Whether you’ve been pregnant or not, you know that everyone likes to share their birthing horror stories with you. I’ve heard my fair share in the last 5.5 months and they’ve ranged from the horrific 30 hour labor full of screaming and cursing to having their baby in a Quality Mart parking lot (Hi Mary). Now they have a television show devoted to scaring the ever-living bejeezies out of you… super. Don’t they know I prefer to sit and veg out and watch How I Met your Mother?
Birth can be a scary thing… if you let it. I’ve had to be released from feeling as though other’s birth stories will be my birth story. God has always written His own story for me, why would my birthing story be any different? I have to be released from the fear that society puts on women and childbirth. I speak of freedom that Christ brings in our life, why should a scary chidlbirth be any different? I can experience freedom from that as well.
I have had some great encouragement from friends who have reminded me of Scripture, empowered me, and given me practical tips to battling this fear and doubt that inevitablely comes when thinking about labor.
-
My friend Michelle has covered me in prayer and referred a book to me that I’ll review this week, it has been such a breath of fresh air.
-
My friend Sarah shared her birth story with me, even though it was full of complications, she shared it with such adoration because it brought her sweet baby Wyatt into the world.
-
My friend Stacy, my birth guru/midwife expert (if we were having the baby close by, I’d force her to be my midwife) gave me some very good practical advice. I’m going to make a list of all of my fears on one side of a piece of paper. Then on the other side of the paper, write down the possible solutions to each of the fears. She told me to think of my ideal birth and then get everything in place that I could control.
If you’re struggling with any kind of fear, I pray for freedom in your life. No matter the fear, you can name the fears and then list the possible solutions! Peace to you friends.
