The World’s Pregnancy Pains

The world feels nine months pregnant right now. Large, restless, and uncomfortable in our skin. We are feeling impatient to start labor in order to deliver something new. The desire to birth a change that can be celebrated.

In this moment, there’s the pregnant pause. We are waiting for the stirrings of next steps in delivery. Together, we are waiting to see what the rest of 2020 will bring. And just like pregnancy, the spectrum of emotions and experiences we’ve had during COVID have challenged us both physically and emotionally.

We’re pregnant! We get the news of COVID in March and start working on ourselves, pursuing good health. We get outside. We eat better. We take inventory of what we want to change for the best pregnancy experience we can have. In April we start to feel itchy and restless. The glow is gone and we are wishing we could go back to the way things were. Through May we realize nothing will be the same. Our bodies have transformed and so have our minds. We are adapting the best we can to the rapid changes in our life, desperately trying to feel prepared for what’s to come. June and July bring more discomfort and moodiness. We recognize this pregnancy is life changing. There is no going back. And here we are in August, our desired due date, listening intently for the promising signs of a meaningful shift. We find ourselves past the point when we anticipated things would improve and yet there are no labor pains to be found.

Just like new parents, we wonder how we are going to handle things. Will we be patient? Loving? Will we be overwhelmed? We don’t yet have all the answers during COVID but for families that have experienced a pregnancy, this high anxiety state is familiar. Asking ourselves, will everyone be healthy? Will we be strong?

Let’s revisit some tips for the waiting game:

· (Air) or breathing to take in oxygen and slow our stress-elevated heart rate.

· (Earth) and movement to get both blood and creative juices flowing. Stretching and walking can reduce stress while grounding us to the earth.

· (Water) for hydration. It reduces fight or flight reactions by activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Water tells the body it’s okay to resume digestion and regain calmer functioning.

· (Fire) as positive thinking, such as gratitude practice or positive affirmations. Can we visualize positive outcomes? Can we play through the desired scenario in our mind, strengthening it with all five senses?

Perhaps these tips sound familiar. They apply beyond a pandemic or pregnancy. We need all four elements to move from surviving to thriving during this waiting period. As a world, we are working hard to birth something new. Labor and delivery haven’t quite arrived and we have a ways to go. Therefore, we can choose to spend our time adapting, growing, and preparing for this life-changing pregnancy to come to conclusion. Hopefully, one day, we’ll get to celebrate it with family and friends, marveling at the gifts birthed by the discomfort in it all.