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This past week I was fortunate to be with my daughter and son-in-law for the birth of their first child.
They had decided to have a home birth using a midwife to have a more meaningful experience. I’m so proud and pleased they went that route and that I was able to be there with them.
As I watched my daughter go through over 24 hours of labour, I am sure she had second thoughts as the labour and pain intensified, with the last 2 hours being the most excruciating.
“The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed.” – Chinese Proverb
When the midwife said, “you’ve got this Stacey” and kept coaching her through the pain, I saw how much she wanted this home birth experience. She never gave up.
And she succeeded!
She pushed ‘through the pain’ and delivered a beautiful baby girl, with her husband, parents, midwives and three dogs looking on!
I was so proud of her determination and courage to give birth at home, without all the means to make it easier that are provided by the hospital environment.
When you think about it, life is all about ‘pushing through the pain’ to get what you really want.
I am reminded by what the midwife said just before the birth – “The pain will be gone once you push the baby out.”
She was so right.
“The pain that you’ve been feeling, can’t compare to the joy that’s coming.” – Romans 8:18
But too often we want to take the easy way out.
Many people think they do not have to go through any pain to be successful. They give up as soon as pain begins, as soon as it becomes too difficult for them.
Whether it is the pain of rejection, the pain of failure, the pain of frustration, the pain of early mornings and long nights, the pain of aching muscles, the pain of excruciating practices, or the pain of criticism, they don’t fight through it and they give up.
They forget that the pain will be gone once they get to where they want to be.
“At the end of pain is success.” – Eric Thomas, Author, Minister and Motivational Speaker
Like my daughter, you have to fight through the pain. Even the midwife said that my daughter’s past success in running marathons, was exactly why she did so well – because of her mindset to push through the pain.
In the end, it is definitely worth it! Just ask my daughter.
“It’s better to feel uncomfortable pushing for better than feel uncomfortable settling for less.” – Simon Sinek
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