If you’re a first time preggy scared of labor, I’m the girl you want to talk to. Why? Because I remember both of my labor and deliveries so fondly. I will smile and laugh as I tell you the story. And make no mistake, I know it hurt. It hurt before I even got there! I know it was nine long months of morning sickness, aches, pains, and all sorts of pregnancy drama. But I will still smile and laugh. I count each of those days as the best days of my life. The whole shebang of it, even the labor. Really! I do!
I have always been one of those people that will tell you there’s something chemical that makes women forget how much pain they were in during labor. I like to cite that’s how we as a species continue on and have more babies. But would you believe a little googling for this article debunked that fake news?
What I did find however is something even more beautiful. For many women the reaction and thoughts to labor “are more likely to give rise to positive consequences related to coping, self-efficacy, and self-esteem.” (Source)
We remember labor fondly because of the positive outcome. Our sweet babe.
When I gave birth I realized the truth strength inside me. I had never felt so strong and powerful. Giving birth required me to fully believe in myself more than anyone else around me. I don’t take for granted the role my doctor, nurses, or husband had in assuring two healthy babies came safely into the world. But the buck stopped with me. And I knew it. I set the tone for the room, I asserted my needs on behalf of me and my child, and I kept my cool. It was the hardest thing I’d ever done, but I did it.
And isn’t that just the way all things motherhood go? The real truth of it is even deeper and more intricate than we could imagine. The pain, the struggle, the sacrifice is always there. But the good is so good, it makes it all better.
