5 Lessons on Beautiful Birthing

Every once in a while, as you're mindlessly scrolling through your Facebook news feed, a photo shows up that does more than just make you smile- it makes you stop and think and sticks with you long after you turn off the screen.

This picture had that affect on me, and it's timing was simply perfect.

The beaming mother, adoring father and  adorable new baby are all wonderful of course, but the process itself that got them there is beautiful as well . By beautiful, I don't mean easy or pain free or without serious effort. It doesn't even mean that it always seems natural or goes smoothly or exactly according to plans. 

I do mean that something fabulous happens inside of that hard work~ to the person directly responsible, to the people who support her, and to those who are called to witness it. 

As a Childbirth Educator for years, and former Breastfeeding Counselor and Doula, I've been surrounded by the process of birth for years, and because I've seen so much of it,  I think I tend to see the magic and beauty in the process of birth more than most people.

Sure, many people think the the squishy baby you get after the work is done is cute (as long as they are cleaned up and free of goo) but the process of getting that baby into the world is often treated like a horrible and terrifying ordeal. 

I wish people knew that it doesn't have to be that way. 

In fact, it's a lot like the rest of life.

Every story may be different, but some things are consistent, and unfortunately, they are consistently forgotten. Here are just a few lessons birth can teach us about life.

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