This is a letter I sent today to a friend whose baby is due next week. I wanted to save it to remind myself of these things, and hopefully it will encourage others as well.

Dear —

Sorry I missed you last week! Had I seen you, I would have given you a big hug and let you know that I am praying for you as you get to the end of your pregnancy.

No matter how many babies I have given birth to, I know that each pregnancy and birth will be different. I tend to fluctuate between “I can’t wait to get this over with” and having apprehensions about labor… and, even about the recovery and the responsibilities of caring for another little baby. I’m praying for you as I’m sure you may be having these mixed feelings, too! I hope that you’ll give me a call if you need encouragement or extra help at any time.

I know you are trying for a natural birth – and I really hope that you are able to do this! I will be praying that the birth goes well, and that the experience of relying on your husband will bring you closer as a couple and to the Lord as you trust in Him together.

Whether you are able to have a natural birth, or, if in the end you decide that you need pain meds during labor, what is most important to remember is that your trust is in the Lord. It is not in hospitals, doctors and midwives, medicines, birthing methods, husbands, birth plans or even in ourselves. It’s easy to get psyched about all of these things, and yet diminish in our minds who is ultimately in control.

I want to encourage you to meditate on this while in labor – “God is in control”. Your strength comes from the Lord, and it’s okay to ask Him for more! It’s okay to ask for grace and mercy – to speed things up, and to keep you and the baby safe. Sometimes during birth, it’s hard to put thoughts in coherent form, even though your heart is dwelling on them. How sweet it is to hear the whisper of a husband’s prayer in his wife’s ear during labor, for her and the baby, asking for endurance, protection and strength! Such a prayer is even more refreshing than the important, motivating words like, “You’re doing great!” “Can’t wait to meet our new baby!” “Every contraction brings you closer to delivery.. hang in there!”

As you get closer to labor, please remember that just as you prepare your home and your body for a new baby, to also prepare your heart. As my mother-in-law says, “If you squeeze a ketchup bottle, ketchup will come out.” It’s just another way of saying, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matthew 12:34) When in labor, it’s very easy to say things we don’t mean. I wanted to be very careful, after regretting a few choice phrases in past labors, with the words I said during Micah’s labor. It helped me to look up verses about strength, trusting in God, the blessing of children, etc., so that I could dwell on them during the hardest parts of labor. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14) I prayed all throughout labor for baby Micah, “This baby is yours, Lord. Please help me to raise him in a way that brings glory and honor to you.” It’s hard to believe while not going through it at this moment, but I remember that the pain was much more bearable than previous labors, because I was focusing on the Lord and praying so fervently.

1 Timothy 2:15 is another verse that is helpful to think about in preparation for labor. One blogger wrote some thoughts regarding this passage that she had gleaned from reading a book called “The Lord of Birth” by Jennifer Vanderlaan: “This passage give women not a punishment, but a HOPE. It is not saying that through the process of childbirth that a woman will somehow earn her salvation, but rather that is she will “continue in faith, love, and sanctity with self-restraint,” that she will be, in a way, restored to what childbirth was intended to be – not a painful agony, but a blessing.” For some reason, I had minimized the second part of this verse. It’s hard to have faith, love, sanctity and self-restraint during labor! Only by God’s grace can we have these things.

I will continue to pray for you, dear friend, and I hope that you will remind me of all of these things as I prepare for the birth of our new baby in September.

With much love,
Sarah Joy Albrecht

This post also appears at www.sarahjoyalbrecht.com