Giving life – growing, nurturing, sustaining another inside you – is truly a gift given to women. Having recently birthed our tenth child I can attest to that divine calling.
Two years ago before giving birth to Ganache, I had the pleasure of reading a book with a unique mission. The Gift of Giving Life shares the experiences of many LDS women as they journey through pregnancy and birth, infertility and miscarriages, relying on spiritual guidance to help them in their choices, whatever those choices may be. It is so wonderful to read these amazing stories that draw us together as women, as mothers. When asked if I could host a stop on the book tour for The Gift of Giving Life I responded with a wholehearted “Yes!” I was already in the middle of reading it yet again in preparation for the birth of Junior Mint.
I have known when it was time for each of my children to join our family. It is amazing to me how similar, yet different, each of their births have been. I have learned that though they come from the same gene pool they are each unique with talents and abilities God has bestowed upon them. Motherhood is hard. Knowing what to do, what to teach, how to teach, when to teach is hard. Through it all I have learned that first and foremost they are the Lord’s. And because they are His He will help me.
He will help you too. Whether you are suffering through yet another miscarriage or the heartache of infertility, the Lord is there. Whether you choose to home birth or have a planned C-section, the Lord is there. As you read the experiences of the women in this book you will see how the Lord was there for each of them. In the joys and triumphs, the disappointments and sorrows, He is made manifest. His is the work of creation after all. The sacredness of birth is shared on every page of this book.
Earn 3 Free Bonus Gifts when you buy a copy of The Gift of Giving Life by May 15th. Just visit The Gift of Giving Life to find out the details!
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I was super excited to read this book last year. But I didn’t like it:/ There was a dangerous level of doctrinal speculation. I did like many of the written experiences, but felt my own situation (C-sections) was given just an obligatory mention. It was a big let down of a read for me.
Lindsey,
I am sorry you didn’t feel that cesareans were given the attention they merit. I had a cesarean with my first and worked hard to make sure cesareans from providing support for moms planning a cesarean and recovering from one were covered in the book.
I would have loved to have included more. We are always looking for more stories and experiences. If you want to share your story and your cesarean experience, please submit it and we can share it on the blog.
The actual birth day, while a pinnacle experience, is just one of many moments in the spiritual journey to becoming a mother. This is why the book isn’t about only birth. It is about womanhood, pregnancy, birth and mothering.
Lindsey, I am sorry you didn’t enjoy the book. We tried really hard to include ALL different types of birth stories in our book to show that God cares about women however they bring His children into the earth. We didn’t include as many c-section stories as vaginal births because most women give birth vaginally and so we didn’t have as big a pool to draw from. But we always love to get new birth stories– especially from women who have had different experiences– to share on our website (thegiftofgivinglife.com) We would love to have you share your experiences or thoughts if you are interested!
And like any book you read there will always be things that resonate with your soul and things that don’t. We encourage EVERYONE who reads our book to pray and ponder on what they read. They are just thoughts, to turn your heart towards the sacred nature of birth and certainly shouldn’t be taken as doctrine!
I am only half way through the book and I love it. There is such a source of strength reading these precious and sometimes sacred experiences.