Pain of Childbirth

In our forbears’ time, epidurals (medication for pain relief) were unheard of. 

Our mothers delivered their babies the natural way. My mother would advise would-be moms,  “Choose to give birth the natural way. It’s a beautiful experience.” She had no other words to describe it, but “beautiful experience” remained in my mind. 

For my first childbirth, I ignored my mom’s advice because I was too anxious. My obstetrician (OB) found it necessary to give me epidurals. 

My second pregnancy, however, was a different story. It was extremely delicate and pain-filled. On my 6th month, my OB advised hospital confinement to save the baby. But after two weeks, I went into labor and the pain worsened. In the delivery room, my OB was apologetic. “I can’t give you any medication to lessen the pain. To save your baby, we want him breathing normally.” 

Immediately after I birthed my son, the pain miraculously disappeared and all I could feel was peace, as though my squirming-in-pain self was gone forever. My mother was right all along, it was like basking in grace, a beautiful experience. 

Jesus used childbirth to describe physical pain—and the joy that follows it. 

Before he went to the cross, He told His disciples about a time of great pain and sorrow, “You will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy.” (John 16:21-22 NLT

 

After pain comes joy. That is the essence of earthly pain and the heavenly joy that comes with life everlasting.