When Michelle got pregnant, it seemed as if every woman she’d ever known who’d been pregnant had experienced back pain – or at least some back discomfort – in the third trimester. So, she figured that she was destined to have some problems with her back. It felt inevitable to her. The only questions seemed to be when exactly would it start and how intense would the pain be. Luckily, one day while she was lamenting about this, someone said to her, “You know, there are pregnant women who don’t have back pain.” She was stunned. Of course! She allowed herself to think that there was only one path. She was reminded that there’s always more than one possibility. Michelle had let back pain become a “given.” It didn’t have to be. She felt great relief at this realization. She might get back pain, and…she might not!
As it turned out, Michelle did not have back discomfort during her pregnancy. In fact, she experienced something quite the opposite. Her back used to hurt her when she slept on my stomach too much. Two things happened in her third trimester: She stopped sleeping on her stomach! And, her posture improved. She explained that she had to stand up and sit up straighter to make room for her growing belly. So, her back actually never felt better. She had felt worried without reason to be.
Please join the conversation: What did you once think was a “given,” yet it turned out it wasn’t? OR What are you assuming is going to go a certain way…yet maybe it doesn’t have to?
