Awkwardness: Memorial Day Special
May 30th, 2011
This Memorial Day, we remember some things and try to forget about others:
“So, I had just given birth to my first son at a local birthing center and there had been another couple that had given birth just before me there as well. The midwife told us that the couple in the other room wanted to come over to say congratulations and introduce us to their child as well. Little did I know that they would come into my room with no pants on. Even better, they both had NO UNDERWEAR ON. And from my vantage point, I could see everything. It was disturbingly awkward to say the least. I have no idea why my husband had his shirt off, but I assure you, he had his pants on. To this day I still have no idea why they were both naked from the waist down. Even more importantly, why was HE?”
(submitted by Jillian)
PLEASE tell me that is THEIR baby they are holding and not yours! :/ My husband would be getting THE look though when they entered the room knickerless! Let alone request to hold my baby! Weeeee irrrrrd!
No they were holding their baby. Ours was in between us. It’s hard to see but he is tucked in beneath that striped blanket. I don’t think we would have let stranger hold our first baby anyway. Plus, our baby was much smaller than theirs. I remember their baby being around 10 pounds and ours was a paltry 7. lol
Holy cow I about peed myself laughing when I saw this picture and read the caption. Freaking hilarious!! This is the funniest picture/situation I’ve come across yet on this site. Thank you so much for sharing your incredibly awkward photo and story with us, Jillian. And to heck with the doubters and those who question your decisions about your birthing practices. You made a beautiful choice that I wish more of us had the option to use. You need not defend yourself sweetie! And how on earth does one look THAT fabulous after popping a watermelon out of their who-hah anyway?! You’re amazing!
This picture is so funny!!
I have to say, the pants less woman looks really, really familiar. Is this in Iowa by any chance? I can’t tell if she looks like a former coworker or a lady from my Bradley class a few years ago.I guess the Bradley class would make sense, lol.
What year was it?
I think you look great, especially in such an odd situation!
Hi Lisa, the year was 1995 but by the glasses, attire and decor you could have guessed 1975 and been right. The birthing center was in Indiana. Thanks for the compliment. I was pretty exhausted. 42 hours of labor and then not 20 mins later, I got an eyeful from the neighbors. I don’t think I knew what to do other than just smile.
Ryan, btw, he was born in 1968.
Hi Jillian, thanks for the reply.
Late Nov, 1967 for my birthdate, seems that the resemblance is likely a coincidence but perhaps if your husband was willing to ask his mom/dad, perhaps there is something if however unlikely.
Sincerely,
Ryan
I will be happy to ask for sure. I don’t know if this will be a match but it can’t hurt to check. I’d be happy to email you privately but I am not sure how to exchange emails as I am not comfortable putting it up for all to see. Maybe AFP would be willing to exchange our emails for us privately?
Please email us at moderator(AT)awkwardfamilyphotos(DOT)com
Ryan,
I wish I could give you more information on your birth family unfortunately my husband is from Indiana and Iowa. Though his mother did live for some time in Minnesota when he was younger now that I think about it after she divorced his father. Is there more info I can help you with? Maybe there is a connection somewhere here.
Wow, your husband looks alot like I did back in the 90′s. (Am 44 now), any chance he has relatives from Minnesota?(I was adopted from Minnesota.)
OMG , your husband looks just like a younger me.(I am now 44), any chance he is from Minnesota? I was adopted so don’t know my birth family but the resemblance is uncanny.
Thank you SO much for sharing such a hysterical story and picture….my brother and I were looking at this last night and laughed so hard we both cried. Jillian, you look absolutely beautiful after such a long labor and remarkably gracious for having two half naked people standing at your bedside!
HAHAHAHAHAHA I love it. You and your husband still have that autopilot look from exhaustion and you would have smiled for a pic cuz someone told you to no matter who was in the picture. And I think its totally normal that your husband is not wearing his shirt I don’t think that’s the awkward part at all. But I agree, although I’m curious as to why they’re both bare, it doesn’t matter the awkward part is why are they meeting strangers that way. Birthing center or hospital either way you’re in a public place and should be wearing pants. I had a C-section and still very much wanted to wear the granniest panties and thickest sweat pants after birth. Hey, it could have been worse. Maybe they are totally “natural” and decided to put on shirts to be modest and polite when meeting strangers.
Oh Jillian, thank you for sharing. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time. My hubby spent some time with his shirt off (for skin to skin) but pants?!?! Even a water birth would warrant swimmers or underwear surely??? And why not both just slip some pants on for a visit that THEY planned?!?! It’s not like you dropped in on them and caught them half dressed?!?!? The mind boggles with possibilities!
This is what happens when you give birth at a “birthing center”. If she’d been in a hospital they wouldn’t have allowed half naked people to roam around in other people’s rooms. Damn hippies!!!
Amen Aimee. No matter what Jillian’s justification is here, it’s beyond bazaar.
It’s not like the couple in the bed are “normal” and the two with no underwear are “crazy”. This is weird, there’s not an explanation that can undo what the picture tells you.
Maybe it’s just me, but I would have to KNOW why my husband had his freaking shirt off and I doubt that any reason he COULD give me would make it all reasonable.
Allow me to enlighten you “California”. First, I am more than offended by your insinuation that I am not “normal” because I chose to birth my child at a birth center. For your information, I thought it might be a gentler way to bring my child into the world. To call me a hippie or to condone the use of that statement in another comment about my husband and myself is absolutely rude and judgmental. If I was to assume anything about you, I would assume that you were just a typical ignorant woman who doesn’t know how to make decisions for herself but rather let’s other choose for her. I would assume that you are extremely opinionated and don’t care much for anything than bologna on white bread with mayo. Try thinking outside the box for a change. You might see that there are a lot of “normal” people who don’t share the same views as you and yet are educated and well respected individuals within their community.
Second, I do know why my husband had his shirt off but I did not think it was necessary to go into details about why in my story. But if you must know, the midwife asked my husband to take off his shirt when our son was first born to give him kangaroo care. It’s when you have skin to skin contact with your child. They have found it works wonders at regulating a newborns temperature as well as establishing a good breathing pattern. Clearly you are not very well versed in child care or you would know these things. Since I had just given birth not 45 mins prior and my husband was the primary caregiver for our son as I was cleaning up, he clearly did not think about putting his shirt back on once I was able to get back in bed and hold our son. Also, as it was 1:00 in the morning and my labor had been over 42 hours long, we were both a bit too tired to care what other people would think if they saw him without his shirt on. I’m sure if he knew he was going to get so much absolute disgust over him being shirtless, he probably would have held up his middle finger in the picture for you instead.
Finally, I don’t need to make any explanations to you for you to understand why we chose to have our child the way we did. I would never judge someone else for their choice of birth method such as yourself. What you have failed to understand is that I have gone on to birth 3 more children. All in hospitals and all with epidurals. Is that “normal” enough for you?
I’m sorry that you could not find the humor and the awkwardness in this picture like I did as I’m sure you were too busy labeling everyone instead.
Thanks Jullian for posting this picture………….It made me laugh out loud. Great Birds Eye view you had eh? Happy Holidays
That was AWESOME!!
Jillian I have to say I was never able to give birth any other way but a hospital but always wanted too so glad you were able to! I had to smile at the thought of the other couple wandering the halls half dressed, but you find different people every where
Hope you had wonderful holidays!
Thanks Momofseven.
The best part of them coming into the room was that even the midwives and nurses thought this was weird. And they pretty much put up with anything. lol. Happy new year to you and a year filled with awkwardness. 
Oh yea all that is perfectly normal.
I think we all know it’s not normal. Hence why it is posted here on AFP.
The decor of the room is just awful!! And the woman standing matches the curtains!! Hilarious picture!!
It doesn’t look like the lady standing has given birth yet? The men look like relatives. The husband in the bed looks very pleased to be having his picture made with these “strangers”. Funny story, VERY funny picture, but I have to admit that I’m not sold on the authenticity of the story. Doesn’t make sense to me, but I still laugh at the pic.
I’m guessing you’ve never seen a woman after she’s just given birth, because our bellies don’t go back to pre-pregnancy size right away. It can take months, just so you know!
I have laughed for the last 10 minutes with tears coming out of my eyes. My husband thought I was in here hysterically crying! This is the best awkward photo ever!
Hahahaha oh my gosh this is by far the WEIRDEST picture I have ever seen in my entire life! The story is absolutely hilarious. Why the hell did HE have his pants off? Did they try to do it right after their kid was born?! So strange.
Kate, I was thinking the same thing. I think I have honestly laughed the last five minutes straight. The story takes the cake. You couldn’t make this one up!! LOLOLOL….. Everytime I read your comment about his pants being off and look back at the pic, I can’t stop laughing…Pure comedy
Honestly, I still laugh every. single. time. I read it as well. The truth is always funnier than fiction. Seriously though, I still don’t get why he came in without pants on. It just doesn’t compute. I should have asked when I had the chance but I was most likely in shock from a 42 hour labor and natural birth to do anything other than just smile and wave.
Poor little naked dude….his shirt is pretty short, and yet nothing’s hanging out the bottom (unless it was chilly in the room). LOL! Best photo & story I’ve seen yet on this site!
Probably nude from doing a water birth..
Nope. She birthed in a birthing chair. Nice try though.
Most women DO have a water birth in a birthing center…lots of husbands choose to go in the tub with the wife. They should have put clothes on to take a picture with strangers though
The comment you replied to was from the woman who submitted the photo, so she would know that the other woman used a birthing *chair*
Okay, okay, Im running out of keyboards to use here people. BRB i need to get some papertowels.
Who gives birth and then walks around without anything on? Ummm…that would be messy.
that’s exactly what I was thinking. I’ve given birth four times… not once did I get up soon after delivery and frolic without a LOT of cotton to .. er.. nevermind.
I wondered who took the photo and what they were thinking at the time?!! This is one hilarious pic…it’s funny enough with the 80′s glasses and hair…but, the story that goes with the bare bottoms is the best! I wonder how that child turned out????????…………….
Yes, who took this picture? Strange….