The Stress Free Mum

What more do we do with news other than to spread it? There is a bubbling in our spirit to share our good news with those around us. Even when we do not speak, our smile gives us away. This is so true especially when we are told of our soon-to-be bundle of joy. It becomes a case of ‘going to tell it on the mountain, over the seas and everywhere’. But dear mum-to-be before you tell…

Oh don’t panic, there is truly nothing wrong with sharing your great news with people.

When I fell pregnant with my youngest whilst in my mid-thirties, I wasn’t so keen to share it with the world because I had boasted for years that my childbearing days were over. In fact, my exact words were, ‘this shop is closed’.  But alas, God had better plans and I left it to my bump and round face to tell it to the world.

The non-tale telling was similar to my second pregnancy. Being my surprise baby (yes I know – surprise and baby don’t sit well in the same sentence), I was shocked and numb for most of the pregnancy and so again, I left it to nature to announce my news. However, with my first, I left it to Hubby Dearest to share the news with loved ones, far and near. I didn’t take the back seat because I was shy (really!) but because I wanted to sort some things out in the place of prayer.

 I had recently stumbled upon the scripture in Judges 13 verse 8:-

God had sent a word to Manoah’s wife of her pregnancy after they had waited years for a child. That should have been enough. God had answered their prayer and they were to be parents. It should have been time to celebrate, spread the news, shop and set up the nursery. But no! Manoah understood that being a parent was good but it was better to be a good parent. He understood that they needed God to teach them how to bring up the child. What an awesome realisation and so like Manoah, I began to ask God for help and subtle and softly, I could sense God’s voice along the way.

As I carried on during the days, weeks and months that followed, ideas, strategies and pictures would drop in my heart. On one occasion, I was led to write out the character traits I wanted in my baby and I asked for a quiet and content child. Another time, I was compelled to write a list of items needed for my first seed and trust God to supply. I guess you can imagine that it was a rather long shopping list.

I also remember my antenatal classes, where I always responded positively when the nurses felt duty-bound to share negative tales. I still remember saying to myself, ‘My child will not come here’ as we walked through the neonatal intensive care unit (I wonder how that was meant to inspire mothers). Well, whatever was thrown at me physically or even spiritually, I was ready but not in my own strength but in the strength of the One that I fell before in the place of worship and prayer.

So dear mum-to-be, before you share your news, spend time lost in prayer.

Spend time asking God to teach you how to bring up your seed of greatness (Psalm 119:66).

Spend time praying about your child’s temperament (Luke 2:40).

Spend time praying for your child’s name (Proverbs 22:1).

Spend time praying for your health (Exodus 23:25-26).

Spend time praying for the day of delivery (Isaiah 66:7-8).

Spend time asking God to protect you and your baby (Psalm 91).

Spend time praying for God to complete what He has started (Philippians 1:6).

Spend time committing all before God (Psalm 37:5).

Be encouraged that it is not the length of time spent in prayer but the quality of a heartfelt cry to God with moments of silence to hear His voice. So dear mum-to-be before you tell and share your baby news, sort things out in the place of prayer.

And before I forget to mention, on this occasion, God indeed granted all my requests.