I am Keturah Royal, and I also go by Mother Fierce. As a mother of a beautifully active 6-year-old, I often tell people that giving birth to my son saved my life. Welcoming him into the world was by far the most transformative experience of my life. I absolutely loved being pregnant, and yet, it was an emotional time filled with anxiety and unexpected fears. I wondered if I would be enough for him, ruminated over thoughts of the future, and questioned my decision making on a regular basis. To move through my fears of pregnancy, birth, and motherhood, it was important for me to be patient with myself and to embrace the array of emotions I was feeling. My mantra became “healthy mama, healthy baby.” Whenever I would feel anxious, I would repeat the phrase and it would help me get through the day.

I moved forward with writing a birth plan and anticipated a pace of events that I soon realized needed much more flexibility than I had allowed. Birthing my son was painful, messy, and beautifully chaotic. I soon found the answers to many of the questions I had were answered for me in the delivery room. My labor was not ideal. At times I felt the doctors were not listening to me and this forced me to come face-to-face with my own inner strength and I learned to trust my body.

Nothing would penetrate the love I had for my son. I was his mother. No matter how frightened or insecure I felt, I would repeat, “You are safe, you are protected, you are loved.” I repeated these words over and over for him, and for me.