At the end of this past June, my husband and I found out we were expecting another baby. And we cannot be more excited! In the weeks that followed, we discovered that we are expecting another baby girl and our excitement has only grown.
Growing up without sisters, I cannot wait to witness that special dynamic in my own children, and I know that our oldest daughter will thrive with having a sister so close in age.
As you can imagine, the discovery of a pregnancy leads to the scheduling of your first ultrasound and prenatal visit where you receive your due date, listen to the baby’s heartbeat, and confirm the health and wellness of the baby.
Even though I personally see a midwife group as opposed to an OB/GYN, I was still taken aback when I read through my summary notes of my most recent 20-week appointment.
As I scrolled down to see if my midwife had any personal notes for me, one line caught by eye.
“Problems: Pregnancy. Status: Active. ”
I don’t mean to be insensitive or callous in any way. However, from language like that, one would expect me to have been diagnosed with cancer or an autoimmune disorder.
For years, the pro-life community and the health and wellness community have been like-minded in their desire to see a change in how pregnancy is viewed.
From the perspective of the pro-life community, pregnancy is viewed as a gift and a blessing from God. After all, I am not pregnant with a duck or a beaver. My husband and I are expecting a precious little girl that is uniquely designed (Ps. 139) and made in the image of God (Gen. 1:28).
From the perspective of the health and wellness community, pregnancy should be viewed as a natural yet amazing process that creates new life – a one-of-a-kind person with their own sex, personality traits and DNA. Pregnancy is not a disease. Pregnancy is not a “problem” that needs a “cure.”
In fact, pregnancy is the most normal thing for a woman’s body to experience. After all, from the time we receive our first cycle as tweens or teens, God’s design of our body is crystal clear: to create, carry, and sustain life.
What a privilege it is to be entrusted with the first 9 months of my daughter’s life. And yet, the medical community categorizes it as a “problem” and the pro-abortion movement likewise characterizes it as a “burden” and a “parasite.”
Changing and transforming the culture to be one that embraces and celebrates life is, I am finding, extremely multifaceted.
It is not just the pro-abortion community that needs to see the value and dignity of life in the womb. It appears that even our medical providers are oblivious to the wonders of pregnancy. And it’s puzzling. After all, countless anecdotal stories reveal the callousness of the medical field towards life in the womb.
Many women have described their experiences with their medical providers. After receiving an undesirable diagnosis, abortion was offered, and even encouraged, as a legitimate medical option.
We must do better as a society in how we view pregnancy and motherhood. And it can start with you.
Next time you meet an expecting mom, congratulate her and offer her a reminder of just how precious her little one is. You may never know how deeply meaningful those words can be.
