I got pregnant at 25, and was a “young” 25 year old at that, with all the cultural conditioning that childbirth was going to be a big, scary, painful thing. So, as my pregnancy continued, I was growing ever more ‘terrified’ about what labor was going to be for me, and if I was going to be able to handle it.
That’s when the universe provided me with the advice of a stranger, an older mother, who I met at Harbin Hot Springs while in the 8th month of my pregnancy, who I was able to converse with about these fears, and get some much needed wisdom around the issue. I remember her words, “Do not run from the pain, it will only get worse if you do..” What I was able to ascertain from this advice, was similar to a dance exercise I was familiar with: “Move WITH, in order to move through” and when I say, ‘with’ I mean move ‘with’ the emotions, ‘with’ the sensations, be ‘with’ the experience…knowing all along that change is inevitable, and “the surge, the wave” come down… Another thing I learned towards the end of my pregnancy was from my acupuncturist at the time, who taught me a famous midwife hymn, “I’m opening up in sweet surrender to the luminous love light of the one.” I used these lyrics to both comfort and help me focus throughout the labor.
The following blog was written by the lovely Britt Fohrman, (pictured above) who uses the perfect metaphor for labor, in my opinion , the ocean!
I just love this piece of writing so much, and wanted to share it with you, my sisters, who will be soon stepping into your own “baby moon waters.”
She writes:
“This morning I welcomed my baby’s birth month with an ocean plunge.
Getting into the chilly ocean has long been a favorite way for me to feel into my wild power, my capacity to meet what is hard, achy, unknown and totally out of my control.
Mother Ocean always reminds me of my ability to adapt. Once I’m in for a bit, it doesn’t seem that cold anymore, my body regulates and normalizes the temperature. I have often seen this to be true in birth. Once you get into the groove with your surges, you adapt to their intensity. This happens in each phase of labor. The sensations take on a rhythm and you dive into each of them with your breath. Ideally, we celebrate the power of the surges, like I celebrate the power of the ocean waves.
Each new level of intensity is often accompanied by a bolt of fear or hesitation. Sometimes I see a big wave and say “Oh sh!t, this one looks big!” but then I dive under it, welcome its power and it passes over me. No matter how big they are, the waves always eventually subside.
Your labor is temporary. The intensity is temporary. Whatever you feel is temporary. But the love lasts forever. As does the power you get to connect with through the process, if you choose to embrace it.
In cultures where initiatory processes are revered, it is believed that going through uncomfortable experiences is part of what helps us prepare for the next level of our life. When we meet a challenge, we come out on the other side elevated, humbled and full of resources that enrich our lives.”
For those that are interested, here is a link to Britt’s website, which includes a helpful free course called, “Preparing your vagina for birth”
https://www.brittfohrman.com/preparing-your-vagina-for-birth
