“I’m not strong enough.”
“PFTT. Birth without medicine?? I could NEVER do that.”
“I don’t want to feel ANYTHING.”
“Girl, you’re crazy.”
“I have too much anxiety to give birth naturally.”
“I didn’t even know you could give birth outside of a hospital.”
Maybe you’ve heard one of these sentences. Maybe, you’ve said one of these sentences. Maybe, when you were ecstatic about sharing with someone your dreams for your labor, you were met with one of these sentences.
I, myself, have heard these being said, and way too often. We live in a society that wants to take away our strength, we know this is a plan of the enemy. In Joshua (1:9) He says “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” This includes birth! He gave us as women one of the most beautiful gifts He could give us. The ability to grow a baby in our uterus, and the strength, to give birth! Yes, even naturally. I added that “even”, but I shouldn’t have. God, the creator of this universe, the birds of the air, the animals in the sea and of the land, meticulously created our bodies. To be able to expand, withstand, build, and accommodate a baby human inside us. He created our bodies just so, giving us everything we need to be able to have that baby come out.
This might sound ridiculous, comparing humans to animals, but hear me out. If He cared so much about the animals that He gave them the same ability, and they do it without fear, and with strength, how much more so does He care about us when he painstakingly created us in His image? Animals don’t have that connection to Him like we do, we have the ability to call on Him in our time of need! In Isaiah(41:10) it says, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.”
Why is it that we are called crazy for doing what we are called to do? Why does the enemy want us to be drugged up, to not feel anything when our baby comes out? To feel hazy, not sure of exactly what’s going on around us when we are supposed to be connecting to our baby?
In the bible it says to be fruitful and multiply, that women are saved through childbirth. It also says that our first ministry, is to be our family. The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. What a better way to destroy our family units, if he can disconnect us, from the beginning? This brings about so many spiritual battles. How many of us have walked around since before we can remember with the feelings of rejection? Feeling unloved or alone? There are so many examples, and the enemy has the ability to bring these feelings into our lives, literally, the moment we are born.
In our last blog post, we talked about the importance of physical connection. Smelling your baby, breastfeeding. What is the first thing the hospital wants to do when your baby is born? Take them away and suction them, weigh them, inject them. Automatically that first important step is taken away from you. Your baby was used to your warm belly, feeling comforted and safe, constantly hearing and feeling you breathe, your heartbeat. All the sudden they are taken from you and so many foreign things are happening to them. If you’ve given in, you’re feeling hazy, not completely sure whats happening, and it would be harder for you to argue with them and tell them NOT to take your baby and subject them to all that. We know they don’t like parents that think for themselves, how much easier for them is it when half the problem is drugged up and the other is making sure their wife is okay? The enemy wants your children. The enemy wants to bring distractions, disconnections. The enemy wants to instill fear in you to get you to a place where he can have his way, start his plan, to steal, kill and destroy your family. You may feel like these are little things, but raindrops have long lasting ripple effects.
“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14
“Every good and perfect gift is from above” James 1:17
Babies are gifts, and the journey to birthing them should be a blessing. It doesn’t have to be stressful. It doesn’t have to give you anxiety, it was meant to bring joy!
Of course there will be points that are uncomfortable, painful even. In this world convenience is being driven into us. We are not considered human if we aren’t a little selfish! “WHATT?? You want ME to feel when my baby comes out??” “I don’t want to have the baby on Christmas so lets induce labor now” Everything is about making it better for us, and not caring about God’s plan for our lives.
There will be times of weakness, and that’s okay. There will be days where you are super stressed out. The Lord is here for you in those times. He knows. He knows what’s happening in the world right now. He knows the struggles you face. And here is His response “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” It isn’t supposed to lay all on our shoulders. We are not God, so of course we are weak. We can rejoice in our weakness, because of the power from God that comes in our times of need. His power and strength will always be better than any of our fleshly attempts to be strong.
Natural birth?? Oh yeah. I got this.
“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
Author of post,
Ashlynn Brown
Comments