Your “Inner Amazon”

I was in on a birth years ago when I heard “let your Inner Amazon” out!  A nurse was encouraging a birthing mother to give all of her strength into her final pushes before baby was born. The way this phrase landed was just enough to give the mom that “Wonder Woman” look of determination and focus that she needed, and to pull on the reserves of energy and strength left in her body.  Shortly after we were all exulting in the lusty wail of a newborn! 

Since that time, I have often used this image to encourage moms when the going is especially tough.  Those final pushes can feel like you’re squeezing toothpaste out of an almost-empty tube.  After many hours of labour it can seem like that.  One mom I know of kept saying to herself, “You’re gonna get HUGE”, in effect telling her cervix that it would be able to open to full dilation enough for the baby’s head to come out, the full ten centimeters.  And it did just that!

Meditation:

Though Wonder Woman is a fictitious character, God is not!  And he has given us the Bible where you can find many verses to pull on for inner sustenance and strength during labour.  I remember this particular one was especially encouraging to me when I was in labour with my own firstborn almost 40 years ago:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  (Philippians 4:13)

I had that and a few others packed in my hospital bag on cue cards and needed every one!

Doula Tip:

What images conjure up strength to you?  What phrases or verses give you encouragement and inner resolve?  Use these to your advantage before and during labour.  See yourself as opening, as becoming “HUGE” as my client did.  There are many websites that give lists of encouraging sayings for the mom-to-be and her birth team.  A helpful and trusted one to check out:  https://www.verywellfamily.com/things-to-say-to-a-laboring-woman-2759006