How Moving Is Like Birth Pt. 2
Active labor sneaks up on you. One moment you’re walking and talking during contractions, you maybe have to breathe through a few, but you may feel more than capable of continuing throughout your day…then in one swift moment, you are called to turn inward. You are called to focus. You are called to dig deep into real breath work, coping mechanisms, concentration, and intention. Just like that things feel so real you can almost imagine meeting your baby, but can’t help but remember the work, the journey, that’s ahead.
It snuck up on me. Yes, it was a conversation many times. Like how could I be surprised or even still grappling with the fact that our lives were about to change what felt like too quickly. Hadn’t I been an active participant in this entire operation? We came back from that trip in a very different mindset. During that trip we lost my husband’s father. I will leave the details out of this, but I can definitely say that this was a catalyst for my husband.
Next thing I know, we are putting offers on houses, the contractions are getting intense and i’m literally having to breathe through every single offer we place and just like birth, transition hits.
The mechanics of moving to a new state, in a city you’ve never visited, to a home you never have been inside all take individual steps. They’re like cogs in a machine that slowly work together and align and when things align…you know. It’s hard, it hurts, it’s uncomfortable but you know. The pressure builds up and you get the urge to push.
It’s funny- many women who have pushed through unmedicated birth will tell you that pushing feels good in a strange way. While it’s very intense, the contractions may space out a bit, giving you more time to breath and regroup in between getting ready for the next. This stage can you leave you feeling quite productive. You’ve gotten to a point where you are actively working with the contractions and kinesthetically contributing to the movement of labor. You have control over this point! After all that surrender and allowing things to happen, you’ve reached the point you’ve been waiting for and you start to feel a little excited. Our car left our driveway after the car shipment people came to pick it up to take it to our new home and I felt a sense of relief. Then the UPACK left…then we handed over our keys… then we were on the plane. We were pushing through. 5 hours later we were on the other side.
Moving is like birth. Newness is like birth. Creating a new life is like birth. We stumble, we hang on, we try to control and then realize, surrender is the best course of action and that the reward is almost always oh so sweet.
XO, Gi