What if I cant?
At a recent prenatal meeting, a first time mama shared her doubts about her ability to have an unmedicated birth. For this mama, she wondered if pain tolerance mattered. It’s what many people think matters most when they’re talking to us about wanting an unmedicated birth. “My pain tolerance is high,” they often say. Yet, they still have doubts & fears.
You've been there, right? Maybe not when it comes to birth, but you've doubted yourself and your ability at some point. I do all the time. You wonder if you're strong enough. You question if you can endure. Fear creeps in. Other’s opinions of the situation create doubt in your mind.
Our answer to her was that most of the time, what makes an unmedicated birth a possibility for you is whether you believe in yourself and your body’s ability. Do you trust that your body knows how to birth a baby, that God uniquely designed it to not only grow and sustain a baby but to give birth as well? Do you trust your providers and your birth team? Can you get to a place mentally that will enable you to push through challenges? Sure, there are going to be things that come up that are out of your control, in pregnancy, birth, motherhood, and in life that you can’t believe your way out of. But, that belief can help you make decisions if things do come up. And more often than not, our mind and lack of belief is the only thing in our way.
Our convo with this mama got me thinking about how I, myself have had doubts about my ability to do so many things as well. Everytime I think about trying something new, like writing this blog, quitting my teaching job & pursuing my doula career, running a half marathon, trying a new food, I have a choice to push past the resistance, to trust in the path I feel God is leading me, or to let fear hold me back.
You have that choice too. Your ability to achieve something is not determined by your physical strength. It's not your intelligence. It's what you perceive is possible. Plus, a little preparation can help too ;)
Remember that when you start to doubt. You can do anything you put your mind to! Does that mean it's always easy? No, of course not. But is it possible? HECK YES!
