Birthing, on the other hand, is an internal process in which one is acutely aware that one is not in control. There is a sense of being a steward, a caretaker, an incubator for a grand activity that supercedes one's own self. Birthers do not take credit for what they have birthed. Instead they marvel and are humbled at having been allowed to participate in the process at all. There is nothing external to compare it to. There is nothing to prove and no one to prove it to. It is not competitive, envious, or jealous. It is to be of service in the highest sense.

When you are birthing, you are aware that something is dependent upon you for nurturance. This responsibility is taken quite seriously and is held as a high priority, even higher than one's own needs. It does not even feel like a sacrifice, since there is an inherent sense of oneness with what is developing inside oneself. It is an internal job. There is no need for anyone else to see or participate in the process, other than as a witness. One understands that the most important thing to be done is to take care of one's self, not to be clever. The greatest job is to provide a space, an environment, for the divine unfoldment of an already complete idea. There is no illusion regarding one's role in the process. There is awe, wonder at the transformation that is occurring and the deepest respect for the nature and the timing for what is being "hatched."

Deborah L. Johnson, The Sacred Yes