Perhaps I'm crazy, but for the second time I chose not to have any pain relief on board for the delivery.
It was hard. It felt horribly painful. But I am so grateful I did it.
There is no right way to have a baby- and no matter how they come in the world, they're always a blessing.
What I can tell you about this process is that it has always been hard for us to get pregnant. Because of that- I didn’t want to miss even a shred of what pregnancy and delivery had to teach me.
Our bodies are absolute miracles. Too much of the time, our heads get in the way because of our fear of pain. In fact, our society has taught us all too well to avoid pain at all costs. I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that at least some of the time, I was afraid and whimpering about the pain.
However, in this particular scenario, it was easier to see the pain through a lens of love.
By trusting that love was coming through my pain, I could endure it.
After the delivery I was asked by the nurses on many occasions what my pain level was like. I was even apologized to that my pain was still a 6 out of 10 at one point. It seems their job is to keep me as comfortable as possible- which is nice. But I've learned that pain is a wonderful teacher and guide.
“Pain nourishes courage. You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you.” – Mary Tyler Moore
Pain tells me when to stop.
Pain tells me when to breathe. Really breathe.
Pain exists to help me step into courage so that I can let my body do the wonderful things it is capable of.
There is so much of life we cannot control. Pain is often the thing that helps remind me to trust love wins and release my fears and hesitations to God.
In the end, I nearly always find relief and comfort.
Being an athlete was one of the best things I could have done for myself when I was young. It taught me such valuable lessons about leaning into the pain and experience the truth that I could push beyond discomfort to a greater joy of perseverance.
My encouragement to you today is to listen to your pain. To lean into it rather than push it away. Then reach out to me and let me know what your pain is teaching you. I would love to hear about it!
By the way, I am taking this summer to listen to A Course In Miracles as a way of staying present during breastfeeding time. I encourage you find your own inspiration to stay present…I’d love to hear what you are reading or listening to as well!
Healthy Blessings,
Nicole
The gift of pain