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At the end of first stage labor, as the mother's body is preparing to push, is a time called transition. Transition is a crazy time when mom feels emotionally volatile and vulnerable at the same time. (This is the part of labor they most often portray on TV.) During this time, having someone on whom you can rely and trust is extremely important. There is also another lesson that comes out of transition. I remember while I was in transition with my first son the midwife checked my dilation. She announced that I was “only three centimeters dilated.” I was crushed! I concluded that I had a long way to go and didn't think I could handle it at the current intensity. I promptly “gave up.” I later realized that I had experienced a Natural Alignment Plateau, a common feature of labor in which dilation seems to stall, then rapidly progresses later after other things are ready. Not all mothers experience a Natural Alignment Plateau, but all surrender during transition. There comes a time when every laboring woman says, “I can't do this anymore.” Only then can the soon-to-be mother move on to pushing. Only by acknowledging that she can't do it alone can a woman take her place as the nurturer of another human being. The lessons here are: 'Only after surrender does the reward come' and 'Everyone needs help (from God) to do what we need to do.' Why
do parents go through all the hardships for their
children? Love. Blind, unconditional, fully accepting
Love. I believe that God (or whatever Higher Being
you believe in) created this loving response in
parents towards our children to teach us what
Love is. It is hard to Love everyone the way we
should unless we have learned what Love really
is, either through having children or some other
experience. Love is the ultimate motivator and
the only true reason for living.
Women
are the nurturers. We do our best to ensure the
health and sanity of our children, and thus influence
the condition of the world. This is a great responsibility.
Fortunately, the birth process itself is designed
to teach us lessons we need to care for people
well. All we need to do is learn how to let it
progress as God intended.
Melinda
Delisle-Clark is a Bradley Method Natural Childbirth
Educator. |