Pregnancy is a Teacher

by TruLiving Birth Center

You are looking at a positive pregnancy test and trying to wrap your mind around this new and wonderful information. You share the news with family and friends, who give loving, but sometimes opposing advice. You turn to the internet and social media, and things can feel either overly simplified or overly complicated. How is something this natural so potentially confusing?

Pregnancy can be a time of deep learning, not only about the physical process of gestation and birth, but about yourself, your values, and your relationships with yourself and others. From the very practical to the deeply personal, your pregnancy is an amazing teacher.

First confirming your pregnancy can be a joyous and exciting moment. It can also feel like being strapped into an amusement park ride as it pulls away from the platform and realizing that you are in for the ride, whatever it becomes. You may go through a range of emotions: joy, fear, resistance, wonder, excitement, numbness, ambivalence, denial, happiness and overwhelm; all normal feelings. Your life is about to change.

It is important, in early pregnancy, for soon-to-be parents to seek out community at this time. You need a care community, which may consist of a midwife or doctor, nutritionist, perinatal fitness instructor, doula, and childbirth educator. And you may need a new social support community like a parenting group, a spiritual community, or new friends, or you can reconnect to old friends with children. Choose both virtual and real-life connections to support you during this sensitive time.

Early pregnancy often includes discomforts you may have heard about: soreness, food aversions, vomiting and/or nausea, or fatigue. Each of these is a teacher as well. These messages from your body may be telling you to prioritize self-care, recommit to healthy living, and make sure you are getting deep rest. As a parent, both during pregnancy and the first years of parenting, you will be navigating the sharing of your body, your space, and your time, and learning to accept the reality of a new way of living with your expanded family, responsibilities, and priorities. 

Later pregnancy may include late night trips to the bathroom, slowing down your work schedule, or a need for special care like chiropractic and massage. These lessons from your body may be preparing you for late night feedings, sleeping when you can, leaning into the schedule set by baby and making it work, or prioritizing yourself when necessary, so you can continue the important work of nurturing your newborn.

Congratulations on your pregnancy! Whether this is your first, or another addition to your family, I hope you seek out useful information and support. Take classes, read, get to know other parents, join a support group, or try something new. Learn about the many decisions you are asked to make, look at all sides of the topic, and find what resonates with you. You are the perfect parent for your baby.

Nicole Wocelka is a mother, midwife, and herbalist from New Richmond, Wisconsin. She is one of the providers at TruLiving Birth Center in Menomonie, Wisconsin. You can learn more about midwifery services at the birth center at www.trulvingbirthcenter.com or by emailing info@trulvingbirthcenter.com and you can reach Nicole directly at www.hasewinkle.com