Do You Fear Birth?

Imagine if from a young age, you were taught that you were strong, capable and powerful beyond measure….. What if you were taught that you were intelligently and divinely created and that this intelligence that made you from one cell to a trillion cells in 9 months was with you from the moment of conception until your very last breath of life? What if you KNEW without a shadow of a doubt, that this same power that is WITHIN you, intelligently controlling, coordinating and healing YOU, is the same power controlling and coordinating the animal kingdom, our solar system, the oceans, the moon and the stars? Isn’t that empowering to know?  ALL of life is intelligent. God doesn’t make mistakes. Nature is brilliant. YOU are a part of nature. YOU are intelligently designed. And so is birth. Do you worry if the sun is going to come up day after day? Or if the Earth will continue to revolve around the sun like it has for billions of years?  Why not?   Why should it be any different with birth?  I know, I know…easier said than done.  As I write this, I am reminded of the Serenity Prayer.  “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.”  Pregnancy is one of those times in life where we realize that a force much greater than our own is directing our life and as attached to the outcome as we may be, at the end of the day, we do what we can and surrender the rest. “The courage to change the things I can”….. This is where I hope to inspire and empower you over the next few blogs.  Beyond the things we cannot control, there are still many that we can in order to have a healthy, peaceful and confident pregnancy. There are three main aspects that we have dominion over and those are our mind, body and spirit. Today I will discuss the power of your mind and give you some strategies to help you overcome your fears around what should be the most sacred and empowering time of your life! The fears you have around pregnancy are NOT your own. They come from our culture, our mothers, fathers, teachers and preachers.  Everywhere you look, you’ll find it.  The medical profession treats birth as a disease, movies depicts birth with screaming, crying and scare tactics. It’s pervasive. Once you understand this simple truth, you can take back your power and discover what is really true for you.  I suggest choosing the beliefs and ultimate experience you want to have while pregnant.  What would you rather- going through pregnancy in fear, doubt, confusion, isolation OR in joy, trust, faith, gratitude and community?  You can have one or the other, but you can’t have both.  Your choice.  God gave us free will; let’s use it for the gift that it is. Here are some of the thoughts and beliefs that I chose during my two pregnancies: My body was designed to give birth. My body knows how to birth my baby. I can do this! I WILL do this! Thank you God for choosing ME as the mother of this baby. The same intelligence that runs and coordinates the planets is creating my child and coordinating my pregnancy. God in is control. Want to know one of the best ways to starve fear? Don’t feed it with incessant negative and worry thoughts.  Here’s how: when you feel it coming on, take a deep breath and acknowledge the thought. Let it move through you, reminding yourself that it’s only a thought.  Then, in the very next moment, practice gratitude. Find 5 things you are grateful for and either write them down in a journal or close your eyes, place a hand over your heart and say them aloud until you feel the fear wash away. Lastly, choose your friends wisely!  You become like the people you hang around the most.  If those people in your life are fear based and negative, take a little break from them while you are pregnant. Choose to be around other women who inspire you, support you and make you laugh. Relax and enjoy this time in your life, don’t wish it away or let fear ruin it.  You are more powerful than you know.  Not only do you deserve a beautiful, peaceful and loving pregnancy, your baby does too! Stay tuned for parts ll and lll, where we will look into ways to prepare your body and spirit on this amazing journey to becoming a mother!