It’s the month of April and quite a few of my dear friends are due for their delivery. I’m aware of the anxiety and concern that these friends of mine would be facing amidst the pandemic called Covid-19. Oh, Lord, give these sisters of mine Your grace. ( By the way part 02 is my first article as it remains fresh in my mind. Part 01 will follow later).
Two to three days prior the date of my delivery (normal delivery and natural labour pains) Why do I have to mention this – not to boast about my strength in going through it as I have witnessed a few do who think that each one gets the same intensity of pain. No, it’s not true every labor pain is different. Every child birth is unique then how can I compare mine to the experience of another and mock them when others scream or panic while I would have remained in the most peaceful state during the delivery. No, this thing wouldn’t be pleasing to God.
I was walking around our apartment all by myself and talking to God –
: Father – give me an easy delivery and the Voice within me said – “ It’s not upto you to decide, your Father knows the best for you. “ Oh! Father let Your will be done!!
Taking another round
: Father – let it be a normal delivery and the Holy Spirit reminded me yet again – “He knows the best and I relented
: Father – Please let me get natural labour pains and the Voice continued……
“Oh Father” I cried , “You know the best, even if a C section You know the best. You will provide all our needs. I’m a woman who works with my hands and if that’s the best for me, You will give me the grace”…….and peace that passeth all understanding flooded my soul.
Two days later, I did get the natural pains and to my surprise and contrary to what I had been told, natural labour or an induced labour ( which was in the case of our first child) both the pains were alike – ‘unbearable’ !!
Genesis 3:16
I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in pain you will bring forth children…
It’s the Word of God and it’s true !!
I went into active labour by 11 PM on the 2nd of March and the doctor came in by 7 A.M in the morning, ruptured my membrane and with much pain yes I say – ( I struggled so much during the pushing that 90% of my strength had gone), Theodore Judah came into the world by 7:58 A.M
Today, all of this is just an experience, a past, all pains are forgotten – Praise God for His faithfulness. Three weeks post-delivery, Mummy had to leave for Guwahati to join Papa and this was a day before all the domestic flights were being cancelled. We cancelled our travel plans ( to stay in Guwahati for a month or so to take rest post-delivery ) scheduled on the 28th and sent Mummy alone on the 23rd.
So now, we were all by ourselves. Humanly speaking a woman requires atleast 6 weeks to recover from postpartum and three months to be able to get back to her normal life and here we were three weeks post-delivery left to take care of Oliver and the New – born without any physical help. Yet, God never tests us beyond our ability and He has been giving us all the supernatural strength and providence to do all that is required to care for the baby and manage the house.
Three meals a day plus snacks on most of the days, sweep & swab and all that is required to care for a toddler and a new born .. Phew !! God You are an amazing God and I know it’s Your strength alone that has enabled me /us to go on.
This phase has also helped my husband and I to grow in maturity as we have freedom to be who we are. It’s nice to have a pair of hands to help post-delivery – ‘stayed 3 months post-delivery with my in laws for Oliver’ and ‘3 weeks with Mummy for Theodore’, yet if I am to choose – no man can understand you and give you the physical and emotional help that your partner could give you at a time like this when you need a shoulder to rest and weep owing to the drastic change that we go through during pregnancy and post-delivery and especially when you have a believing husband. Yet, for many sisters whose circumstances aren’t as is mine I believe they have their choices to make – we are all different in the pattern of our chromosomes and temperament and that’s why our preferences and desires differ. The best part having my husband around is he helps me and shares in the responsibility as a husband and more importantly as a Dad!! He gets to care for Oliver and Theodore and gets to see and handle the weaker side of me which would mostly be masked or suppressed in the presence of a person apart from us. And yes, this makes our marriage strong !! Three years already – Praise God !!
Today I don’t feel like an individual anymore. I am a wife and a mother – these identities cannot be rubbed off my calling as a child of God. I am embalmed by the calling of motherhood that I can no longer think of myself as an individual. I cannot separate this part of me from myself for my day begins and ends with it. No, I am not having a remorse about it yet I am praising God that He thinks it best to make me who I am in Christ today..!
Many areas of my life needs to be pruned and cultivated, this I know for sure and I need to always remind myself that I am no longer an individual yet in the presence of God I am as is Christ Jesus!! This is my hope and I press on!! Being a wife and mother makes me who I am today !!