Dear Birth Goddess,
So here I am, still buzzing with nervous energy after a TV interview, even though it was on my favourite subject and I have talked about empowering women for birth and celebrating motherhood so many times before in different settings. Yet somehow this felt different.
Before the lights and camera started and I was put in the hot seat like a rabbit under the spotlight, I asked the host how many takes we were doing. He turned to me and said without hesitation and with a wicked gleam in his eye, “Only one!” To which I replied with a (nervous) laugh, “No pressure there…..so we need to be perfect the first time!”
Eeeeek! My mouth was suddenly dry, even though I had just drunk a full glass of water while waiting. So with nervous anticipation, doing my best to look calm and composed like I do this every day, under the pressure of 3 cameras looking at me from different angles, a microphone down my dress (that was awkward!) and bright lights in my face, I gave it my best shot. Afterwards it was all a bit of a blur. Who knows what I even said? The only thing I remembered afterwards is what I had forgotten to say. (lol) But of course I only had one shot to get it right and there were no second takes. Such is life but fingers crossed I still got my message across.
Performance pressure and TV nerves at their best. (or is it worst? LOL) You decide!~ if you are curious you can watch the TV interview here.
What has all of this got to do with giving birth? Good question!….It got me thinking afterwards that nothing performs well under pressure. Not even plants are told “you must bloom NOW” and nobody stands over a sheep telling them how long they have got left until they call in the doc or take certain measures (ie interventions) Yet that happens to birthing mothers every single day. Like rabbits under the spotlight they are made to perform under bright lights, amongst complete strangers with time limits to get the ‘job’ done – or else….
Is there any wonder why things don’t always run smoothly with ease in this kind of forced, public and hurried environment and why so much medical intervention is ‘needed’ to get the ‘job’ done. In this case, a very normal and natural one of bringing a beautiful baby into the world. In fact when nerves and anxiety gets in the way, it often has the opposite effect and slows things right down……
Have you ever considered that nature is in no hurry. It operates in it’s own good timing as all good things do.
So let’s honour that ~ after all we are part of nature ~ and make sure we get that same opportunity.
Did you feel watched / timed / pressured to perform in childbirth? I would love to hear your story. Tell me here or leave a note below
Or if you are fortunate enough to be a first timer in motherhood, then I am super excited you are here and urge you to research what you can do NOW to make sure you birth in your own good timing ~ not on the clock or under pressure to perform.
Let’s make it a beautiful and gentle experience the FIRST time round….
Then check out our very insightful evidence based article ( As first seen in Empowering Birth Magazine) on this very topic, Time to Throw Out the Clock?
Yours in unhurried, gentle birthing,
Katrina Zaslavsky
Birth Goddess: A Positive Birth Revolution
