So, why do we have to wait on babies?  I recently heard a dad say that he thought women should have a pop up timer that tells when the baby is done, like a turkey!  Wouldn't that be great? Why did God plan it with the unknown waiting period?  Well, we know it should be around 38 to 42 weeks of gestation, with the average being just over 40 weeks.  That sounds pretty specific, until you are the one who is waiting!  My next client was "DUE" yesterday, but still no baby.  She is miserable.  She is physically, mentally and emotionally ready to have her baby.  But, evidently, baby is not ready yet, so we wait.

Why the wait?  I really believe that women need to get to the point where they are completely willing to do the work of labor because they want the baby out of their body.  Sometimes that is because of being uncomfortable.  Face it, nothing is easy to do when you are 40 weeks pregnant.  Other times it is because she is emotionally done with being pregnant.  Sometime she just wants desperately in her heart to see and hold her new little miracle.  I call this the "miserable stage" and I rarely work with a woman who doesn't get there!

What do I suggest in the meantime?  Well, I encourage women to enjoy caring for their babies in utero, because it is easier than it will be soon.  I also suggest that they enjoy the time to themselves that they have now.  If it is a first baby, they may be used to long baths, reading time alone or dates with their partners.  This is soon to change.  If they already have children, I encourage them to do things that will be harder to do with a baby; go to the pool, go to the museum, etc.  I also remind them that their youngest child will never have the baby status again, so baby them with a little cuddling.  These final days go very slowly, but soon they will disappear like a mist.

So we wait...wait for the baby to be ready, to secrete his hormones that tell the body to contract.  We wait for the perfect day, the day that God ordained before he was even conceived.  We learn patience...

Blessings,
Julie