Friday 19 July 2013

The anticipation of birth

There is an interesting occurrence when there is a baby coming. First there is the confirmation that you are actually pregnant. Then there is the anxiousness associated with getting to the "3 month" mark. After that you feel like "ok this pregnancy is going to stick",  and then there is a bit of a lull in the action. The excitement of telling people that you are expecting may be starting to wear off. Your clothing doesn't really fit you and your are in that between stage of feeling like you are fat and then realizing " right I am pregnant".
You spend your time getting ready for something that no one can ever really be ready for, being a parent. Assuming that everything during the pregnancy goes well, there is the waiting for labour to start. You get little twinges in the third trimester that make you think that maybe this is it, should I cancel lunch with friends? Should I  go out to the mall to get that last item for the hospital bag? Will my water break while I am in the car or worse yet in the mall? Everything is mounting to an a life changing event. Most couples put a lot of their thoughts and energies into planning for the birth and sometimes forget what happens after. YOU ARE A PARENT!! And then the fun starts. Eat, sleep, cry becomes both the parents and babies routine for a while. You anticipate when they are going to wake up? when will I get an nap?or when will my partner come home so I can get some support?. All if these thoughts and feelings add up to a bunch of what ifs, that some of the time we have no control over the outcome, but wish that we did.
If we take a step back and breathe for a moment.... Go ahead I will wait..... I hope that there can be some clarity brought to all birthing situations. Take a minute to oxygenate that brain and realize what is going on, what action needs to be taken to get the desired result and move forward. Birth is all about the end result but the journey to get there is as important as the outcome, so take time to experience the journey.