A motherhood blessing

This poem was written by Marcella Capasso, Darin Epperson, Melissa Erekson, Rachel Gee, Lori Hulbert, Melissa Inouye, Neesha McKay, Leslie Paugh, Tanna Romero, Donna Simon, Kim Wilson, and Gwendolyn Wyne
Mothers’ Poem
As sisters in Zion, to cheer and to bless

Dear Sister:

As you prepare to birth your baby, we stand around you, united. May you feel our love and support as women who have crossed over the same threshold into motherhood, and as women of faith who offer prayer on your behalf and know that God will hear.

We rejoice with you in this time of celebration, as you prepare to reap the reward for the hard work of many weeks and months. Finally, your baby is coming.

Remember how pleased Heavenly Father is with your desire to give birth to His spirit children in a world in which a growing number of women choose not to become mothers. Cherish the special spirit that will fill your home with this new child who just left the presence of God. We are sure that ministering angels will be at your side and the side of this new infant as it gets accustomed to its new existence.

We release you from your everyday concerns: from professional, church, and family responsibilities, and even from your obligation to interact socially with people around you. Feel free, instead, to focus entirely on yourself and on your baby, to get comfortable, to preserve your strength.

We pray that your mind, heart, and body will be one as you prepare to birth your little one. Remember that this is a means to an end. The moments of pain are nothing that time won’t mend. Think of your baby’s tiny hands, feet, and face, and the beautiful spirit that you are bringing into the human race. May God grant you strength and peace of mind preceding his gift of the greatest joy you’ll find.

We bless you with strength through your faith and Divine Nature, with the knowledge that you were chosen by Heavenly Father to fulfill this beautiful role; and may you feel honored to do so.

We invite you to be filled with peace, that you will welcome this wonderful time of motherhood. Understand that your body has been divinely designed to birth your baby and that you are doing so beautifully. As your birthing continues allow your mind to be at ease knowing that your body and baby are working in harmony. We ask that you receive patience to pass through time as your baby descends.

We bless you with our diverse experiences and perspectives. We remind you that our babies came in many different ways, sometimes in ways that we did not expect or see as ideal at the time. We assure you that courageously adapting to changes as your birthing progresses does not make you any less important, committed, or successful as a mother.

We give you assurance that even when things seem to be going “wrong,” you are entitled to seek and receive the Spirit’s confirmation that God is mindful of you and that all things will work together for your good.

We say to you: be strong; have no fear.

We bless you that pain will help you understand how much the Savior values you; that just as the pain of this pregnancy and birth has taught you how precious your child is, so the pain of the Atonement must make you more precious to the Savior than you can possibly imagine.

Once your new little one has arrived, we bless you with the patience and endurance to make it through each new day having had little sleep, and a fair amount of frustration. It will all be worth it as you watch that precious little baby sleeping quietly, and loving you unconditionally.

We bless you that in your birthing and new motherhood, when the time comes to search for courage and grace, you will remember us, your sisters. You will remember that we have felt what you feel, that we walked with God through the shadow of the deep valleys, that we laughed and cried for joy when at long last our baby came.

If you want to see the history behind this poem, go here.  It's really very touching.