Transitions of any kind can be rough.
The first day of a vacation
The first day back from a vacation
Leaving one home and moving into another
The end of a time of meaningful work
Finding your way from diagnosis to treatment
Adjusting to a new leader
Potty training
After the honeymoon
Retiring from a lifelong career
The end of a relationship
Transitions are an in-between time. We are neither here nor there. We can’t go back, but we haven’t arrived at the next place. What has been is over, but what is to be hasn’t started yet.
I remember when my daughters were born, the most challenging time was during the transition phase. You can read about all the details if you are interested, but suffice it to say, it’s hard. You can’t start pushing, but that’s all you want to do. You decide you want to go home, but nobody will let you. The people around you are trying to encourage you, and it’s not working. These are the final moments of your pregnancy, but there’s still no baby. You’ve had it up to here, but apparently here has room for a little more.
A few things that can help a woman get through the transition:
Remember how far you’ve come.
Keep breathing.
Take it one contraction at a time.
Along with being the most challenging, this phase is also the shortest. This is a good thing to remember when in the midst of any transition, big or small.
And…
Remember how far you’ve come.
Keep breathing.
Take it one contraction at a time.
There’s new life ahead.
