Every Time a Child is Born So is a Mother

I am not a mother yet, but from what I have noticed by watching girlfriends of mine becoming mothers it is a double-edged journey. It seems to be one of the most expanding and joyful experiences possible and at the same time or rather because of that also one of the most stretching and challenging ones.

I have one girlfriend who allowed me to have a particularly close look at her personal journey for which I am very grateful. One of the things she let me into is her fear of the pain that comes with childbirth and how she dealt with it. Ever since knowing she would have a child she learned about how her body was meant and built to give birth, how nature and the natural workings of her body support the birthing process including hormones that not only help the mother to go through the pain but also to bond with the new baby. As some procedures normal when giving birth in a hospital meddle with these hormones my friend decided to give birth at a birthing center led by midwives who do many things in order to empower the woman to come through the birthing process more naturally. But beyond that every day she would focus and visualize the strength her body has and how she would bear her baby with ease and she prayed in great detail giving thanks for these blessings as if they had already happened. All of this helped her to trust her own body and she gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

Of course every woman can and should decide for herself how she wants to give birth and this anecdote is not to say her way is the only true way, not at all. But what I learned through this very practical example is how much power our mind holds, for good or bad. To create fear and stop us from doing things that seem infeasible to us or to connect us with our natural strengths and abilities guiding us beyond our wildest dreams of what’s possible for ourselves.

So while having children is a unique experience what unites us as women no matter if we have given birth or not is that great vigor that is innate in all of us to work and fight for what we see as needed and beneficial for our loved ones, ourselves or the world as a whole. And that motherly trait is exactly what society needs these days, in every day personal interactions as well as in world affairs. Mothers are the most obvious example of time and time again doing hard things for the benefit of others. Kudos to them, for without them none of us would be here!