Our New Baby’s Birth Story Part 1

I wrote this in the early hours of Friday morning. Since then we have welcomed our new blessing into our home. I want to tell the story as it happened, so I have chosen to put this post up first. I’ll try and get the rest of the story written up as soon as I have the brain space….

It’s the middle of the night, that time when thoughts and worries can run away with us. What’s keeping me up tonight?

For the past six days my body has been trying to go into labour. I’ve been having frequent, fairly painful contractions, but no real shift towards established labour. Yesterday it was confirmed that my hindwaters had gone, but still no progress. Today we are waiting. If I don’t go into active labour by this afternoon, I will be encouraged to go into hospital to be induced.

I’ve never been induced before, so this would be a step into the unknown. It feels as though God is stretching my faith, my experience and my trust in him.

I have a huge heart for mothers whose births don’t go as planned and struggle with trauma related to that. I would love, in the future, to support these mums, perhaps as a birth doula? Maybe I will be better equipped to serve them if I walked a day in their shoes?

It’s what God does best, he takes the problems we have and turns them for good. ‘And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.’ Romans 8:28.

When writing this blog post a story came to mind, I don’t know if I’ve shared it before, but it soothed my heart and I trust it will speak to others too.

Many years ago Phil climbed Kilimanjaro. The night of his final ascent began. With head torches lighting the path ahead of them they scrambled towards the summit, on and on, step by precarious step, with no knowledge of what was to their left or to their right. With precision timing, that only their experienced sherpa could have planned, they reached the top as dawn broke. The view was indeed breathtaking, but there was one part of Phil’s retelling that really stuck with me. As he looked behind him at the path he had navigated in the dark he could see ice and dangerous precipices on either side. If he had known of these dangers he may have been afraid, maybe turned back or frozen in fear? Thankfully all he had was the light on the path just ahead of him, enough to take just one more step and trust that his sherpa knew the best path to take.

It’s all any of us really need, just enough light to take one more step. I’m so grateful to God that only he sees the bigger picture, as I’m sure it would terrify me. When we follow God, even in the darkness, we can be sure that we will not stumble, for his light will guide us, for he is the ultimate sherpa.

Today we are looking to him for guidance. We don’t know what’s best, but God does and we trust that he will go before us and show us the best path to take.

I pray that today God will guide us and bring us peace as we step out and trust in him. I pray that God will be glorified through this birth and that we will have a good outcome. Part 2 to follow….

Sending blessings to you all, Vicki