Pregnancy: 3rd Trimester

"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." Psalm 139:14

First Off:

#1 I'm NOT pregnant. LOL

#2 I loved being pregnant!

#3 I personally know over ten-fifteen pregnant women. No joke!
***This post is for you!***

#4 If you are not pregnant, share this with a friend who is. :)

Third Trimester (Overview):

It begins at 28 weeks and ends at birth. :D Symptoms that you typically get with third trimester: backaches, frequent bathroom breaks, restless nights from discomfort and anxiety, stressful thoughts about birth and motherhood, and frustration. This could be the shortest trimester or feel like the longest.... You just don't know when baby will come. Be patient. My first two came on their due date and the third came at thirty weeks. :) I understand your frustration, but patience and trusting in the Lord is the best answer. 

Helpful tips:

Have a prayer birthing plan. Write it down and Let God know what you want for the birth. I did that with my 2nd and 3rd daughter and God answered them specifically. :D It was incredible. Your birth will be unique and very special. Enjoy the anticipation and enjoy the last few weeks of being pregnant with your little one. :) It's a special time.

Waiting:

Keep taking relaxing baths. Listen to calm music. Drink warm teas. Pray and read your Bible. 

If you want the baby to come faster, WALK your malls or parks. I walked with the my first two and it was the best way to get the labor started. :D (I think I walked every mall we had around us.)

LABOR:

Memorize a Bible verse to help you through the contractions and labor. (Best thing I did!) Don't go to the hospital til you can't stand the pain. Til it becomes unbearable. :) Giving birth is apart of life. Your body knows what to do. Take deep breaths and relax. Pray to God for strength and repeat the Bible verse over and over again. It will help you through the contractions.

Types of LABOR:

My first one I had an epidural and a c-section. The pain is manageable, but the recovery is longer. The second one was the quickest and all-natural. The pain was very great, but the recovery was easier. I did tear, which made bathroom breaks painful. The third one was early and unexpected. I had her naturally with an epidural. The pain was great, but the recovery was the easiest. 

I will be honest with you. My favorite birth was the second one. I know, the pain was the greatest, but afterwards, I felt so empowered as a woman. I felt like my body and I could do something that seemed impossible. It's an unbelievable feeling. Totally worth it.

I'm thankful for the experiences of the other births and I wouldn't trade them for anything. I know they were exactly what God wanted. Appreciate the birth of your children. Be thankful for the things you could do, but don't sorrow or feel regret for the things that didn't work out. Sometimes God's plan is bigger and better than ours. So be thankful and happy.

How to Pray:

Pray for patience for parents. Pray for strength for labor/delivery for mom. Pray for wisdom and discernment for doctors, midwives or other assistants. Pray for God's timing and God's plan of the birth. Pray for easier recovery and rest for mother. Pray for good health for mom and child. Pray for husband to have wisdom, offer great support, and be there for labor/delivery.

My love to you:

Hope this helps you as you journey through the pregnancy! To all my pregnant ladies, I'm praying for you and your little one! LOVE you! :)

Pregnancy: 2nd Trimester

"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." Psalm 139:14

First Off:

#1 I'm NOT pregnant. LOL

#2 I loved being pregnant!

#3 I personally know over ten-fifteen pregnant women. No joke!
***This post is for you!***

#4 If you are not pregnant, share this with a friend who is. :)

Second Trimester (Overview):

It begins at 14 weeks and ends at 27 weeks. Around 20 weeks, you'll get the detailed ultrasound of the baby. This is when you can find out the gender. We didn't do that for our first two, but did it for the third! :D Symptoms that typically go away are: being nauseated and needing to go the bathroom all the time! Best part: You can breathe and relax during this trimester. :D

Helpful Tips:

Enjoy this trimester: why? First, you are probably no longer feel miserable from the nausea. Second you get to share the good news! :D 

You also get to show off that cute baby belly! YEAH! Pregnant mommas are so adorable. :) Find some cute maternity outfits and enjoy being a momma-to-be. :) 

It is a great time to do a registry, have a baby shower, to go shopping and set up a nursery. Pick a theme. Personally, I'd be careful not to have a super girlie or boyish one. (We have a jungle theme for our girls)

Drink lots of water and eating healthy. Take relaxing bubble baths, using Epsom salts with essential oils. Read books about delivery and about motherhood. Pray for your baby, for yourself, and for your relationship with hubby. :D

Another reason to enjoy this trimester is that you could have the baby early. I had my third one at 30 weeks!! So enjoy this season of being pregnant. It's a special time bonding time with your child. :)

How to Pray:

Pray for wisdom on how to eat and continued strength for momma. Pray for baby's health. That is the most important thing! Pray for dad. He will need discernment on being a dad and a provider. Pray preparing for labor/delivery and being new parents. Pray for siblings to adjust well to the newborn.

My love to you:

Hope this helps you as you journey through the pregnancy! To all my pregnant ladies, I'm praying for you and your little one! LOVE you! :)

Pregnancy: First Trimester

"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." Psalm 139:14

First Off:

#1 I'm NOT pregnant. LOL

#2 I loved being pregnant!

#3 I personally know over ten-fifteen pregnant women. No joke!
***This post is for you!***

#4 If you are not pregnant, share this with a friend who is. :)

Why I'm writing this?

I will be writing a three part blog to encourage pregnant women through their pregnancy (one for each trimester) and one post-pregnancy blog post. I've got a little bit of experience with pregnancy (3 babies in 3 years... lol) and I also have 3 different labor/delivery experiences. At the end of each blog, I'll share also share how you can pray for someone who is pregnant or for yourself. :)

First Trimester (Overview):

The first trimester begins with conception and ends at 13 weeks. Doctors calculate pregnancy from the last menstrual cycle. Symptoms that are typically found in the first trimester are: going to bathroom every five minutes, being nauseated, sleeping and hungry all the time! :)

DO NOT SHARE:

I know, you are so excited and overjoyed to find out you are pregnant (especially if it's the first time)! But please, heed this advice: DO NOT SHARE ON FACEBOOK (or other media) til the second trimester!.... on that note, keep the sharing with family or friends to a minimum! Two of my friends share it publicly and lost their baby. They were devastated but afterwards, everyone also pitied them and they felt it. Your body is learning how to be pregnant, for some it's not a problem but for other's, there is heartbreak first. (I had two positives.. before my first... and a week later got my period)

Helpful Tips:

The best thing to do is to RELAX and ENJOY IT. Nothing will help your pregnancy more. "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones." Proverbs 17:22 KJV

Take your prenatal. Drink lots of water. Eat more often but don't overeat. If you choose healthier food choices, your baby will get healthier nutrition and build a better immune system.

Touch your belly. Pray for your child and for the pregnancy. Take bubble baths with Epsom salts and essential oils: lavender, chamomile, spearmint. (BEST thing I did!)

Read "What to Expect" and download their iPhone app. I read the book through my first pregnancy and I used the app with each of my girls. :)

How to Pray:
Whether it's for you the pregnant woman or for a friend you know who is. :)

Pray for the child's health. Pray for strength and less sickness for mom. ;) Pray for the whole family and especially the husband. Pray for knowledge on what foods to eat. Pray for better control of emotions. Pray how you can be a blessing to them. :) (BUY them bath products)

My love to you:

Hope this helps you as you journey through the pregnancy! To all my pregnant ladies, I'm praying for you and your little one! LOVE you! :)

Bible Reading

Bible Reading/Facebook posts:

I just finished my second year of reading through my Bible! YAHOO! I have tried many years to do that.... and failed. So I am thrilled that I have now done it for TWO consecutive years! :) I spend about an hour-a-day in the Word. It is the most important thing I do each day. It draws me close to God. (James 4:8)

Accountability is really important for maintaining daily reading. So last year, I began doing weekly questions for my church and I'm thrilled to do it again this year. I also began posting a daily photo of a verse(s) that stood out to me on Facebook which I am not doing this year. Both of these help me stay on track and I pray that they are a blessing, encouragement, and even convicting to others. (Proverbs 27:17)

New Year's Date:

On New Year's day, my hubby and I were able to go visit Snoqualmie Falls along with my parents, brothers, and baby Esther. Andy has only been there once before and barely remembers it; so for him, it was like going for the first time. :) We really enjoy getting the scenic shots and spending time together. Thank you for praying for us.

Our Daughters:

I believe Alena and Kenni are mended. Organic honey, raw garlic, and delicious chicken soups are a huge help! I'll keep giving them that... and keep praying for them. :D

Now, Esther and I are in recovery mood. I became sick on Friday... and am doing better. I am eating lots of garlic (thanks, mom!). Now just praying for healing.

Praises:

Alena and Kenni are healthy and doing well! Yahoo!

Andy and I got a outing date! :D

Extra help provided. Thanks, Momma Lee!

Prayer:

Esther and I to be healed.

Wisdom for Bible questions/posts.

By the Way: I want to be a better, more effective blogger. Please pray for God's wisdom and discernment for each blog.

Praying for you.