Ever since I can remember, I’ve loved babies. They’re super cute, tiny, sweet, etc. I’ve also always wanted one or two, but as a kid, when I started hearing about what it took to “get” them out into the world, I promptly considered that, when I grew up, adoption would be the only way to go. I mean, get in my shoes. I saw it as my way out! 🙂 I mean, who likes pain and suffering?? Plus, for anyone with as low a pain threshold as I naturally have, you can imagine why I thought the way I did.

No shame in my game either. That was my plan and I was sticking to it. Adoption, adoption, adoption. Now, my mum has always had a knack for storytelling. No, seriously. You’d be gripped if she were just telling you of her “adventures” while running errands for the day. Now, compound that talent with the horrors of sharing her own childbirth stories with us. She’d talk about the moaning, groaning, pushing, near death experiences, I mean, you name it. Made me wonder why she had any of us at all! And then she’d always end with: “oh, but it’s so worth it.” No ma’am. Not from what I’m hearing.

I got older and moved around the world a lot more. I discovered with time that a wonderful thing known as an epidural would help with the bringing-a-child-into-the-world process. Yay! Yea, let’s do that! When it’s time, of course. Hmm. Well folks, my joy was short-lived. When I arrived at the age when my friends were getting engaged and married, I started hearing, from those who’d had kids, of how not completely wonderful an epidural was.

• First of all, I was told you’d have to begin the labor process and only when one was at a certain stage was an epidural administered. Ummm. No.
• Secondly, the size of the needle was demonstrated to me. Ummm, no again.
• Thirdly, they told me how a woman would have to both bend her back AND stay still while the doc inserted said needle up her spine! This while lady is still experiencing contractions? Umm, no. Times three.
• And then, I was told of the potential consequences of mama bear not sitting still.

Guys, I was beginning to see this option as less and less of a saving grace. What rubbish. Why can’t good news just remain good news? To top it off, I was told by not one, three, or even five women, of the backaches they’ve suffered for years as a result of this “easier” childbirth experience. Not looking good, my friends, not looking good.

By the time I got married, I knew I was getting closer and closer to the inevitable. Ha, I was definitely still very happy to be married, don’t get me wrong! 🙂 My point is that I now had to more seriously consider what options lay before me. First, I wasn’t at all interested in a childless union. Then, I also discovered that, although I wasn’t against adoption, I had a strong desire within me to carry and bear my own offspring. In all, I was experiencing new sides to womanhood because, honestly, some of these realizations were totally new to me.

I started to weigh the pros and cons of using an epidural and do you know, I began to think I may just have to wing it and try the natural birthing way. Yes, I said “wing it”. Was I crazy? Mayhaps. In perfect timing, a friend of mine recommended a book called Supernatural Childbirth by Jackie Mize. At first I paid no attention to it, so it’s not like I rushed out and ordered it. But, when I actually had just fallen pregnant (right, because you can just fall into pregnancy as into a hole? lol), my wonderful hubby remembered the book so we decided to get it. Man, was I blown away by it. I couldn’t put it down! Here was a woman talking about something I’d only imagined as a child. Having your baby not naturally, but supernaturally without pain! Did you catch those last two words?? And she wasn’t talking about parables and fairy tales, but had had three of her children completely and entirely painlessly. I wanted that! Ohhh goodness, that was so my solution.

I listened to her CD every single day and it did wonders to build up my faith. I read through the book, marveling especially at the testimonies of the everyday women like me who, upon reading her book, stood on the promises of God’s Word and also believed for their supernatural experiences. And got them! I figured that if they could, why not me?

I’ll have to write on the part 2 of this in my next installment. And you will need supernatural patience as you await it, I imagine. 🙂

Hang tight!

©2017, WriTEswAY