Pregnancy can be a time of great wonderment and excitement. Some days fly by and you wonder how you will get it all done. Other days can't come to an end fast enough. Regardless of the way any particular day feels, each day brings with it a new thought, a new feeling, and new experiences. Are you keeping track of them?
Between prenatal appointments, on any given day, questions may arise. They come without warning and some days they come often and with fire. When you arrive at your next appointment you want to be ready to get your questions answered. Are you are you writing them down?
Over 4 million women give birth each year. Before giving birth, they each go into labor with some sort of plan; an idea, a concept, or a vision, of how they want their labor and birth to be. Do you have a vision for your pregnancy and birth? Have you made it plain?
I have spoken to many women about the feelings they have when their pregnancy has come to an end and they realize many of their experiences may fade into faint memories. They may have a few pictures, however, the depth of the emotions, and the small yet important details of the experiences, are often lost.
Many women have burning questions, yet they arrive to their next prenatal appointment only to realize they don't remember. Or they lack the confidence to ask the pertinent questions.
Many women have ideas about how they want their pregnancy and birth to go, yet they never make it plain and as the days pass by, and labor ensues, they often find themselves in a rapid whirlwind of activity with little resemblance of their original idea.
This is where pen and paper can come in handy. If you have not done so already, I encourage you to purchase a pregnancy journal; nothing fancy, a small note book that can easily fit in your purse or pocket. Take the advice of Pam England, author of Birthing From Within when she says: "Beware: Stay away from pretty journals! They might inhibit you form being spontaneous, messy, wild, and free." Regardless of the journal you decide to use, keep it with you at all times and be prepared to write. There are many benefits to writing down your ideas, your visions, your questions, and your experiences.
Don't be afraid to stop for a moment of reflection when a movement from the baby brings up a certain emotion. Don't hesitate to keep track of your feelings of joy as well as feeling of despair or fear. Write them all down as you do so, you will be able to work through them, ultimately moving to a place of faith and confidence.
Use your journal when you have a question or concern. Writing the question down and using your journal during your next prenatal appointment will give you more confidence to ask a question during what may seem to be a rushed appointment.
Write out the vision you have for your pregnancy and birth experience. How do you see yourself birthing your baby? Where will you birth? Who will be there? Paint a picture with words and make it plain. Draw an actual picture if you would like and make it real. As you read, as you grow, as you learn, your vision may change. Change it in your journal too.
Use your journal to embrace the different feelings, the different questions, the different visions that you have. In addition to that, reserve some time to write with careless abandonment. Write FREELY!! Don't worry about punctuation or grammar. Allow your free writing to guide you to places of faith, fear, excitement, and frustration. Through writing, you can move to a place of trust, in your body, in your pregnancy, in your baby, and in your birth. If you begin to keep track of your experiences and write them down you will be able to use the power of the pen and paper to successfully help you create the Empowered Pregnancy you deserve.
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