Raggamuslims’ Weblog

Al Hamra

As we approach the final weeks of pregnancy, the excitement is mounting!  We can’t help but realize that we are about to experience something very special, amazing, and beautiful.  Not just the birth but the life of parenting and having a family that follows.  Having little people that are connected to you, that you are responsible for and that you love beyond belief….it’s chilling.  Urbndervish and I love children so much and we’re excited to meet and discover the little beings that will surround us in the years to come.  What will they look like, what will they be like, what good will they learn from us and what will they teach us.  As he reminds, this is going to be yet another new adventure for us and that’s so true!  This whole process is unlike what we’ve experienced prior to know.

With every wriggle and squiggle, I keep falling madly in love with our little one.  Already my love for her seems so powerful.  She’s not even here yet and I’m already doing so much and willing to do so much more for her well-being, her safety, her peace of mind.  I’m beginning to feel fearless about birth.  They say that you should visualize your birth to prepare.  In my visualizing, I go from the start of labor straight to delivery.  What happens in between lacks detail in my mind.  I’ve read and thought alot about what to do when labor starts, laboring positions, etc. but at this point I’m thinking “bring it on”.  Whatever is required for the safe and healthy delivery of our child is what I’m willing to do.  I’m not daunted by the difficulty of the process but rather in awe of it, knowing that it must be met with incredible strength that I am not void of.

As some of you may know, we’re preparing for a natural birth in a private hospital.  Couldn’t get around the hospital part but we’ve found a OB-GYN that we feel good about, so knowing who plans to be present to deliver our baby is assuring.  The general practice here in Oman is that the midwife on duty at the time of your arrival to the government hospitals will be the one to deliver your baby and the doctor on duty will only be called if your progress is slow or if you encounter any complications.  Generally, pain medication or epidurals are not offered but are given upon request.  C-sections are only performed when necessary. 

Up to this point, we’ve read our baby books time and time again, walked consistently, did our pregnancy yoga and birth prep dvds, but now it seems like the best preparation is that of the soul.  What awaits us is largely unknown to us, despite the best of what we hope for and intend.  At this point, we’re prepared to embrace the birth as it comes.  I know that the possibility of obtaining what you intend exists but the opposite exists too.  I know some staunch natural birth proponents who had to have C-sections in the end and I know of women who ate fast food on a daily basis, with little to no birth prep having short, relatively easy natural deliveries.  I don’t believe that a person has any less strength, belief, or faith when what they desire doesn’t manifest.  Nor does one have any more strength, belief, or faith when they obtain exactly what they desire.  The Islamic concept of success is that your will is in accordance with the Divine Will and the secret to obtaining this is to embrace, be pleased with, and desire the Divine Will at all times and circumstances.  This is the success I hope for.  The All-Knowing knows best what I’ve hoped and prayed for.  I’ve begged in the night for so many of my dreams to come true; some have and some I patiently wait for.  I’ve come to recognize the Divine Wisdom in the manifestation of what I desired and didn’t desire.  All in all, I am content with my Lord and pray that my Lord will be content with me.  What more can I ask for?  I have good opinion of my Lord and what will happen.  We are optimistic and enthusiastic for what’s to come. 

Al Jabal Al Akhdar