Christian Childbirth Skills
Do many of the comfort measures suggested on websites and in books seem pagan to you? They suggest you use “new age” techniques that seem to border on idol worship or paganism. Yet at the same time you find yourself wanting to try, since they seem to work. It can leave you in a difficult situation, wondering what labor techniques are successful and won’t offend your Christian beliefs.
What is wrong with these procedures is not so much the action as it is the heart. God has designed this universe in such a way that the things we do affect other things. However, we are to remember that the worship goes to the creator, not the creation. Along the same lines, we need to keep in mind that these techniques are only tools that can be used. Just like any tool, they can be used to glorify God or to glorify sinfulness. As an example, meditation is a tool for gaining wisdom and understanding. The Bible even instructs us to meditate on God’s word. Meditation is simply focusing your thoughts. Taking the thoughts to the level of visualization is a natural extension of the meditation. However, when you use meditation and visualizations to dwell on lustful or greedy thoughts then you have taken a tool intended to build wisdom and used it to sin. It is not the act of using these tools that is sin. It is the using your tools in a way that dishonors God that is sin.
Let us then turn our attention to the main categories of techniques that can be used in labor, and explore ways these techniques can be used in a way that is honoring to God.
Before you can be effective at practicing a birthing skill, it is important to understand why you should master them. The easy answer to that question is we use comfort measures because they work. Although every technique is not helpful at every labor, overall the comfort measures taught by childbirth educators do keep laboring more comfortable than not using them.
In the two Biblical examples of God providing comfort to Hagar (Genesis 21) and Elijah (1 Kings 19) we see that comforting a person involves both meeting the physical needs of the individual and encouraging the individual. So from a Biblical perspective comforting someone is about more than keeping them physically content. The comfort techniques used should encourage the laboring mother, keep her reminded of the strength and love of God.
There are many examples of physical comfort measures in the Coaches Notebook on the Birthing Naturally website. In this section, we will focus on a few techniques that will accomplish the encouraging part of the comfort.
Related Topics:Prepare your physical body for childbirth with exercise and nutrition. The Christian Childbirth Resource Directory lists websites, books and organizations all created to help you honor God through childbirth. Read devotions written specifically for new and expectant mothers. Birthing Naturally Books publishes books to help you grow closer to God during this special time of life. Learn more about the options available to you during childbirth and how to write your Birth Plan. |
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