u/No_Brick_9238

A lot of people don’t want to go to confession or struggle with this isn’t anything new. The following reasons in some form seem especially common:

1. One feels there sins are too great, so how can God forgive them?
2. It’s been too long, how can they go back
3. They are ashamed to share the bad sins they have committed

However, none of these reasons resonate with me. I do feel shame for my sins, but not in the way I don’t think I can share them with a priest, as I know he is there in the person of Christ to forgive.

It’s been 4 months since I last went to confession, and I have tried to arrange confession to go again probably 5+ times, but have failed to follow through. I don’t believe to be in any form of mortal sin, and I know the Church requirement is once a year— but that doesn’t change that God has been tugging on my heart to go for my spiritual benefit. I am going through some health issues, so I have justified not going sometimes to “feeling bad”—- but I don’t know if this is always true. If I really cared to go to confession and gave my 100% effort, I probably could manage to figure out a way to go? It almost feels like it could be out of some mix of laziness, lukewarmness, and distain for getting out of my comfort zone, but I still can’t really pin point it. I just don’t like going to confession. I don’t want this to be true, I don’t want pity, I have prayed to God to help me go to confession. So I just don’t understand why it is so difficult to bring myself to go. I feel like I am failing my husband, especially since he has been encouraging me and trying his best help me as well.

Does anyone have advice for trying to get to confession? I understand the beauty of it on paper, and know that it is an incredible gift from God, but I don’t know if I know this in the interior of my soul and believe it.

I am sure this varies drastically based on person, but for me, my but I had moments where period cramps would send me to my car for an hour at work to crawl into a ball and cry they are so painful. I always described as someone sticking a knife in my guts and just moving it around 😔. I couldn’t do anything, until I had pain killer kick in and some sort of warm compress on my stomach (the pains would likely last 3-5 hrs if I didn’t). Thankfully, that wasn’t every cycle, but it usually always stops me from doing anything productive.

It seems labor pains are quite different from period cramps but am curious what you all have to say. I thought of myself with a lower pain tolerance being why these cramps are so bad, but at the same time, maybe I just have truly have very painful period cramps?

I am a FTM and currently 17w and the difference between these two pains is just really perplexing to me, and would love to know y’all’s thoughts, especially from those who shared a similar experience in painful period cramps.

Thanks :)

EDIT: Thank you for all the thoughtful responses!! This is super helpful to hear from everyone and their experiences in helping me better understand and feel less fearful / uninformed ❤️🙏🏻