Birth doesn't happen to you, it happens for you
There's a moment when everything shifts, when you realize birth isn't happening to you, it's happening for you. One spark is all you need.
There will be a moment in your birth journey when everything shifts. It could happen during those early itty-bitty contractions, in the depths of messy labor, or even in the quiet months of preparation before showtime. It's when you realize that birth isn't something happening to you, it's something happening for you, it's something you're actively creating through instinct, through your body's inherent life-creating and life-nuturing wisdom.
This realization often starts small. Maybe it's reading a birth story or watching the next hot birth video on TikTok that makes you think, "I could do this." Perhaps it's feeling the flutters of your growing little bean or the stronger roundhouse kicks of your chunky-legged quarterback. Or maybe it's when the magnitude of your powerful reality starts to set in, when a stirring develops in your spirit of just how deep the connection between you and your baby is, how holy and sacred it is. Or it could be as simple as taking a deep breath during your next contraction and feeling your body respond with surprising strength.
That tiny spark of self-belief, that whisper of "maybe I am powerful enough for this", is all you need to begin. You don't need to feel supremely confident from day one. You don't need to have all the answers or feel ready to climb and conquer every mountain that rises up before you. The beautiful truth about your inner strength is that it grows from the smallest spark and the smallest beginnings.
✚ Babe, The Book: A Radical Story of Homebirth & Hope - 13 Pounds of Courage, The Unassisted Birth That Defied All Odds
✚ Babe, The Guide: A Roadmap to Your Birth Freedom
Your body already contains everything it needs to nurture that spark. Every breath deepens your trust. Every contraction reminds you how your body works when it's relaxed and not interrupted. Every moment of surrender shows you just how capable you truly are. Your power doesn't come from outside sources or external validation; it rises from deep within your spirit, within your ancestral bloodlines, and builds momentum every time you follow your heart.
During labor, this inner fire becomes your guide. When you start feeling the doubts creep in or the ring of fire burning out of control, you can return to that original spark - the first moment you believed you have what it takes to birth your way. When the intensity climbs, when it peaks to the point of exhaustion, you can draw upon the strength you've been harvesting, breath by breath, contraction by contraction.
The most remarkable thing about discovering your inner Powerhouse is realizing it was always there. You didn't create it through preparation or positive thinking alone. You simply learned to see what was already there. Your body has been designed for this superhuman display of primal power, carrying within it not just the ability to grow and nurture new life, but the natural, inborn strength to safely bring your little miracle earthside.
Some days, your confidence will feel like a roaring flame ready to scorch and dominate everything in its path. Other days, it might seem like faint glowing embers that chase each other as they exit the atmosphere with a gentle sigh. Both are perfect. Both are enough. The key is trusting that even the smallest flicker contains the potential for incredible strength when you need it most.
As you prepare for your birth, homebirth or not, remember that you don't need perfect faith or unwavering confidence to be successful. You just need that one small spark, the belief that your body knows how to do this, that you are stronger than you realize, and that this journey, however it unfolds, is yours to experience with unyielding power and relentless grace.
One spark is enough. It has always been enough. And from it, your defiant strength will grow and create forest fires of change within you and the world you create around you.
✚ Babe, The Book: A Radical Story of Homebirth & Hope - 13 Pounds of Courage, The Unassisted Birth That Defied All Odds
✚ Babe, The Guide: A Roadmap to Your Birth Freedom
