How does God want us to give birth?
As Christians, we have the opportunity to give birth very differently to how society and the world perceive birth. For thousands of years, women who have been looking to God, have been able to experience births that are easier and faster than expected. In the Old Testament, when Pharaoh asks the Egyptian midwives why they didn't kill the male babies of the Hebrew women, they answered “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.” (Exodus 1:19).
Jesus also gave us extremely powerful tools that can help us in childbirth. He set an example of how we can deal with pain, fear, and anything else that is not of God. When he rebuked fever it left (Luke 4:39), when he rebuked demons they were driven out (Luke 4:41). He also gave that power to us "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." Luke 10:19. If that is the case, when we engage with that authority, childbirth should not harm us.
During our son's birth, a number of things seemed to be going wrong. When we got to the midwife led unit it was full (which apparently 'never happens'), so we had to go to a cold labour ward full of electrical equipment and machines. We were then given a midwife who seemed to be doing everything she could to make labour more difficult for me. She kept standing right in my face and saying "it's so hard isn't it" and saying that I would need drugs to make it easier (when I had asked not to be offered them). Then there were ketones in my urine, so I had to be hooked up to a drip making it harder to walk around. Then I had to be hooked up to a heart rate monitor so I literally couldn't move. It was becoming a nightmare and I kept wondering why God and Jesus didn't seem to be helping me. At breaking point, I asked my husband to call my parents and pray with them about whether I could have drugs, and it came to them very clearly that I didn't need drugs and that I could do it!
If 'I could do it' then why had all these things been going wrong? I started searching for answers and suddenly, it became very clear to me - I had been under spiritual attack and the enemy had been doing everything he could to break me. I realised that God and Jesus had been with me, helping me the whole time, but I hadn't been engaging with the power that they have given to all of us if we simply remember to use it! I immediately started rebuking Satan, rebuking fear, and rebuking pain, in Jesus' name! Miraculously, from that second everything turned around. The pain I had been feeling turned to strength. Despair turned to power. Amazingly that horrible midwife's shift ended and our next midwife was so much more encouraging and helpful. I'd been told they wouldn't check me for another four hours because I was only 6cm dilated, but I suddenly started feeling a very strong urge to push. I told the midwife to check me again and she said she could see our baby's head! Once I started pushing our beautiful (9lb 8oz!) son was born within about 12 minutes, with no drugs, and no gas and air. God is great!
Why Christian Hypnobirthing works. Yes the breathing exercises can help you feel more relaxed and calm, and therefore your contractions can feel easier. Yes the encouraging scriptures can help you feel empowered and to know that our Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit are with you. Yes the positive affirmations can help you remember that God has designed you perfectly for birth and help you feel more connected to Him and your baby. But ultimately, Christian Hypnobirthing works because GOD IS REAL, and it is simply a tool to help you engage with Him. By engaging with our Heavenly Father, and the power that He has given to us, birth can be a truly miraculous and spiritually empowered experience.
We pray that God will bless you and your baby, keeping you both safe throughout your pregnancy and birth. As always, please feel free to get in touch if you have prayer requests by emailing info@christianhypnobirthing.com or you can also join our Christian Mothers Group on Facebook.
God bless!
Tara
Founder of Christian Hypnobirthing