Birth is the bridge that takes you to the other side. It is not the other side itself, but it connects the two. Birth is the space between the spiritual and physical planes. In it you are literally suspended between two worlds, calling your baby's soul to you.
I see the bridge connecting the unconscious and spirit to the manifestation of the physical. How that crossing goes affects our perceptions as we reach the other side. Did we feel supported and safe so that as we step off we can take in all the wonder that is around us? Was it terrifying and we got through to the other end stunned and stuck in the past unable to move forward confidently? Were we able to appreciate the wonder of the crossing? Or were we just able to put one foot in front of the other? Or were we clinging to the rail in fear refusing to move forward?
Parents don't cross this bridge alone - the process of laboring and birthing. The baby is crossing, too. Baby is also having an experience bridging two worlds. This is baby's first crossing - how it goes leaves a big impression on the new soul. What type of world is it? Does baby feel love, support, and acceptance on the crossing? Is baby allowed to go at his own pace? Or is she rushed? Told her timing is too slow or too fast - simply not right according to someone else's timeline. Baby's job is to cross the bridge - to be born. Baby can do this. Does baby feel the victory of self-navigation, or is this unwittingly stolen from the new soul?
You and your baby navigate this suspended space. You cross together. This requires trust. It requires patience. It requires you to be fully present. Take a moment to appreciate the steps, the view, and the experience you have between two worlds.
Birth is the bridge that takes you and your baby to the other side. It is not the other side itself, but it connects the two. Birth is the space between the spiritual and physical planes. In it you are literally suspended between two worlds, calling your baby's soul to you.