10 Daily Meditations for New Mothers

Childbirth

I think of my children's birth -- carry them around with me every day of my life. -- Joyce Maynard

Not many days ago, you were carefully breathing, timing contractions, and pushing with every ounce of strength and stamina to complete the marathon of a lifetime: the birth of your baby.

Now that the baby's here, your attention is focused elsewhere. Time goes by in a blur of sleepless nights and endless changing, feeding, and burping. Your baby's birth fades into the background. It begins to seem like a remote dreamscape (or awful nightmare, depending on how things went).

It's impossible to hold on to your birth experience and commit it to a special place in your memory. The same courage you summoned during childbirth will serve you well as you meet the staggering challenges of motherhood. Take a moment now to recall how it felt to give birth to your child. Remember your pain, your joy, your triumph.

Affirmation: I'll always remember what it took to give birth to my child.

Reprinted from Reflections for New Mothers: 365 Daily Meditations, by arrangement with Simon & Schuster. Copyright 2002 by Ellen Sue Stern. All rights reserved.