Once an underdog, Tom Brady overcame astronomical odds to gain playtime and become the most successful quarterback of all time.
Many people don’t realize that while Brady was semi successful as a football player in college, he was no where near a first pick when it came to the professional game. Tom Brady was pick 199 in the NFL draft. Six quarterbacks were picked before him. People didn’t think he would make it one year playing professional football. But look at him now.
What does that have to do with your birth?
Tom Brady is not the only one that walked forward to what seemed like an uncertain and unpredictable future. That is exactly how many women feel about birth, before they do it.
80% of women report anxiety, fear, and doubt when it comes to their ability to give birth.
Shocking news articles that show the true challenge of birth in the United States don’t help with this anxiety, such as:
- US News reporting that women are 500 times more likely to have a C-section than women in the 1970s.
- Harvard Health reporting that mothers are 50% more likely to die in the period surrounding childbirth than their own mothers.
- Vogue capturing Serena Williams near death experience in her birth as well as Vanity Fair showcasing Beyoncé’s struggles.
In the beginning, Tom Brady was not 100% sure about his future. But he decided to believe in it and create it despite all the reasons he had to give up and lose faith in his dreams. Facing the unknown is not easy. Women who want to feel 100% certain about their future are asking the same question that faced Brady, what will it take to be successful?
The Big Struggle Modern Day Women Face When Giving Birth
Modern day women have real barriers and challenges to face when it comes to giving birth, not unlike Tom Brady in the beginning of his football career. There were many times the odds were stacked against him and it seemed as if his dreams were impossible.
When I was pregnant, I remember wondering how could I feel safe and confident about birth when everything seemed so messed up. I wished that I could choose an outcome, and know the exact path to that experience. I also knew there are elements of birth that cannot be controlled. This left me feeling uncertain at the time when I wanted certainty more than ever.
Have you ever felt the same way?
Well, this is why I love Brady so much. He had to overcome fear, doubt, anxiety, and the reality that there were factors outside of his control he could never get rid of. And trust me, the odds of your birth being successful and positive are so much greater than Brady’s odds of succeeding in the NFL.
Everyone can change their future when they focus on what matters to their success. Let’s see how Tom Brady overcame doubt, criticism, odds stacked against him and what he can teach us about doing the same.
5 Lessons Tom Brady Teaches About Overcoming Odds And Reaching Your Goal
1. “I was the underdog. I always thought, ‘you know what, once I get my shot, I’m gonna be ready. I’m really going to take advantage of that.”
When was the first time you imagined being a mom? I remember far before that beating heart was growing inside of me, I had hopes, dreams and plans for my baby’s future.
Maybe you did too?
Now is your chance to build that life you dreamed of. Do you agree how it begins is important?
When it comes to birth, I know most positive, rewarding, positive births are CREATED by intentional moms like you.
Moms who commit to, and carefully move towards a future, even when the don’t have a guarantee about exactly how it will unfold.
But, they hold faith in themselves, faith in their support systems and faith in the process which allows them to eat the next healthy meal, take care of their body and get the education they need to overcome the challenges in their way and enjoy the day they birth their baby.
This is your chance. What do you need to do to feel like you really took advantage of it?
2. ” To anyone who feels left out or is afraid of trying their best for fear of failure, you’re not alone. The magic you’re looking for is in the will of trying and not giving up.”
Sometimes news, a bad story from a friend or even self-judgment can cause people to lower their expectations about their birth. Believing in a positive, joyful birth can feel a bit lonely sometimes.
Many women hear something that scares them and it makes them believe that the beautiful beginning we dreamed of may not be possible. If you are in this moment, do not give up.
At these times, it’s common to wait for change to happen around us, for us. But the true change happens within us first.
In general, the more you focus on the things you can control, the more the things you can’t control fall into place.
Have faith in yourself and believe in the process.
It is true that the magic you are looking for lies directly within you.
3. “You push your body to the limits, but you have to train your body to deal with the limits.”
Many people underestimate the work you are doing while you are pregnant.
During pregnancy, your body is making 60 million cells every second.
Those cells will become the eyes, ears, nose, skin organs, arms, legs, everything that makes up your perfect baby.
They will become an entire new organ, the placenta, which will nourish and protect your baby throughout pregnancy.
They will become new blood cells as your blood volume doubles during pregnancy.
They will even become new heart cells as your heart grows during pregnancy as well.
Understand that you are always pushing your body to limits as your grow and birth a new member of your family.
Remember, this requires nourishment, rest, time. Give yourself grace, and give yourself the nutrition you need – healthy food does create a safer birth.
4. “Things don’t correct themselves, you’ve got to go out there and work hard to correct them.”
We often celebrate the modern comforts and safety that technology brings to birth, but we forget that there is a downside as well.
Modern life introduces challenges that can make birth less safe and much more difficult. Let me share one with you.
Did you know that the poor posture caused by sitting at desks, on slouchy couches and the other comforts of modern life can lead to problems for birth? It does in two ways.
One, it creates bodies that are less flexible and less balanced. During birth, your pelvis should move up to 30%. But, because of the decreased flexibility caused by our laptop lifestyles, some bodies are no longer able to do this. This makes it more difficult for your baby to fit.
Second, babies in a moms with proper posture typically settle in an optimal position for birth. They settle head down, with their belly towards mom’s spine. However, a problem arises when moms have poor posture. Babies spin into a position where their back is rotated towards mom’s spine. This is called an OP position – and these babies take lot more work to birth. It can be done, but just like wearing your shoes on the right feet matters, so does having your baby aligned properly for birth. One way is an easier safer way to give birth than the other.
Luckily, this can be fixed well before labor even begins. Simple restorative exercises, working with a pelvic floor physical therapist or a Webster certified chiropractor are all ways to correct these problems.
It is more important than ever for moms to dedicate time to prepare their body for the demands of birth.
5. “If you’re lucky, you’ll have family, team mates, coaches, and trainers along the way who will help you when you lose faith in yourself.”
Intrinsic to the process of birth is the process of feeling doubt and then rising to new levels of confidence in yourself.
When you hit moments of uncertainty, look around you. There are people ready to lift you up. They can help you get to the new level of strength, confidence and self-actualization. That is why they say, when a child is born, so is a mother. If you haven’t heard this yet today, let me remind you, you absolutely can do this.
Some moms ask me, how do I properly prepare for birth? It would feel so much better to be doing something than just sitting around waiting. And I agree.
There are skills , tools, and habits that can help you succeed at having a healthy and happy birth. I would love to help you discover them and gain confidence for your big day.
That is why I want to take a moment to invite you into my comprehensive birth course, Birth Undone.
In this comprehensive childbirth class you will gain knowledge that will undo your fear, practice habits that will undo risk and gain real tools and strategies to undo pain. You can have the birth you want. A beautiful, powerful unforgettable birth.
I hope you join us! Either way, I hope you have an amazing birth.
Here’s to overcoming odds and creating beautiful beginnings,
Suzzie Vehrs
