And hungry.
WHAT? Stay hungry? Yep... you heard me.
So one of the many hats I wear is that of a Midwife's apprentice. Being a homebirth helper I do all matter of things. We act as wiper... scooper... holder... wrapper... hander... pumper... deflater... comforter... cheerleader and rarely but sometimes... catcher. In this modern age, most mama's first concern when discussing labor is pain control. Our mamas though... they're doing this au natural. Pain is part of the game. When we talk to them about how to handle the pain we tell them to welcome the pain. Seems insane doesn't it? I know, I know but hear me out.
In labor... Pain is not dangerous. Pain is not unexpected. Pain will not kill you. Labor pain is the result of your body doing the work that it's supposed to do and every pain brings you that much closer to the end result. When a contraction comes, your uterus is literally pulling upwards to pull itself over the baby's head. Each time you feel this, imagine your cervix being pulled over the baby's head. It's a kind of creative visualization that actually works for some moms.
Other moms? Not so much but hey... we're keeping it real here right?
Hunger is the same way. Normal hunger is not dangerous. It is not unexpected. It will not kill you. You may kill someone else but that's a personal issue. ha ha. So embrace what hungry feels like. Study it. Realize that your stomach doesn't have to be full all the time. Give it time to rest.
We all hear and we've all said "but will it keep me full" when we're talking about meal plans but let me propose that maybe, just maybe.... we're looking at this all wrong. Was the food I ate an hour ago easily digestible? Did it nourish me? Am I hungry because my body is recognizing that I'm more active? These are all great things!! So welcome the hunger! Embrace it! You can also ask yourself "why am I so afraid of being hungry?" Someone told me once "every negative emotion is based in fear". Think about it... it's so true.
And while we're at it, here's a little tip that helps me a bunch!
Keep a stapler in your pantry. When you open a bag of chips? Take out what you're gonna eat and staple it closed. You're gonna think twice before you open it again!
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