God-centered birth

Having given birth half a dozen times now, I have some different experiences to pull from. And, this time as the birth approached I again found myself wanting to be as prepared as possible to manage labor.


I practiced relaxing.

I read and reread Husband Coached Childbirth.

I discussed expectations and scenarios with my doctor, and my husband.

I dreaded the unknown, and feared the known. I knew it would be painful, but I also knew I could do it. But, not in my own strength.


Through all these preparations it became clear that I had left out an important element in prior labors. I forgot to spend much time focusing on the Creator of Life. I knew He had created my body to accomplish this, and I reveled in the marvel of the natural process of birth, knowing He had enabled me to participate in this.


This time, I set out to intentionally rely and focus on God and His strength to support me through this labor.


Here's how I accomplished that, and maybe some of these ideas will help someone else have a God-centered birth.


Preparation -- First, I went through the Psalms and other Scripture passages that brought me comfort. I made a HUGE list. This offered me hope and strength throughout pregnancy as well as in expectancy for the birth. Here are just a few:

• Isaiah 12:2, "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation."
• 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."
• Psalm 3:3-5, "But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. 4 To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. 5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me."
• Psalm 46:1,2, "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea"
• Psalm 125:1,2, "Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.

And that's just some of them. I came up with about 40 passages that fed me when I felt faint.


Record -- Then we took some of these and my kids read them as my husband recorded them. So my children were speaking Scripture into my thoughts. As I heard God's promises, I was also reminded of His past blessings in and through the lives of our other children. You could also have friends or other family members record verses for you, and in this way bring a host of support along with you while you labor.


Worship -- In addition to the Scripture recordings I also chose some special songs that spoke to me powerfully and reminded me of God's presence with me. My friend Leah that blogs at Cheerio Days first got me thinking along these lines and I have her to thank for some of these music suggestions. I'm sure you can come up with your own, but some songs I found fitting for this time include:

• I Will Rise -- Chris Tomlin
• I Will Lift my Eyes -- Bebo Norman
• How He Loves ; Only You-- David Crowder Band
• Sometimes by Step -- Rich Mullins
• Above All
• Every Time I Breathe -- Big Daddy Weave
• You are My King (amazing love)
• Your Grace is Sufficient -- Shane and Shane
• The Greatness of our God -- One Sonic Society

Practice -- If you manage to get this done before labor {wink}, this can be a great tool to prepare yourself. Record it all on your MP3 player or on a CD, and take some time to relax and focus on God's goodness each day.


Focus -- I cannot tell you what a blessing and reassurance it was to have this tool to keep my thoughts focused on the One who has more strength than I can ever need. The One with peace that passes understanding.



I have to admit that in the final minutes when the doctor was telling me not to push (yeah, right . . .) my resolve crumbled and I shifted my focus to the immediate rather than the Eternal, but for most of the time these preparations and recordings carried me through another amazing birth experience. It really did work for me.