In her memoir "The Next Day," Melinda French Gates reflects on her complex experiences of marriage, motherhood, and divorce from Bill Gates. She shares the story of her first pregnancy, specifically the labor and delivery of her daughter Jennifer in 1996. Melinda describes how her husband went to work during the beginning of her labor—a choice she made with him to manage their time efficiently. Embracing the solitude, Melinda spent hours alone in the hospital reading and preparing mentally for the delivery, finding peace in the quiet before her daughter’s arrival after a 14-hour labor.
"Before you roll your eyes, keep in mind that there really wasn't anything for him to do yet… I wandered the halls of the hospital, feeling cheerfully alone."
"The labor process can take a long time, especially for first-time deliveries, and I decided to embrace the solo part of my experience as a moment of peace before the chaos.","
"I was in active labor for over 14 hours, but I initially enjoyed the solitude and took the time to gather my thoughts before the big event."
"It was a compromise; he would go to work while I stayed at the hospital until I really needed him, which is what I thought was best at the time."
Collection
[
|
...
]