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In another article you learned that “Babies are a Gift of God”, as stated in Psalm 127:3 “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is His reward.” How should parents take care of this Gift from God before the child is born? This article will look at three areas on how to take care of God's gift before birth. These areas are the Physical Diet, the Spiritual Diet, and the Marital diet. The word “diet” means basically a manner of living or a mode of life generally prescribed by a physician. Each Mother's (individual's) life should be regulated by the Great Physician, Jesus.
The first area in taking care of God's Gift, your baby, before birth is the Physical diet. This includes number one what you eat and what you drink. Nutritional eating is advised by many if not all health experts. As a Mother you should develop a Diet with a Physician or Nutritional experts help. The mother should eat foods from the Five Food groups daily: grains, vegetables, fruits, milk products, and proteins. It is also recommend that the mother gets the right vitamins and minerals. The mother should remember what she eats will effect the Baby's Health. As a mother carrying a child it is advised by Physicians that she should avoid Tobacco products, Alcohol, Drugs (unless prescribed), and a lot of Caffeine. Again, as an encouragement to Mothers they should seek a Physician's advice on her diet. Second, the Physical diet should include the proper rest and exercise. Rest is recommended, and even taking a 30 minute nap in the later stages of pregnancy. Exercise is also recommend to help the mother stay fit which will help them during the delivery and after the Baby is born to lose the unnecessary weight they may have gained during the pregnancy. Christian Mothers (and Fathers) should take heed to the following verse: 1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
The second area in taking care of God's Gift, your baby, before birth is the Spiritual Diet. During pregnancy the Mother may or will face times of anguish, pain, discouragement, anger, or loneliness just to mention a few areas of trials. The best place to find help during these times is from the Heavenly Father, the creator of life, and the Word of God. Your personal relationship with Him will bring you through these times. If, you do not have a personal relationship with the Heavenly Father and know Christ as Saviour you are encouraged to make this decision. Romans 10:9 – 10 says “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” To have a personal relationship you need believed in your Heart that Christ died for you on the cross and accept Him by Faith as Saviour. Once you know Him as Saviour take time to read the Bible and claim His promises. One of His great promises is found in 1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” There are many great promises like this one that will help you through your pregnancy. The second part of the Spiritual diet is Prayer; Philippians 4:6 – 7 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” The last, part of the Spiritual diet is church attendance; Hebrews 10:24 – 25 “ And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Church attendance is the one of the best place you can go to find encouragement and other ladies that are going through or have gone through what you are experiencing now that you are pregnant. This will be the greatest support group if you allow it to be. The Spiritual diet will allow you to focus properly and keep your priorities in the right perspective. Spiritual Renewal is like a Spring Shower that brings new life.
The third area in taking care of God's Gift, your Baby is the Marital Diet. Many over look this part of Pregnancy. What better time than this to grow closer as a couple and support one another. Amos 3:3 “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” Unity will build a strong marriage. Thinking of this diet as a couple you first should consider one another emotional needs. Mothers and Father both go through times of stress and easy to“Push each others Buttons” times. Be sensitive to what makes you or your spouse to to get angry. When you do get angry make sure to apologize with a sincere heart and make things right. Leave all excuses aside and just admit you were wrong. Take to heart Ephesians 4:26 “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:” Second, take time to read your Bibles together and Pray with each other. Third, just take some time to enjoy one another company. Have a date now and then; or do like some couples do and set aside one night each week to something special with each other. Fourth, as mention before go to church regularly and get involved with a good couples group and Bible Study. Last, make your marriage 100% on each of your part. Husbands and Wives (Mom and Dad) should learn to help each other with all the household chores including cleaning the house, laundry, dishes, and what ever needs to be done. Colossians 3:23 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;” “Walk together” in your marriage and reap the blessings of the Lord and happiness even through trials.
In conclusion, the final words on this subject: “Taking Care of God's Gift before Birth”. Look at these Diets: Physical, Spiritual, and Marital as way to serve the Lord and give Him the Glory with your pregnancy Mothers and with your marriage as a couple (Mother and Father). Parents remember these words from the Word of God: 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” Learn now to serve the Lord and it will be easier to raise a Godly Family for Him.
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The Bible instructs parents in Proverbs 22:6 “To train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old; he will not depart from it.” Training or instruction by the parents a necessity in a child's life for proper development sociably, mentally, and physically. The question that arises is “where or when do we start as parents?” The best advice found is before a child is born through Stimulation. There are three basic areas of Stimulation: sound, touch, and proper care.
The first area of Stimulation that a parent encouraged to use is sound. Sound according to many studies has a great effect on the child's development while in the womb and will also have lasting effects on the child once the child is born. What types of sounds should the parents use? The first sound is talking to the child, both mother and father. Using wholesome words when speaking to the child has a proven effect on the child's ability to bond and relate to each parents once born. The second sound which is related to the first is reading to the child while in the womb. As Christian parents the best reading material is the Bible. Both parents are encouraged to take time reading to a child, which will develop their baby's mental ability to speak and learn as well as creating a positive relationship with each parent. The third sound is music that is calm and soothing to the child. Parents are should avoid loud music or music that may cause irritation to the baby. One suggestion for the use of music is to take a set of head phones and place them on the mother's stomach to allow the child to develop their thoughts and response to the music or the parents may choose to sing to the child. As Christian parents it would be wise to use good Christian music and develop their spiritual growth even before they are born. Sound simulations that should be avoided are extreme loud noises such as screaming, yelling, banging, or noises that will cause the child to be restless once born. An example of this a child that was exposed to Firecrackers before birth may become very afraid and agitated after they are born in response to hearing a firecracker. Parents will need to learn to avoid certain noise because of the effects it may have on the child after they are born. The goal of using positive sounds is for the baby to be able to develop properly, especially mentally.
The second area of Stimulation is touch. Again, both parents are encouraged to use touch to stimulate the child in the womb. While the parents are using the first area of Stimulation, sound, they should take turns rubbing the Mother womb when they are speaking, signing or reading to the child. When there is movement of the child in the womb is a good time to use the Stimulation of gently patting or rubbing the tummy. When parents receive an ultra sound of the baby this will help them know where the head of the child is located so can gently rub that area of the tummy. This type of stimulation has also proven effect on the way the child will bond with the parents once born.
The third area of Stimulation is proper care. Proper care is the result of the mother's physical, mental, and emotional well being. Both parents can play an important roll in this even though it is mainly the mother's responsibility for herself and the child.. Physically the mother should take time to eat right as well as exercise to maintain her strength and physical fitness. Mentally the mother should take some time to focus on herself and the baby's needs. Reading and relaxing will help both the mother and the child. Also, take time to counsel with some Godly women who have been through what you are going through. Proverbs teaches that there is wisdom in the multitude of counselors, Proverbs 11:14, 15:22. Emotionally the mother again should take time to relax and meditate on the Word of God which will provide strength and encouragement. The Husband's responsibility is to Love, Nourish, and Cherish their wives, Ephesians 5:25-33. Husbands should be the positive encourager and strength to his wife and child during the pregnancy. Husbands can eat right and exercise with their wives. They can provide for her mental and emotional needs also. The husband can and should be his wife's support through out her pregnancy by allowing some free time for relaxation and helping around the house with the chores. Husbands should have a daily goal to read the Bible and pray with his wife. Parents should allow this time of pregnancy to draw each of them closer one to another. A positive and loving relationship will have a great result on the child once born.
In conclusion Stimulation of sound, touch, and proper care will provide lasting effects on the child's
growth once they are born. Studies have proven that a child will be able to communicate better with their parents if the principles of sound was developed in the womb. The sound Stimulation has also proven that a child has a better chance to develop their speech earlier and easier. A child will respond to parents better emotionally when the Stimulation of touch was practiced when the parent hugs the child or provides for their physical needs. Last, proper care teaches parents to work together, love one another (even trough difficulties), and be their for each other. Building a happy, positive, (Christian) home will be the best for the development and training up a child in the way he should go. Parents should strive to keep Jesus first in the marriage and home for the benefit and well being of the child and their marriage. As a word of encouragement parents should seek out some good material on training their child before birth and after Birth. The best tool though is the word of God itself for raising a godly family.
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Psalm 127:3 states “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is His reward.” Both of these phrases in this verse prove that a “Baby” comes directly from the God of Heaven and that the Heavenly Father bestows upon Parents a heavenly gift from above, their baby.
The word “Heritage” has a meaning that gives that proves that all children are God's children as well as direct predetermined gift from above to parents. Jeremiah 1:5, there is evidence of this when the Word of God speaks of the Prophet Jeremiah before his birth; “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto nations.” God in all His Omniscience (knowledge) knew what parents Jeremiah was going to be born to, when he was going to be born, and what purpose he was to have in his life. We can learn from this verse that God in His Omniscience knows every child that will be born, to whom they will be born to, and what purpose they will have in life. The baby that is born is the “Heritage” of the Lord.
The phrase: “The fruit of the womb” gives a clear proof that the Heavenly Father through His omnipotent power allows the womb of the woman to be opened at the right time for the baby to be conceived. Evidence of this is found in Genesis 29:31, this verse speaks of Leah and Rachel, “And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, He opened her womb: but Rachel was barren (The Lord closed her womb).” Other verses in the Word of God that shows His omnipotent power over the womb are Genesis 30:22, “And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her and opened her womb”; 1 Samuel 1:5 speaking of Hannah, “... the Lord had shut up her womb”; 1 Samuel 1:19 – 20 “... the Lord remembered her …. after Hannah had conceived.” These verses are just a few places that show God's omnipotent power over the womb and the conception of a baby. The baby is “the fruit of the womb” that begins at conception.
“The fruit of the womb is His Reward” The reward or gift of the womb is the child that is born to the Parents. Psalm 139:13 – 16, David gives Praise to the Heavenly Father who watched over him, protected him, and even wrote all of his members (each body part) in a book while in his mother's womb. “For Thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in Thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.” When babies are conceived in the womb, this is the beginning of our Heavenly Father miraculous creation and handiwork as the baby begins to develop. After about nine months of The Heavenly Father using the womb of the mother to nurture, protect, and care for the baby; the “reward” or gift of the Heavenly Father is born to the parents. Therefore, Babies are God's Divine creation given to parents as a reward or gift.
In conclusion; and the proof has been given, Babies are truly a divine Gift from the Heavenly Father which He bestows upon Parents and gives them the responsibility of raising that baby for Him. Praise the Lord today if He has counted you worthy to give you the gift of life, your baby.
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BabiesJoyful.com
