Even in the Womb...

I had been warned about how gassy pregnant women can get.  So many things change, and yet for me, this would be no issue.  I have often had my 'gassy' moments over the years, so I wasn't anticipating any new discomfort.  I wasn't prepared for this weekend, however.  It must have been the broccoli and asparagus that I had under-steamed in my attempt to keep them crispy (my tendency is to over-steam, and the broccoli florets always end up wilted and brown).  Whatever the case, my belly felt so tight and uncomfortable all weekend.  By last night, I could barely walk around the block, and that's when I started to get worried.  It's one thing chalking it up to gas when you aren't pregnant.  It's your body.  But now I'm a mother, and there is a little one trying to grow inside me, so I have to put myself second.  What if it isn't just gas?  What if it's those critical abdominal pains the doctor told me to 'call right away' about?  My mind was mulling over the possibilities, and I was starting to rule out gas since it seemed to be lasting longer than normal.

I called the hospital, and felt left up to my own devices when the nurse advised me to do what I felt best.  Of course they can't say much over the phone, but I would have liked some parameters or guidelines to go by.  Jake and I talked it over, and we both decided that, since we could still feel the baby moving, we wouldn't worry about it too much for the night.  For the first time, we had to do what Christian parents the world over have to do with their children: leave them in the Lord's capable hands.  We prayed and asked God to give us a sense of urgency if it was something more, but to otherwise alleviate our fears and to get us through until the morning.

Well, I woke up this morning feeling about 90% better, and my belly was much less tight and distended than last night (so it was probably gas after all).  I told Jake we could still go to the hospital if I didn't feel the baby move, and five minutes later it moved.  God asks us to trust Him with our children, and He tests our faith, but in the end He doesn't give us more than we can bear.

Learning to trust God with our children will be one of the hardest and most faith-building exercise we will have to perform as parents, even while they are still in the womb.

Love,
Ashleigh