The Business Of Being Born

I recently watched a documentary style movie called The Business Of Being Born (NOTE: I do not recommend this movies for your husbands or your children and will warn you during a few labor scenes they are personal but not graphic as far as the actual birth. The link itself just tells you about the movie, nothing more so its quite safe) my husband watched a few of the "information" pieces with me and he skipped the actual birthing parts....

Now on to the movie. It's a movie comparing care in the U.S. of OB/GYN vs. Midwifes and comparison of Homebirth vs. Hospital Birth....it really makes you think. Did you know that the US has the highest Infant/Mother mortality rate in all the developed countries?? We few birth as a "medical process" instead of the natural blessing it is that the Lord has given us the ability to do.

Yes, I hope it's not new news to you, but Eve did sin and she was cursed with bearing children in pain...and well Eve is our first mother so we are from here and therefore also cursed and born into sin. So of course it is painful...but the Lord also gave us the natural ability to birth our children without the need of medical intervention MOST OF THE TIME.

Statistics show that home birth is just as safe if not safer in a NORMAL LOW RISK MOTHER, WITH THE ATTENDANCE OF A EDUCATED WELL EXPERIENCED MIDWIFE. I just had to make that clear because if you are high risk for complications during birth or if you do not have a well experienced midwife or well educated especially (WELL PREPARED for an emergency) it is NOT as safe....okay now that we got that out of the way...

I have been speaking with a midwife who does home births...it's AMAZING the things she knows! She has had many women with previous preterm births go full term with natural herbs and remedies she knows of! Not ONE SINGLE OB or hospital based midwife I have spoken to knew these things and I was searching for someone who did. She also has great success and specializes in VBAC's. My success rate of a VBAC in a hospital is probably around 50% maybe 70% with the right Dr. My success rate at home with a experienced midwife is about 95%. That's a big difference...

In case you haven't noticed our nation has become quite...how shall I put this. We're in judgement from the Lord because we have strayed so far from his ways and no longer resemble a Christian nation in almost every aspect of our country. As far as most things go we have no longer trust in the Lord to provide all our needs. We have the government meet them for us. (We meaning most of America today)...our medical system is no different. If you say you do not want your baby to have shots you are looked at as a bad mother (Yes I have been there...even in a great hospital it happened) or if you don't want your son to get the RSV shots because he gets increadibly sick after you are scolded and told you are putting you child at risk of death...and so on...and with the way the health care seems to being pushed in our nation lately many of us Christian parents may be looking to the homebirth option a whole lot more.

Anyways, I was just amazed at everything I have learned in the past week researching homebirth vs. hospital birth. Do you know you are at risk of you and your baby getting sick from going to the hospital? Think about it, everyone with this h1n1 that's going around goes where??? TO THE HOSPITAL. Where you deliver your baby...humm...amazingly God made babies when they come out to develop immunities to things around them. When they are at home it makes them immune to anything in your own home, which is great! When you are at the hospital they get immune to the things in the hospital which doesn't help your baby when he/she comes home and has to readjust his/her body all over again. There's so many amazing things I've learned but I'm trying to limit them. Bottom line, I'm so excited about this new wealth of knowledge I have learned. I'm quite excited to look into this option. For those of you who think it's crazy I have to ask, have you ever researched the risks, benefits and statistics of both hospital and home births? If not, do it, you may be surprised!

You Know You're Pregnant When...

You want to eat everything all the time...but eating anything ever makes you want to throw up! What a balancing act it is! This is the first pregnancy I can't eat much at all. The first few weeks were okay but the past few, I'm lucky to eat a whole meal! I usually only get half portions down and don't tend to snack because well...food is not really my friend right now! Except it is my friend...because without any of it I'm MORE sick! Go figure! With a few days where I was so sick I could barley move there is finally light at the end of the tunnel! I'm only 8 weeks but I find my nausea finally taking a back seat and not being so apparent in every move I make. Praise the Lord! I can function! Except at night...but at least at night it's bed time. And if I can't function past 5:30 the kids have been lucky and been watching a movie every evening so Mama can just lay down!
It's amazing to me the first trimester of a pregnancy. I swear it's the time with the MOST changes in a pregnancy but yet the baby is so tiny! But really when you think about it, it's an incredible thing God allows us to do! We grow an entire human being! Wow! Isn't that something? What an amazing gift the Lord has given us, because lets face it, it's all in his hands. He doesn't NEED us, but he uses us as vessels for HIS creation! What a miracle!
Sure, there are moments that are tiring and some where you even want to pull your hair out, but it is such a wonderful blessing to be used by the Lord to train up children for His Glory. Five babies in five years sure is an adventure (it's actually 7 pregnancies in five years!) and when I give birth in June (Lord Willing) we will have SIX children ages EIGHT AND UNDER. The most common comment I get is "Wow you're hands are full"...why yes they are, but so are our hearts. I am so grateful to the Lord for giving me the opportunity to grow another baby in my womb, to raise five children now for the glory of God. Even in the moments where I'm throwing up, nauseous and starving at the same time, children are still a blessing from the Lord and I am still blessed to be able to grow life inside me and take care of the children in my home.
I've actually seen great progress in my children as I've been sick, they really know how to step up to the plate! They can clean pretty darn good! They know how to load laundry, they can empty a dishwasher and even load it if needed. They can make peanut butter and jelly...and they are HAPPY to do so! They love helping! Not to get off on another subject but...it's so crazy to me that some people think children shouldn't do those things, that it's "mean" to "make them" do chores but guess what, my children LOVE helping! They love to be part of a functioning family that works hard! Of course we battle laziness and discontentment but, for the most part they are joyful to work.
Back to pregnancy....for anyone who knows my history knows I don't grow babies quite as gracefully as some. They like to give me adventuresome pregnancies with curvy paths, my babies are unpredictable to us...but not the the Lord. The Lord has numbered each of our days, from the start. The baby in my womb will have no more effect on me, or on the day he/she is born than the Lord already set forth for him/her to have. Isn't that great? It makes it a whole lot easier when we remember that!

Happy Birthday Victory!

Dear Victory,

I can not believe you are one years old already! Time has flown by. One year ago you came into this world via C-Section (you had to make your own original appearance of course!) At just 33 weeks you came out screaming, making your Papa and I thank God for that precious scream we were worried we wouldn't hear. You did great, after just three weeks in the NICU you were home with Mama and Papa where you belong! You were such a joyful addition to this family. You always have a smile to share and can light up any room. You are the most serious baby we have ever had, when you are not smiling you have a very serious look to you all the time. Your Papa thinks you are going to be a theologian because you always seem to be thinking. We pray the Lord continue to bless you in all you do. We are so thankful to him for this year we've had with you, how much you have grown! From the tiny little preemie in the NICU to the chubby one year old eating every piece of food we put in front of you. You are such a joy to us! We look forward to all the years to come and pray the Lord call you to serve him and be a mighty man in Him. We love you.

Mama

Playing Dress Up

Brothers and Best Friends

A Suprise? When? Where?

What a big grin you have Victory! Is there any reason for such a big simle? A suprise you say? What suprise? You won't know all the details for 9 months? What is nine months? Nine months until you are a big brother!?! Wow!! Now that is something to smile about!!!

Happy Birthday Dylan

Is it possible? Are you five years old already? The time has gone by so fast. You amaze me each day as you grow. I pray that the Lord continues to work in your life to grow you into a mighty man of God. I see each day as you grow ways you are learning to walk according to His word. Tonight you amazed me as I was in a lot of pain and you rose to the occasion. You made me a sandwhich (peanut butter and cheese ;-) ) and brought me a big glass of water. You cleaned the entire upstairs, put away groceries all with a wonderful attitude and without being asked, simply out of your desire to take care of me. You fed the dogs and gave them water without my asking you to and put them in the garage. You really impressed me the way you rose to the occassion.

I love the way you so deeply want to be like your father. You want to grow up and landscape and can't wait until the day that you can go along and help him. You got a small pipe today for your birthday, just like your Papa. You are so proud of him, which makes me so proud of you. You also want to be a farmer (much like your father again). You refer to yourself as the great "chicken farmer" as we have never seen a chicken you can't catch! You love to be outside and can't wait to help plant next years garden. You are a hard worker.
You long to do the things that the Lord has set forth for you in His word. Though it is not always easy and never will you always suceed, I'm so proud of how hard you try. I pray you keep the spirit of not giving up easily and always trying harder.

You are such a help to your Mama. I appreciate your heart which longs to make each day a little easier for me (well...most days :-) ). You have learned to do your own laundry including folding it and putting it away. You are great at feeding animals and finding eggs in the hen house. You are a wonderful helper when I need someone to watch baby Victory when I need to get something done, you know how to make him happy.

I pray that the Lord continues to work in you a servants heart. I pray that you would always draw near to Him and not grow weary of doing good. I pray that He continues to grow you into a mighty man of God that would make a great change in this world for His glory. May the Lord bless you in all you in all that you do.

I love you son, and I'm so very proud of you.

Love, Mommy

1 Week Old

Seven Months
20 months old

2 Years
3 years
4 years
The day you turned 5 (October 24th 2009)