PREGNANCY | IT'S A SECRET!

It's a Secret!

Recently we invited some young couples over for dinner. After the meal we got into a lively debate about whether it is advisable to find out the sex of your baby while pregnant. One of the wives was pregnant and already knew the sex of their baby—they were going to have a little girl. Another of the wives had done the test and they were waiting for the results (in the end they didn't find out as the results cost more than they had anticipated!) The other couple felt that they would rather wait for the surprise.

Everyone was having their say. We knew each other well, so we debated with fervor. I managed to get in my spiel in between the interjections and these were my arguments:

1. THE BABY IS TO BE CREATED IN SECRET

When the Bible speaks about the baby in utero in Psalms 139:15 it says: I was made in secret."

I believe the Word of God is the foundation for our values and God intends the baby to be formed in secret. So if that's God's plan, I think it should be ours too, don't you? Some other translations say:

GNB: "When my bones were being formed, carefully put together in my mother's womb, when I was growing there in secret you knew that I was there . . . “

NEB: "I was secretly kneaded into shape."

NIV: "I was made in the secret place."

JERUSALEM: "You know me through and through, for having watched my bones take shape when I was being formed in secret, knitted together in the limbo of the womb."

What is a secret? It is something that nobody else is supposed to know until the appointed time. The dictionary says, "hidden, concealed, unseen." Why are we so impatient that we cannot wait until God's time? Have we become so conformed to this modern age that we have to have everything and know everything right now?

2. GOD WANTS IT TO BE A SUPRISE

When you already know the sex of your baby, you miss out on the wonderful surprise at the time of birth. It is always an exciting moment when you find out whether it's a boy or a girl. Although I was spoilt with one of our births and got one of each at the same time! I am sure God is also so excited as His secret is declared to us at the glorious moment of birth. Just as we parents love to give our children surprises, I am sure God the Father loves to bless us with surprises too.

3. IT IS AN UNNECESSARY EXPENSE

4. THE DIAGNOSIS IS NOT ALWAYS CORRECT

I have heard of a number of couples who have had an ultrasound and have been told they were having a boy only to find out they had a girl and vice versa. Why add expense and risk for and doubtful diagnosis? Even more serious, there have been many women who have been told that their baby was malformed and offered an abortion. These mothers refused and gave birth to perfectly healthy babies! How many other babies have been aborted because of a wrong diagnosis?

Robin Blatt in her book, Prenatal Tests, tells of a woman whose baby was diagnosed with spinal bifida. The couple decided to abort. During the pre-abortion ultrasound, the technician, not knowing the purpose of the scan said, "Everything looks fine." Others were called in to read the ultrasound and all agreed that everything seemed fine. The woman changed her mind and carried the baby to term and gave birth to a healthy baby!

Even professionals who use scans routinely to determine the size of the baby and the location of the placenta cannot always make a perfect diagnosis. The picture of the uterus taken through the amniotic fluid is difficult to read; its clarity depends on the quality of the equipment, the position of the baby, and numerous other factors.

For example, a study done in Finland (Saari-Kemppainen et al, 1990) on 4,000 women who were scanned at 16-20 weeks, diagnosed 250 women as having placenta previa. However, when it came to delivery, there were only four placenta previas, and one of these had not been diagnosed. So, 247 women had been worried unnecessarily that they may need a cesarean section!

5. ULTRASOUND HAS NOT YET BEEN PROVED TO BE POSITIVELY SAFE

To me this is a very important point. I am amazed at how glibly women subject themselves to that which is not yet proven. I think it is paramount that we research before we expose our bodies, and especially our unborn children, to technology that has not been proven over time.

Many times we don't see the effects until many years later. Regarding ultrasound, the Health and Human Services publication says that "Latent periods easily could be as long as 20 years in the case of cancer development, or the effect may not be seen for another generation..."

The HHS report concluded, "It is not clear at this time whether ultrasound fetal monitoring is beneficial to the mother or fetus in terms of pregnancy outcome . . . If there is no generally acknowledged benefit to the monitoring, there is no reason to expose patients to increased costs and possible risks . . . the question of benefit has not yet been resolved . . . and the potential for delayed effects has been virtually ignored."

The effect on future generations has not yet been determined. Are they going to be a generation of irradiated children and adults? Doris Haire, President of American Foundation for Maternal and Child Health says, "It will be 20 to 30 years before we will know whether ultrasound will be the DES of the next generation . . . The implications of premature ovulation after ovarian ultrasonography are disturbing. If ultrasound can affect the adult ovary, what then is the effect of ultrasound on the ova of unborn baby girls?"

Will they have trouble conceiving when they are ready to have children? Such effects might not be discovered for years to come.

An interesting five-year study was performed in Australia at Perth's King Edward Memorial Hospital on 3,000 expectant women. It was headed up by Professor John Newham who set out to prove that ultrasound tests improved the health of newborns, but this extensive study proved the opposite. In 1993 he revealed that excessive ultrasound testing reduces the weight of newborn babies by an average of 30g, leading to possible stunted growth. Although Professor Newham still advocates ultrasound for medical reasons, he now cautions mothers against using ultrasounds for "social" reasons such as determining the sex of the child. Reduced birth weight has also been confirmed by several other studies.

A frightening piece of information comes from Alice Stewart, a British epidemiologist who heads the Oxford Survey of Childhood Cancers. She declared that children exposed in the womb to sonograms (diagnostic ultrasounds) appear to be developing leukemia and other cancers in higher numbers than unexposed children.

There is also evidence in laboratory animals that exposure within the period of organogenesis (organ formation) can result in congenital malformations. Research by Stark evaluated school-age children for possible effects of ultrasound. They observed an increased incidence of dyslexia in exposed children.

Dr. Liebeskind and fellow researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York have led research into possible effects of ultrasound on the cellular level. The results of one study became the subject of a cable news network film that shows normal cells with smooth edges moving in a clear direction. After ultrasound exposure, 100% of the cells became frantic and distorted. The film also shows normal cells growing apart from each other but after exposure the cells became a tangled mess.

Liebeskind cautions that after a single exposure to ultrasound, there are some long-lived effects on the DNA of the cells, on the behavior of the cells, and on the cell growth, which persist through 10 succeeding cell generations. When Libeskind was asked what problems from ultrasound should be looked for in human studies, she answered, "Subtle ones. I'd look for possible behavioral changes - in reflexes, IQ, attention span."

The late Robert S. Mendelsohn, MD says, "Thus, ultrasound represents the latest in a series of medical technologies applied to mass population without any scientific proof of benefit and with considerable evidence of risk."

One of the most intuitive powers of a mother is the protection of her baby. These powerful feelings start during pregnancy. I believe the mother should protect her baby from excess radiation. Ultrasound is now becoming routine during pregnancy examinations but let’s not become victims of modern technology to the detriment of our God-given protective mother's heart. Let's research and use wisdom before we subject our unborn babies to unnecessary radiation.

NANCY CAMPBELL

Pregnancy | A Prayer for Your Baby in the Womb

A PRAYER FOR YOUR BABY IN THE WOMB

Pray Unborn Child Pray this prayer over your precious baby growing in your womb. Even better, pray together with your husband. Ask him to lay his hands upon your womb and pray over you every day of your pregnancy. If you have a friend who is pregnant, pray this prayer for them.

"Father, I thank You for filling my womb with life. I know this precious little baby comes from You and has been destined by You from the beginning of the world. I thank You for this miracle growing inside me, in the "secret place" of my womb. I thank you that You are giving this little baby to us as a gift, but also as a gift for the world. We can't wait to see another image of Yourself come forth into this world and the plans You have for this child.

We ask you, Father, in Jesus' name, to hedge our little baby about with Your mighty protection. Watch over this little one each day as You intricately create him/her in the hidden sanctuary of the womb. We ask for Your divine health and that you will sustain me in good health and vitality throughout this whole pregnancy.

I ask that You will fill me with Your joy and that everyone will see the glory of God upon me as I nurture this precious life within me. Thank You again for this amazing miracle and for giving us an eternal soul that will live forever. It is awesome to think that I am part of something eternal.

I pray that You will keep this baby growing in the womb until FULL TERM and this baby will come forth in Your perfect timing.

In Jesus' name. Amen."

Many blessings to you from Nancy Campbell

www.aboverubies.org

Pregnancy Limitations
and Morning Sickness

I am sure pregnant mothers will find many good ideas from the following letters. I received hundreds of replies, too many to print in this magazine.

The most common recommendation mothers shared was to drink Red Raspberry Leaf tea regularly during pregnancy and to eat plenty of protein. Read on for more ideas. Nancy.

Frozen Meals

Food can be a real challenge during pregnancy. Over the years I’ve come up with a list of ideas that have made this task easier for me.
1. Prepare frozen meals before you feel sick, for eating at a later time. A good stash of 10-20 meals (at least) can be invaluable for you and your family. Your hard work beforehand can insure less work in the kitchen later on. When you do not have the energy, ability or the stomach to handle prepping meals, this pre-planning can go along way.
If you did not do this previously and you are already past the point of being able to go into the kitchen without gagging…
a) When friends ask what they can do for you, ask them to bring freezer meals.
b) Purchase frozen meals from the store.
2. Crock pot meals. If your mornings are usually not the best time to prepare food you can prep and start late afternoon, or before you go to bed. If the smell emanating from the crock pot is hazardous for you, plug it in outside or somewhere else out of your nose’s “smell zone”.
3. Packaged foods. There are now more healthy alternatives, even organic choices.
4. Keep menus simple. We have successfully planned breakfast, lunch and dinner for one week, and then duplicated that week throughout the month, e.g. every Tuesday breakfast is always oatmeal.

WENDY SHAW
Oakhurst, near south gate of Yosemite National Park, California, USA
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Wendy has written a booklet for moms specifically on “How to take care of your Family when you have Morning Sickness.” If you would like to purchase this booklet, please contact Wendy at her email address or go to:
www.mymorningsickness.com

Acid Reflux

During the last two months of pregnancy I suffer from terrible acid reflux during the night. However, if I eat a quarter to half of a green apple, within ten minutes the acid is eliminated.

STEPHANIE LOPINTO
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
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Playing Doctor

When I felt ill with my second pregnancy, my two-year-old son and I developed a routine of playing doctor. While I rested, he treated me for various injuries and illnesses. He would bring me ice packs, ginger snaps, and prop pillows behind me, etc. just like doctors and nurses at the hospital. While he did this we would talk about the bones in the body, the size of the baby and stage of development. It was a rich time for both of us.

JEN PHILLIPS
McKinney, Texas, USA
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Rest in the Bathroom

To take a rest, I would run a bubble bath and find new toys for the children to play with in the tub while I rested. I would bring a few pillows into the bathroom and recline with a book while the toddlers played in the tub. This allowed for a good 20-30 minutes of rest time for me.
KECIA KLAUSE
Frisco, Texas, USA
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Legumes

Eat legumes every time you feel sick. It worked better than the Phenergan the OB prescribed and is safer too!

I found the remedy on Karen Hurd's website. On www.karenhurd.com you can click on "Specific Health Concerns" and under this, scroll down to "Morning Sickness." She gives the complete biological science behind this "prescription."

LYNN WELCH
Lyme, Connecticut, USA
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Art discovered that if you arrange the first letters of each of their names it spells ALLGEMS. Isn’t that nice? And they didn’t plan it! This reminds me of when my husband and I were missionaries in the Philippines over 40 years ago. We lived next to a Filipino family who planned to have 12 children and they decided on the words, REFLAMED LOVE. When we lived next to them, they were up to O and called him Oliver.

Nancy

Lemon Water

I recommend fresh squeezed lemon in a glass of water, which helps to eliminate toxins naturally, helping to rid the 'nauseous' feelings. It’s great when you're not pregnant, too!

LAURON MURPHY
Kittery, Maine, USA
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My Advice

1.    Purchase the best quality and safest vitamins you can find.
2.    Make sure you eat raw fruits and veggies.
3.    Prepare easy but healthy meals for you and your family.
4.    Drink a glass of Raspberry Leaf tea every day for an easy delivery.
5.    Have the children help with chores and make chores simple.
6.    Get plenty of rest. Drink plenty of water.
7.    Ask your husband to rub your feet every night.
8.    Take several cool showers a day in the summer.
9.    Soak in the tub with Epson salts before you go to bed for a good night’s sleep.
10.    When you are emotional, cry out to God for his grace and mercy. Ask him to help you.

ROSEMI ANGULO
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Foot Massage

When I felt really sick during my first trimester, my husband massaged my feet. It really worked! My nausea went from an intolerable ten to a bearable three. We did not figure this wonderful cure out until my fourth pregnancy!

LAURA MERENDINO
Spring Hill, Tennessee, USA
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Books on Tape

I suffer from morning sickness with every pregnancy and find it difficult to read aloud to the children. Therefore, I go to the library and get books on tape. I can still sit and turn pages, but I don't have to talk and it's less likely that I'll get the sick feeling. They enjoy the books and hearing different voices.

As far as remedies go, I keep raisins and cashews by my bedside. There is something about the mixture of fruit and nuts that usually curbs the sick feeling when I first wake up.

HANNAH BABIAK
Pell Lake, Wisconsin, USA
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Keep Plodding On

I've been sick with all my pregnancies. The ones I haven't been sick with, I miscarried. For me, the sickness lasts from five weeks until delivery. I spend my days trying to eat something that will stay down or choosing a good time to throw up. I think the first four months are the hardest because that's when I am extra tired on top of the nausea. After 16 weeks or so, my energy returns and that helps some.

As for remedies, we’ve tried them all to no avail. To cope, I have depended on my husband. My husband is a state college campus minister and he's been able to have some flexibility. When I had older children to help, I enlisted them. I've made sure I rest and sleep a lot (sleeping 12 hours a night and naps). We simplified meals to the bare bones and our grocery budget goes out the window. There’s nothing I can do about it but trust God. I let most things go around the house. Laundry is the one thing I try to stay on top of and I also clean up the kitchen once a day if I can.

I think the best thing we did when I only had young ones was to have a college student come over and help. I've had them clean (it's very hard to lie on the couch and look at the dirt and mess accumulating), fix lunch for the children, run to the store for basics, take the children on a walk/park and read to them. This was a huge help. It also gave the children something to look forward to and helped my guilty feelings of not being able to do the things I wanted to do with them.

I tried to keep on doing things. Once I was over the four to five month mark, I kept up a pretty normal life, apart from throwing up all the time. Even though I hate throwing up in public places or while camping, I've done it anyway so we can go places as a family. I haven't wanted their view of mom being pregnant to mean they're bored for nine months.

As far as husband/wife relationship goes, we spent time together on the couch. “Bedroom” time was also challenging. I remember having to say, "Okay, but let me throw up first." Or, "Okay, but I don't think I'm up for much." At times we had to plan for once a week. The week went by too fast for me and too slow for my husband! But it was only for a season.

Keeping perspective is the best thing to do. I read my Bible a lot, mainly the Psalms. I've also gained a lot of compassion and empathy for people who deal with chronic illness and pain. At least I knew my sickness would go away and in its place I'd get a beautiful baby!

My oldest is now 23 and the youngest is three. None of the children have bad memories from those challenging months.

SUSI LUNDQUIST
Ellensburg, Washington, USA
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Answer for Edema

I am an apprenticing midwife in San Diego and the midwife I work with is uses the water from the coconut to help treat edema in pregnancy. It is preferable to use the young coconut but the older brown coconut will do also. Drink the water from one to three coconuts each day depending on the severity of the edema. You can often purchase them by the case for a discount in Asian, Middle Eastern or Latin food markets.

The water is the almost clear fluid that is inside the coconut. The coconut water has the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. The water is pure and is full of natural sugars, salts, vitamins and potassium. Once opened you must drink immediately as the water quickly losses it nutritional characteristics.

DORA RAMIREZ
El Cajon, California, USA
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Dora is an Apprenticing Midwife, Doula, and Bradley Childbirth Instructor

Ginger Tea

Here is a recipe for nausea:
1 Tbs. fresh grated ginger root
4 cups boiling water
Honey to taste (optional)
Pour water over ginger root and allow to steep for five minutes. Strain. Refrigerate unused portion.

AMBER STEBBINS
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Lemons

I had pregnancy sickness with all four of my sons during the first trimester. The only thing that worked for me were lemons! I love lemons anyway. If I could suck on a lemon wedge, the nausea would subside. This helped greatly when I was in church. I kept a baggie of lemon wedges in my purse and when the feeling hit me (as it always did), I quietly pulled out my baggie and stuck a lemon in my mouth! Instantly I felt better! No one seemed to notice or be bothered by my little snack either!

CHERYL NEWTON
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Eat Little and Often

During my first pregnancy I was sick the entire time. I even ended up in the hospital a couple of times because, I was unable to function. During my second pregnancy a group of lovely mothers I found online blessed me with some tips that really helped me.

The first tip was to leave a small container of crackers right next to the bed. As soon as I woke up I would eat a couple of crackers and wait a few minutes before rising.

I always carried peppermint candy or lifesavers with me at all times. At the first sign of tummy upset, I popped one in my mouth. Many suggest peppermint tea but the candy is a much faster way to get some peppermint.

Lastly, many an experienced Mommy told me I should never let my stomach get too empty. They told me to eat little bits of food often. It worked! Just be careful not to go overboard or you will have too much weight gain. Every hour or two have a couple of crackers, a piece of toast, or a couple pretzels. Dry foods like this are great but do whatever works for you.

Plan ahead so you are never caught without something to nibble on in situations like shopping, a social gathering or in church. No one is going to be upset with a pregnant lady for having a little snack to settle her stomach in these situations.

Also, drink plenty of water; it will keep your stomach acid weaker.

By following these tips I had barely any sickness during my second, third, and fourth pregnancies. I enjoyed the wonderful time of nurturing the little life God placed within me and I was more able to enjoy the other children as well.

AMANDA SEARS
Kissimmee, Florida, USA
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Power Recipe

I am currently pregnant with my fourth child. As with my previous pregnancies, I dealt with morning sickness during the early months of my pregnancy. My husband asked a natural doctor friend for help and he gave us the following recipe:
1 tsp. – 1 Tbs. Brewer’s yeast (saccharomyces cerevisiae) Or Nutritional Yeast
1 tsp. – 1 Tbs. Blackstrap molasses
1 egg (raw, farm-raised)
A glass of milk
Stir together with a fork or blend in blender.

Drink twice a day until symptoms are under control and then once a day.

It worked! I was able to begin making meals for my family almost immediately. After 20 minutes of drinking the first glass, I was up making chicken soup from scratch, which I proceeded to eat with no problem.

This would have saved me a lot of trouble during the previous three pregnancies.

NICHOLA FILES
Carbon, Texas, USA
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Don’t Eat Sugar

When you know that you are pregnant, try not to eat anything with sugar. Don't eat ice cream, baked goods or sugary cereal, etc. and make sure you eat protein.

TINA ZIMMERMAN
Newville, Pennsylvania, USA
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Slow Down and Enjoy

Our Heavenly Father has blessed us with three very active little boys. Having two toddlers and being pregnant with a third was very exhausting. Being on complete bed rest from week 20 on was downright stressful! I could sit or stand for no longer than 10 minutes at a time or I would start having contractions.

My mother was very ill at the time and my dear sweet husband was working very hard to provide for us. I did not have any help until he came home at night from work. The medication that I had to take to stop/slow the contractions made me very sick and weak which made it even more difficult to care for my two little boys.
Each morning, I fixed a simple breakfast and moved everyone to the living room to eat. I put up the baby gates so they had to stay where I could see them. I then spent the whole morning lying on my side on the sofa reading to them, playing games (as best I could), and being Mommy to my boys. I had plenty of toys, games, and activities to keep the boys busy. We moved the toy box into this room so they would have all their favorite things close at hand. For naptime we all got comfy on the sofa or the floor beside the sofa and I read to them until they fell asleep.

Conner was two years old when I was pregnant with my youngest and he was a huge blessing to me. He fetched diapers, drinks, snacks (that I had made up ahead of time), or anything else that I might need. I was amazed at how helpful a two-year-old can be, and how much they can understand.

To make things easier on all of us I measured out snacks in little plastic baggies, and used little water bottles to hold drinks. Plastic baggies of snacks kept them happy between meals and when I did have to be up on my feet I re-stocked my supplies as quickly as I could.

Simple meals saved me from being on my feet for too long. I had prepared frozen meals to pop into the oven for after the baby’s arrival, but ended up using those for dinner while I was on bed rest. We did simple things for breakfast and lunch like smoothies, oatmeal, almond butter and jelly sandwiches, etc. For dinner we usually ate something that cooked all day in the crock-pot, or a simple soup that simmered in the pot and did not need me to stand over it for a long time.

God gave us a third healthy baby and I was able to spend several months really getting to know my first two children. They loved having a Mommy who spent the whole day playing with them and not worrying if the house was spotless. God has a way of showing us what is really important in life and I am glad He blessed me with a reason to slow down and enjoy my children.

SHANAN STRODE
Charleston, Illinois, USA
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Digital Camera

During a recent very difficult pregnancy, I learned to check chores by using a digital camera. When the children said they were done cleaning under their beds, I asked them to take the camera and take a picture to show me! They loved taking their own photos and I loved knowing if things were done or not!

Another benefit of my difficult pregnancy, apart from our beautiful baby, was that my children took over the cooking. They had a wonderful time learning to cook food, which I could not even smell without throwing up.

CARRI PETERSON
Burkesville, Kentucky, USA
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Keep up the Iron

If you're like me, there's no such thing as morning sickness--it's all day sickness! I get an air bubble under my diaphragm which makes me feel nauseous and as though I need to burp all the time. I've found that keeping something in my stomach at all times really helps. Drinking water, even when I don't want to, also helps. Be sure to keep a packet of crackers and a bottle of water in the car for those times when you need something right away.

Make sure you're getting enough iron. It makes a huge difference in your energy level. If I find it hard to get up the stairs, I know I'm not getting enough.

On the days when I don't feel like doing anything at all, I pray for strength and then push through my daily routine. I usually feel better after making myself get moving. Sometimes just getting out of the house can take my mind off not feeling good.

BRIDGET PISCOYA
Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
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Play Doctor

I was very ill during my first trimester for my daughter and my three year old twins were a handful of energy. To manage them we played "Doctor". With their doctor kit in hand I was their most beloved patient. They sandwiched me between baby dolls and stuffed animals upon their bed and waited on me hand and foot. While "playing" I received the rest my body needed.

LAUREN GARY
Lafayette, Louisiana, USA
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My Attitude

I thank God every day for my morning sickness, although actually I have afternoon sickness. It starts at 3.00 pm and goes all evening. I am expecting our 13th child. I had a miscarriage this past December (07) when my mother suddenly passed away from a heart attack at age 62. It put my womb in horrible stress. My husband and I thought that maybe we were done and our hearts were very sad, even though our youngest is only two. During our entire marriage, we have never had a two-year-old without a newborn.

Every month we prayed that the Lord would keep our womb open. We were overjoyed in June 08 to find that we were expecting again. My afternoon sickness is worse than ever before and with the last four babies it never went away completely. Every time I am extra sick at night my husband says, “I am so happy for you dear.” I reply, “Great.” We both know that is a good sign of a healthy pregnancy.

For me a lot of it has to do with attitude. If I am rejoicing over my pregnancy then I am able to handle the nausea better. I also changed my diet drastically and cut out all sugar, white flour, and caffeine from my diet. This has helped my energy level.

I plan and cook dinner around lunchtime since the worst of my sickness is in the afternoon. When I drive I chew on ice chips and drink fresh lemon water.
The first 8-10 weeks I use natural progesterone cream to help balance the hormones and nausea.

My children are a wonderful help. When my 19 year old daughter arrives home from work she helps the little ones with their chores. My eight-year-old boy does the laundry and my nine-year- old daughter watches the two and four year olds in the afternoon, plus bathes them and gets them ready for bed at night. My six-year-old son tends the garden. The other three teenage boys have kitchen and yard clean up. I also move the bedtime up about half an hour so I can get to bed early.

We are overjoyed that the Lord is blessing us again.

DIANA MARTENS
Santa Rosa, California, USA
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Plastic Plates and Utensils

It can be very difficult to weather pregnancy sickness, but take comfort in the fact that it lasts only for a season, and once it's over you'll be able to be the wife and mother that you want to be once again. It's easy to lose sight of that, since every day seems like an eternity when one feels so miserable.

From a practical standpoint, for any future pregnancies I plan to start freezing extra meals as soon as I discover I'm pregnant. I also hope to save money ahead of time to schedule someone to clean my house every week or two, so that I won't despair about the state of our home during this time.

Also, stock up on paper plates and plastic utensils so that dishes don't pile up. Try to remember that all the suffering will seem like a distant memory when you’re holding your sweet new baby in your arms!

LAUREN WALKER
Lewisburg, Tennessee, USA
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My Husband’s Prayers

I was terribly sick with my first pregnancy. With my second pregnancy with twins I was even worse. I required medication and frequent IV fluids to manage and was so miserable I didn't think I could do it again with having other children to care for.

With my current pregnancy, my husband laid his hands on me, prayed for me and blessed me each morning. I did not throw up or get sick one time. I didn't think it was possible! It was such a blessing.

Another factor was the de-toxing and physical cleansing in the prior year. I adding fasting, eating more whole foods, and learning more about colon cleansing and health.

AMY MANACHER
Fairhope, Alabama, USA
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Time to Reflect

I have been very sick in the first trimesters of all five of my children. The way cope best is to embrace the time. I sit and reflect on life a lot more during this time (because if I get up I will probably have to run to the toilet!) and I get to watch things happen from a different viewpoint. Instead of being the one “in action” all the time, I watch my children take care of each other and study and ponder their personalities more. With no choice but to be more dependent on God for all my needs, I get to experience how He never fails to provide a meal for my family, through my hands or someone else’s, even though thinking about food and even being in the kitchen makes me feel really awful.

I get to sit and be quiet in the Lord’s arms for a while as He works wonders in my womb.

JACLYN STRASBURG
Appleton, Wisconsin, USA
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Mommy Sick Day

When I became pregnant with my third child, my oldest was just four years old and my middle child was not quite two years old. On the days I couldn’t shake the queasiness, we played “Mommy Sick Day.” I would lie down in the children’s room with my pillow and tell them, “Mommy doesn’t feel well. Can you help me to feel better?” This gave them an opportunity to be the caregivers and do all the nice things for me that my husband and I do for them when they are ill. They covered me with their special blankets, prayed for me, sang to me, and had great fun pretending to cook me all their favorite foods. By the time the game was over, I actually felt a lot better!

GENESSA LAVINE
Murrieta, California, USA
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Throw out the Whites

I experienced horrible morning sickness with my first two pregnancies, throwing up for the whole nine months.
My last pregnancy was much better which I attribute to a change in our diet two years before I got pregnant. We gave up white flour, breads, and pasta, etc. and began to buy whole wheat pasta and grind our own wheat to make bread, rolls, pizza crust and more. We also tried to eat more fruit and veggies.

HILLARY CRANDALL
Denver, Colorado, USA
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Seek the Lord

The best counsel for anyone who is ill during pregnancy is, of course, is to seek the Lord Jesus first. I knew this when I was ill with my son, but I did not understand how to do the seeking. Thankfully, our Lord is patient. I was on bed rest for a week after a frightening ER trip. My husband brought me our daughter to nurse (which certainly helped me feel better and I highly recommend tandem nursing to relieve morning sickness). Then, all I had time to do was pray! It was difficult and wonderful. In illness, the Lord will reveal what needs to be done.
I also highly recommend a whole house water filter.

ELIZABETH PHILLIPS
Lancaster, Ohio, USA
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They Said my Baby had Died!

I was pregnant with our fifth child and I began to bleed. After bleeding for two weeks I decided to go to the ER. I had hoped for an ultrasound, but they were too busy that night. They took a blood test and said my BETA numbers were 122xxx and told me to call a doctor the next day.

I called a doctor and two days later went to have more blood drawn. The next day I went back to the doctor. She told me that my numbers had dropped to 111xxx. She said this indicated a miscarriage and the need for an ultra sound. I was scared and kept praying. We went into the ultrasound room and she began to scan. We saw what looked to be a dead baby of about four to five weeks. There was no heart beat, just a dead form.

I was nine weeks at that time. She said the baby had died and gave me three options:

1. Take pills to complete the miscarriage.

2. Have a D&C.

3. Wait and let nature take its course.

I decided I would wait it out. That day ALL my bleeding stopped. Many people were very upset with me for not scheduling a D&C. They told me I could die or I could lose my uterus. I told them as long as I did not have a fever, I felt that I was fine. I felt at peace with my decision and continued to pray.

Many years ago I read an article called Protect Your Womb on the Above Rubies web site. From that point on I had started to pray for the health of my womb. This came to my mind many times during my wait. I leaned on the Lord and kept trusting.

Each day I waited for the cramping I knew would come. It never did. I was supposed to go back to the doctor after two weeks but one of my children had gotten sick. I didn’t make it back until four weeks later.

The day before I saw the doctor, I was talking to a lady at church, and told her nothing had happened and I was fearful the doctor would try to convince me to have a D&C. I really wanted to avoid that. She looked at me and said, “Do you think they were wrong? Do you think you could still be pregnant?” I had not thought of that. I saw the image on the ultrasound machine. I agreed with what the doctor had seen. At first I thought it was cruel of her to give me a small peace of hope. I couldn’t deal with my sadness and have this small hope too.

The next day I went to the doctor and the nurse asked what happened. “Nothing,” I said, “I have had no bleeding or cramping.”

“Maybe the baby is still there,” she replied. I began thinking, “No, don't put that in my mind.” The small piece of hope was there but I couldn’t let myself think of it. But what if?

The doctor came in, “So, nothing happened?” she said. I told her nothing had. She asked if I still had pregnancy symptoms. I had to think on that a moment because I hadn’t even thought of having symptoms. I had thought the baby died and that was it. But after a while I had to say, “Yes!”

“Let’s do an ultra sound,” she said. I told her there was no way for my dates to be off because I had an early positive pregnancy test and knew the date I conceived.

I lay down, barely able to breath. She scanned and exclaimed, “There is the baby's head!” She moved down a little, “I see two arms and they MOVED!” Then she saw the heartbeat! A HEARTBEAT! Can you believe it? I was shocked, thrilled and scared all at the same time. The baby was measuring 13 weeks, exactly where I was supposed to be!

As I left the office I broke down. I cried and praised the Lord, thanking Him for sparing my baby’s life. If I had chosen any other option but to wait, I would have killed my baby. I called my husband and he couldn’t believe it.

On July 14, 2005 I went in for my fifth c-section and my miracle baby was born. We named her Julianna Grace because God graciously spared her life.

After five c-sections I was curious about the shape of my uterus. I asked the doctor what my uterus looked like. He told me that it looked very good and he was surprised there was very little scar tissue after having five c-sections. I thanked the Lord. I know that my prayers for my womb had been answered.

ANNETTE WAY
Springfield, Missouri, USA
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Reese and Annette’s children are Audrey (14), Brionna (10), Amanda (7), Joseph (4), Julianna (18 months) and new baby Erica born January 2007.

Morning Sickness

With my very first pregnancy I was diagnosed with Hyperemesis gravidarum. The medical definition: excessive vomiting in pregnancy. Hyper means "over"; emesis means "vomiting"; gravidarum means "pregnant state." My definition: excessive, severe, extreme, exhausting, continuous nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. I’ve had severe morning sickness with all seven of my healthy children and with one that died at three months prenatal.

Throwing up throughout the morning, afternoon and evening was exhausting. I was admitted to the hospital several times for dehydration. I was hungry, but not able to eat; thirsty but unable to drink. I was so miserable from nausea one time that I cried out to God to not live! I’m glad he didn’t say yes to that prayer!

Despite the misery and challenges each pregnancy brings, every time I see the blessing of a new precious child being born, all my suffering is momentarily forgotten. I can even say, “Let’s do it again.” I don’t like labor and morning sickness is ten times worse, but for the rest of my life, I experience infinitely greater rewards and joy from being around my children.

During the last few pregnancies, I have been blessed to have some godly women look after me. This hasn’t always been the case. When I was pregnant for the first time, we moved to a small town where I didn’t know anyone. It was during this time I started formulating a “How to Help” list. I’ve added to it over the years as I’ve experienced different situations. Here are a few things I have learned:

HOW TO HELP A MOM COPE WITH MORNING SICKNESS

1. Help with the duties and responsibilities that she is unable to do. Offer to do specific jobs--meals for her family, laundry, dishes, childcare, or the bathroom.

2. Give her a card of encouragement. A small token of kindness can go a long way to encourage her.

3. If talking with someone is a good distraction for her, call or visit her often. The days and nights go by very slowly.

4. Send flowers or something pretty to look at. Beautiful things can be uplifting to see, especially if she is grounded to one part of the house for most of the day.

5. Read to her. Write her a poem. Sing, if she wants you to. It’s nice for her to know that she is remembered as she feels the world is going on without her.

6. Be aware. Her nose is extremely sensitive. Don't come near her if you have the slightest scent of cologne, aftershave, perfume, fabric softener, smoke, etc. on you.

7. Use encouraging words and tender comments. Pray with her. This can be an emotionally trying experience and all conversations need to be optimistic, focusing on the positive.

8. Humor can be a welcome addition to her day. A funny book, movie, or even a joke may bring a smile. Making her laugh can be a much needed relief.

9. Be supportive. Even though you cannot truly relate (it's real and miserable) try to understand how she feels! Let her cry.

10. Change her bedding, towels, throw-up bowl. I know it may be gross! But...if you want to know how to help!

WENDY SHAW
Yosemite National Park, California, USA
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Kevin and Wendy Shaw are blessed with seven children, Chase (13), Holly (11), Macy (9), Justus (6), Elley (4), Amy (2,) and Lilly (6 weeks).

If you are suffering from morning sickness or would like to help those who are, check out Wendy's website: www.mymorningsickness.com