Are You Asleep?

I was reading in 1 Thessalonians today and Paul's words jumped out to me.

v. 5 Ye are all children of the day; we are not children of the night nor darkness.

v. 6 Therefore, let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

You might wonder what verse 5 and 6 have to do with birth, but I can draw a connection.

I was talking with another mother about birth yesterday. She spoke of how wonderful it was for her and the wish that is was like that for everyone. She then asked, "Why aren't other women seeking a wonderful birth?" This made me pause for a moment. If you knew it could be incredible, would you settle for less than incredible? Personally, I don't think so. Therefore, I must assume women just don't know.

They must be sleeping. When you are asleep, you are not truly aware of what is happening around you. It is just your own personal dream world. So many of us are sleeping through this life. It takes a wake up call to help us realign our purposes and truly start living. Paul want us to wake up, stop sleeping and be children of the day. We are meant to revel in the light of truth, not darkness. We are children of the day and truth is what we are meant to seek. Don't you feel that within you? Don't you yearn for truth and light?

It is time for your wake up call! "let us not sleep as do others..." Stop living in complacency and take ownership and responsibility of your birth. Begin by educating yourself and asking some questions.

1. What is my wonderful birth plan? Go ahead and dream big!

2. Will my doctor support my birth plan?

3. Will my hospital support your birth plan?

4. Will my husband support my birth plan?

5. How much "pushing" for my birth plan do I want to do at birth?

6. What do I need to change to be able to have my best birth?

Think back to your wedding. Did you not care what happened that day or did you put months or years of planning into it to make it a perfect day and a great memory? The birth of a child is a special day as well. How much preparation are you putting into it? Are you letting the world around you decide what happens that day? Some people say, "It is birth. I can't control that." Not true! A choice as simple as your care provider or hospital could dictate whether you end in a c-section or not and a c-section birth will limit how many kids you have after that and how their birth will be. For example, if you go to a hospital that has a 45% c-section rate, you have a high chance of getting a c-section yourself regardless of what kind of birth you are planning. If you pick a care provider that has a 12% c-section rate, you risk of a c-section happening is very small. So, even the simple choice of your care provider can affect your birth and the other children you hope to some day have. I would not have 10 children today if my care provider had pushed a c-section for my second birth. His support for a good vaginal birth affected me and generations after me.

You also might say, "Just going along with all the decision made for me does not seem bad for other moms around me. They seem satisfied with their birth." Have you considered that accepting the routine care means you miss out on something sublime? Others around you could be "sleeping" and have missed the opportunity. You have been given the chance to awake and seek. Do it and don't delay! What are you seeking at your birth?

I personally believe that birth can be healing and amazing. We don't have to be afraid. It is a sacred event as sacred as marriage. We are bringing life into this world exactly as God designed us to. We feel that pull, that call to Motherhood. It does not come from the world, but comes from God. It is our divine destiny to have a partnership with God to bring his children here and give them bodies and raise them unto Him. What an amazing trust God gives in us and what an awesome chance to create life! I am humbled to be part of that cycle multiple times. Birth has transformed and changed me. I am grateful for that. I am also grateful that I was given a chance to awake and stand up for what I wanted at my birth. I could create a sacred birth experience for me. What that looks like for you might be totally different, but it is also possible. Birth can be blissful for you.

I challenge you to take Paul's words to heart. Read and ponder what he says and see what God wants of you in your life. How can you stop sleeping and be "children of the day"? It starts with simply pondering and then seeing where God directs you. I know that He speaks to His children as He has spoken to me many times. I feel called to hold space for the sacredness of birth and to remind others that they were meant for better things than the average care, but they have to be willing to awake and seek it. This is your wake up call. Awake! Seek for truth and what you need at your birth and God will provide!