How Birth is Like Camping...

Preparing for childbirth can be a daunting task.  It's a bit like planning a camping trip, when you've never been camping before.   Once you decide that you are indeed going camping,  you're all in.  You spend months thinking about summer and the beautiful time you'll have camping (or so people say...you've never actually been camping,  so you'll take their word for it).  You and your partner research the best places to go camping in your area.  You talk to your friends who have camped before. You find out their favorite places and you ask why they like it. You make a mental note to do more research on that particular spot. 

You need to know what type of equipment you'll need for your rookie camping trip, so you sojourn to REI and look at all the tents, sleeping bags, cook stoves, lanterns, air mattresses (yes, there will be an air mattress on your camp out!) You learn the difference between RV camping, car camping and backpacking.  You log into Pinterest for camping recipes and tips. You glean all kinds of camping hacks: from turning a jug of water into a lantern with just a headlamp, to how to cook paella over an open flame.  Your mind is swimming with all this new information.   As the date of your inaugural camping trip approaches, you begin to gather up your supplies.  You get out the  map, and you lay everything out in the living room to see what else you may need.  You are ready to go! 

Or are you?  Over the last few months of preparing for this trip, you start to feel like something is missing.  You realize how much information is out there about camping . . . and you have read most of it!  Your mind feels prepared.  And heck, even your physical body feels prepared, thanks to the early morning walks and afternoon "pre-camping" yoga classes you've taken.  But something  is still missing, and you can't quite put your finger on it. Suddenly you realize that you are embarking on a completely unfamiliar journey, and even though you have done all this research and preparation, you really have NO IDEA what to expect.  There are a lot of unknowns: the weather? the wildlife? do you have enough food? enough water?  But more importantly, you start to wonder how this camping trip will affect you on a deeper level.   What kind of preparation do you need to do to emotionally prepare for the unknown? Are you ready for the leaky tent? The unbelievably gorgeous sunset?  The feeling of being so small, while seeing the universe expand above you?  How will you cope with getting lost along the way?  Or realizing that you left behind your morning coffee?  How will you hold the immense gratitude you feel following a challenging hike?  These are the real questions of camping.   These are the things that matter.

The thing about camping is. . . it's not about having the right tent, or the perfect sleeping bag, or the most flavorful food.  It's about the journey.  It's about getting rained on and having to make-do by playing cards in your tent.  It's about taking a "wrong" turn only to discover the most beautiful little lake not marked on any map. It's about the time spent together, finding your way through. It's about eating scabby hotdogs off a stick, and getting dirty, and pooping in the woods, and getting scratched up by the brush on a hike, and loosing track of time, and setting up a tent in the rain (which makes you really appreciate said tent!).  While there is a lot of preparation that goes into camping, once you're out the door and on your way, are you willing to let go and see what happens? Are you confident in your ability to meet the challenges that come your way with flexibility and resilience? Are you willing to leave your judgement of the "perfect" camping trip at home?  Are you open to finding  joy in the cold and pouring rain? Are you willing to be surprised?  Are you willing to be changed? 

 As you prepare for camping... er, I mean,birth... are you ready to answer some of those unspoken questions you have? Are you ready to meet this birth with all that you have?  If so, call me.  I can help you.  I will gently guide you through  your preparation and finding out what you need to know to give birth.  I will support you  on this unfamiliar trip by providing emotional and physical comfort during your labor.  I will be there throughout, to answer your questions, or to wipe tears from our eyes, to rejoice on a job well done.  You will not be alone. The journey you must take is yours, but I can help you along the way.  Schedule a 20 min. consultation, and we'll get started!

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