Spiritual Birth Prep: A Labyrinth Meditation

“The Lord is my Shepherd”

Psalm 23

“You are a God of surprises and mystery, 

and I don’t control the path.” -Jean Sonnenberg

When I was pregnant for the first time, I was exuberant.  I had seen my nephew’s birth and couldn’t wait for the experience for myself.  It may sound strange, but throughout my pregnancy, excitement was my prevailing emotion at the thought of labor and birth.  My nephew’s birth was so smooth and peaceful, it had reversed a lifetime of fear surrounding childbirth.  So when I was pregnant, I devoured all the positive, natural birth literature I could.  My husband and I took Bradley Method classes to prepare for a totally natural hospital birth.  I grew more and more confident in my body’s ability to give birth and in my studies of scripture, came to believe that the curse of Genesis–of pain in labor, had been removed by Christ’s sacrifice.  I thought, maybe God will bless me with a pain free birth…

But when I was about 37 weeks pregnant, coming into my due window, the Spirit impressed upon me that I should be prepared for suffering in birth–and not in a way that made me afraid, but solemn and curious.  The insight felt personal and tender.  I felt I had been given a hard, but precious gift.  It was a call to join in Christ’s suffering “for the joy set before me”--to enter into a profound sacrifice of love.  Before this, I had been naively hopeful that birth was going to go smooth as could be because I wasn’t giving in to fear and anxiety, I was healthy, and prepared for the challenge of labor.  –These are all great, but I was missing what I now know to be the most important part of birth preparation–the spiritual fortitude to surrender in the midst of challenge, in the midst of the unknown.  

I’m so grateful that I was led into a place of surrender, before labor that took a turn I had not at all prepared for.  My long, unmedicated labor, resolved in a C-section, after a prolonged pushing stage and fetal distress–(my baby was born healthy).  And while I did indeed grieve the sacrifice of the birth I had hoped for, I didn’t fall into the sadly common experience of feeling like a failure for it not going the way I had anticipated.  

As a doula, one of my goals is to help guide my clients to a place of both trust and surrender before giving birth.  Trust that their body was indeed designed to give birth, and surrender to the unique path set before them for their baby’s birth–which is always a mystery.

The labyrinth is a powerful symbol of this Divine mystery in birth.  In her book, “Birthing from Within,” Pam England introduced using the Labor-inth, as she playfully calls it, to spiritually prepare for the profound initiation of birth.  The symbol holds both uncertainty and promise.  The uncertainty lies in the twists and turns that sometimes seem to lead one closer to the goal, and in the next turn, farther away. But the promise lies in the singular path forward–in the truth that every step is a step closer to the birth of your baby and your own rebirth as a mother–no matter how it unfolds. 

Using a labyrinth as a prayer meditation tool is a beautiful way to prepare for birth.  At Labyrinthlocator.org you can find one in your area.  They are often found at churches or parks.  Pam England also has a book specifically called, “Labyrinth for Birth”  that teaches how to draw your own finger labyrinth. 

And you can also check out this video demonstration:

https://youtu.be/0Ug9diWb_fU?si=N1zcqyk6SiLUG3_V

I have led many of my clients in this exercise and love pointing out how the fist connecting line that is made after the “seed is drawn”, reveals the shape of a shepherd’s staff.  For me, the labyrinth symbol encompasses the truth of Psalm 23, that our Good Shepherd has a plan for our life through the beautiful and the through the difficult, and the same goes for birth. 

Whether embarking on a finger glide, or walking meditation, the participant begins by setting their heart and mind on God.  You may want to pray a prayer of dedication like, “I commit this birth to You,” or maybe, “I am afraid to give birth, but I know You hold all things in Your hands.”  When you are ready, you enter the labyrinth, proceeding slowly, moving along the unfamiliar path, not looking towards the destination, but being in the present moment.  When you arrive at the center, pause.  You might take some deep breaths.  When you are ready, proceed back out the way you came.  

The hard, spiritual work of birth is surrender.  Being in the present moment–taking labor one step at a time, one contraction at a time provides a woman the fortitude she needs to get through the challenge of birth.  And this goes for unexpected changes that arise as well.  Your spiritual intuition is invaluable in birth.  Open up and see where God is leading you. 

  Prayer for a Labyrinth Walk 

O God of many paths, I stand before this labyrinth today, 

metaphor of my journey to you. 

In the Western world I have been taught that 

`the shortest distance between two points 

is a straight line,’ 

and being an impatient person, 

I am uncomfortable with waiting. 

I have often modeled my journey to you 

on the straight line. 

But you, God of infinite patience, 

have shown me there is another path, 

a curved path. 

On this path, 

my anticipation is heightened as I approach the centre, 

only to be led out again to the periphery. 

But this path more closely resembles life itself. 

On this path, if I just put one foot in front of the other, 

it may seem at times as if I am not approaching my goal, 

while in fact, I am drawing closer all the time. 

But you are a God of surprises and mystery, 

and I don’t control the path. 

The labyrinth is a symbol of my surrender to mystery, trusting, 

not knowing for certain, 

that the path which curves in and out, again ultimately leads to the Centre, 

which is You.

By Jean Sonnenberg