By Emily Saunders

Psalm 127:3- Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

It’s so wonderful to share with you the blessing of pregnancy after loss.  I feel overwhelmingly thankful for the opportunity to carry a child so quickly after losing a pregnancy.

I’ve had a lot of time to reflect recently (while spending much of the first trimester on my back in my bed- blahhh!) about the blessings, challenges and lessons of pregnancy.

Isn’t it cool how God prepares us to become parents long before baby arrives into the world?

During the first trimester I feel like God shows us that it’s time to learn to be flexible.  My routine doesn’t really matter when I can hardly make it out of bed.  It doesn’t really matter what I WANT, my body (much like baby will) demands something totally different (in the form of many hours of sleep).  My normal eating patterns are shot to the place where the evil one lives and my sense of control over my world is – well- pretty much gone.

I also feel like I’m reminded daily in this first trimester about my full dependence upon our savior.  I literally cant’ make it through the day- the hour- without Him.  I’ve been blessed with my Mother-In-Laws help for multiple weeks through this journey and without her I don’t know what would have happened, but even still, I need God in every second.  It’s amazing to me how when we don’t feel well physically, we become much more aware of the blessing of healthy, able bodies?

In the second trimester, I feel that God really helps us begin to bond with baby.  We can feel baby kicking and moving inside of us.   Our energy is typically better, we actively begin nesting and the general excitement around parenthood abounds.  We begin looking visibly pregnant and getting sweet comments from others.  I don’t know about you, but I truly feel my JOY in the second trimester.  We begin to fall in love with a real baby- even though it can still be hard to conceptualize the baby is REAL- that love just grows and grows.

In the third trimester, things get real!  The anticipation, the worries, the discomfort, the longing.  We become more and more ready to meet our little blessing and more and more nervous about being unprepared.  Like children waiting for Christmas, we just really can hardly wait for baby to arrive.  We wonder about so many things and our ability to parent, but again we turn to Him and He wraps His arms around us.  He reminds us that he believes in us and has given us the gift of this child.  He has entrusted us with one of His people, his greatest gift!

And finally baby is born!  Even though a first-time Mom knows NOTHING about motherhood- He provides us with everything that we need.  Our motherly instincts are from Him.  Somehow He helps us figure it out.  Yes there are bumps and bruises and tears and wildly swinging emotions, but He gently teaches us and gifts us with His motherly love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Here’s to Motherhood!  Thank you Lord for your wondrous gift and the responsibility to raise up your children.