Pregnancy after miscarriage
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
My prayer point was I would hear the cry of a baby before the end of 2017 in our home. The Holy Spirit instructed me to fast for 3 days and see what would happened. On the second day, it was the hardest thing to do and that’s when I was tempted with food the most. I am a foodie, I love great food! I stood strong and continued the fast. A day after the fast, early Friday morning at 6:00 am, I jumped out of bed while my husband was still asleep, I took a pregnancy test and it came back positive. I took another test to make sure of what I was seeing was positive, I then shouted my husband's name calling to come and see the goodness of God... "We are Pregnant, We are going to have a child"!
When the pregnancy test was confirmed, these are few of the things I did to maintained a healthy pregnancy while holding on to the WORD of GOD.
Knowing about your Fertility ( "Taking charge of your Fertility" are few of the books that you can purchase to start your pregnancy journey.
Knowing if your body and mind is ready for pregnancy
By the way, I’m not a healthcare professional or anyone you should take any sort of medical advice from. I’m just a lowly woman who is a research fanatic and trying to steward her health for the glory of God.
I don't have fertility problem but I thought and did the right things to prepare my mind and body for a healthy pregnancy and baby!
Spending time in the Word of God (Positive thoughts)
Praying through Pregnancy I knew the only way I'd survive pregnancy was through prayers and organizing my billions..... prayer requests was no small task. Way before I got pregnant, I made a decision on Dec 31, 2016 to soak myself in the Lord and spend more time than ever in His presence. On January 1, 2017, I started the one year Bible plan, and other bible plans. I sometimes missed a day to read the plan but I didn't missed a day in prayers or thanksgiving. The 9 months became an incredible journey and a time I experienced the most growth I'e ever experienced in my faith. I had prayer sessions with my best friends every Wednesday's, my husband and I spent time together in prayers when we could. I ordered a few books from Amazon that could help me on the journey.
Here are list of the things I actually prayed for during the last month before she was born. Prayers For Mom: healthy pregnancy, healthy body, labor & delivery, be light to nurses and doctors, breastfeeding and milk supply, sleep and energy, postpartum recovery, postpartum depression, finding quality time with God, peace and patience for due date, joy during the first two weeks, bonding time with my husband, taking away fear and anxiety, for off the Lord, best before the babies, smooth maternity leave, confidence in parenting.
For Baby: safe delivery, sleep, able to breastfeed, sweet spirit, pleasant baby, healthy and strong baby, overall health, a light for Jesus, future friends, destiny (future career/passions) future mates.
Eating healthy ( Eat nutrient dense foods)
Nutrition is a key part of boosting fertility and giving your baby the best possible start. A good diet can increase your odds for conceiving and help your body overall.
Nutrients that I like to focus on when preparing body for pregnancy are vitamins A, C, D, E, and K2, iodine, and omega-3 fats. Though there are several other important nutrients, these are a good place to focus my efforts.
Some Fertility Superfoods:
- Pastured eggs
- Wild-caught fish (Salmon is my favorite!)
- Butter
- Cod Liver Oil
- Dark green leafy vegetables
- Citrus fruit
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Sweet potatoes
- Garlic
2. Limit sugar and caffeine
In addition to eating nutrient dense foods, I also limit the amount of sugar and caffeine I consume when preparing my body for pregnancy.
By cutting down on sugar and caffeine, or eliminating it altogether, my body can work to balance my hormones and increase my chances of conceiving.
3. Exercise regularly
Here are some common known reasons to exercise:
- Help maintain a healthy weight
- Better sleep
- More energy
- Improves mood
- Improves mind clarity
Exercise is a great stress reliever, and it’s very helpful in restoring hormonal imbalances. Therefore, when I’m preparing my body for pregnancy, I exercise at least 30 minutes a day, three to four times a week.
4. Getting your husband/partner on board and standing together.
5. Create a habit of rest
Rest is not a sin. Let me say it again. Rest is not a sin.
As a culture built on productivity, it’s easy to think we are being lazy when we choose to rest. However, it’s simply not true. Lack of sleep, pushing my body to the maximum, and choosing self-sufficiency causes health problems. Rest plays an important role in the production and balancing of hormones.
I create a habit of rest.
- I start my evening routine by 9pm
- I turn off electronics by 9:30pm
- I read books in bed
- I rest for 15 minutes to an hour in the middle of the day
- I take naps if I need to
- I cut back on unnecessary work (it’s helpful to remember that every need is not my calling)
6.. Drink herbal teas
Herbal teas are a great way to nourish your body. Herbal teas can give you a natural boost of vitamins and minerals all while hydrating your body!
I buy most all of my herbs from Whole foods or a local health store.
Herbs I like for fertility:
- Stinging Nettles
- Red Raspberry Leaf
- Peppermint
- Lemon balm
7. Get a Maya Abdominal Massage
Among its many benefits, a Maya Abdominal Massage can help boost your fertility. I found this to be gold. I found a Douala (Lisa) a women and healthy wellness store in West Palm Beach Florida http://www.amazingbirths.com/Preconception%20&%20Fertility.php#mam
http://redtentwellness.com/mayaabdominalmassage.php
Lisa explained to me that many women uteruses get out of line and that it could be resolved with a simple 45 minute massage. I was skeptical, but I was also desperate to try it. I just wanted to feel better. And rested. Plus who in their right mind would turn down a massage?
Maya massage is a massage technique that is noninvasive way of re-positioning internal organs that have shifted. A misaligned uterus can cause a lot of health problems, especially related to your fertility.
Symptoms of a Displaced Uterus (here are a few):
- Painful periods (Your period is not supposed to hurt! Extreme cramping is not supposed to happen. Not ideally!)
- Late, early, or irregular periods
- Dark, thick blood at onset and at the end of menstruation
- Headache or migraine with period
- Failure to ovulate regularly
- Painful ovulation
- PMS/Depression
- Blood clots during menstruation and excessive bleeding
- Chronic miscarriage
- Premature deliveries
- Difficult pregnancies/incompetent uterus/spotting
- Infertility
- Painful intercourse
- Difficult menopause
“When reproductive organs shift, they can constrict normal flow of blood and lymph, and disrupt nerve connections. Just a few extra ounces sitting on blood and lymph vessels can cause havoc throughout the different systems in the body. By shifting the uterus back into place, homeostasis, or the natural balance of the body, is restored in the pelvic area and the surrounding organs. Toxins are flushed and nutrients that help to tone tissue and balance hormones are restored to normal order. This is essential for healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery.” ~Arvigo Therapy, Definition and History
Since having a miscarriage, the Maya massage has been crucial to my recovery. Plus, they feel amazing!
9. Get a vaginal steam
Yep. You read that right. I did vaginal steam baths to prepare my body for pregnancy.
In addition to the Mayan massage, my Douala created a concoction of herbs for a vaginal steam that I did before ovulation. I go to her office and let her pamper me, but you can easily do a vaginal steam bath at home.
Note: Vaginal steam baths are also helpful post miscarriage to help clean out the system and aid the uterus in recovery.
Basically, a vaginal steam bath cleanses, tones, and nourishes your uterus, cervix, and tissues.Vaginal steam baths aren’t just helpful for fertility, but if you experience PMS, painful menstrual cycles, hemorrhoids, and other monthly cycle symptoms, then a vaginal steam bath could really help.
Herbs Used in My Vaginal Steam Bath:
- Calendula
- Partridge berry
- Lemon balm
- Thyme
- Plantain
- Oregano
- Basil
You can buy the vaginal steam herbs here, if you’d rather not make it yourself.
Thoughts on being a Christian and Using Natural Means to Boost Fertility:
You might be wondering why a Christian would use Maya massage and vaginal steams and diet to boost fertility. Aren’t these methods associated with spirituality and such? Isn’t it wrong to use healers? Is this voodoo or something?
I always sigh heavily when I get these questions. It’s much like the question, “Won’t your baby drown if you do a water birth?” to me. It annoys me a little bit to be completely honest, but I also realize that it’s ignorance that poses the question. We simply don’t understand that which we’ve never encountered.
Do people talk to spirits and such when conducting Mayan massages and vaginal steams? Yes. They do. To be honest, I think my Douala (who is not a professing Christian) has rituals that she likes to use when preparing her remedies and healing treatments.
But me – a Christian? I see it as an AMAZING way God has provided for our family through natural means to heal my body and boost fertility. For me, I see the herbs growing from the ground, the water running in the streams, and the gift of knowledge He has given my Douala as just that – a gift. A gift that reminds me of how great He is and how He has provided for us through His natural creation. Also, my Douala has never done anything against my beliefs in front of me. She respects my beliefs 100%.
Personally, I wish more Christians talked about natural healing and methods we can use to boost fertility. I wish it all wasn’t so taboo. I think it’s an area where God is left out, and it makes me sad.
Therefore, if you’re looking for ways to boost fertility, try one of the tips above. Like I said at the outset, this is what I did and it worked well for us. Every case is different, and even though we did “everything right” our fertility is ultimately in the Lord’s hands. He gives and He takes away. And all of it is grace!
