There are many different views of how to start a family. Some say leave it completely up to God. Some say they are ready to get married but definitely not ready to parent so they go to a doctor and get a prescription and some might think about it entirely too much. I really can't say which one is right and I believe all will argue that they are trying to follow the guidelines they believe make up responsible living. While I may be on the "conservative" side of leaving the topic open to prayer and God's guidance, I haven't felt led that way yet.
People and strangers have now really started asking the baby question. I have been married for a little while and I don't even have a full time job so I should cut my losses in the professional world and have babies now until things turn around. At least that was one comment I got. Only that just accounts for finances (or lack of my own) and not my physical or emotional/spiritual health. In my own version of responsible living/parenthood here are some of the things I have adapted to my lifestyle to prepare mind and body for future motherhood:
1. diverse eating habits - before I might say I had fruits and veggies but they were always the same two or three. I have broadened my horizons to squash, cabbage, asparagus, berries, nuts, brussel sprouts, and some I can't even name. That is a bunch more than broccoli and carrots and apples and bananas.
2. more consistent exercise - I'm not going to say how much because all you exercise fanatics will laugh, but it's more than before and that is a start.
3. Doctors appointments among doctor appointments. I want to make sure I am healthy before trying to sustain another human being. These appts included:
1. Neurologist and EEG - check ups from a surgery done in 1999
2. Routine Physical - check blood levels etc to make sure I don't have nutrient deficiencies and that I'm taking the right supplements
3. A bunch of other appts I thought I could get out of the way including an eye exam and trip to the dentist and then second trip for a filling.
Wow, that seems like a lot and I'm only taking care of myself. Hopefully my emphasis on NFP and knowing about my body will help when I feel a call to motherhood and, even if I am part of the 1 out of 7 couples who experiences infertility, I will know I did all that was in my power to prepare for the physical demands of motherhood and even conception. If there is one thing I know from learning/teaching NFP it is that conception is not a right - it is a gift.
If you haven't guessed yet - I have a lot of doctor's appointments this week and I'm trying to convince myself it is worth all the hassle :-)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Ha, I hear you. My dentist appts this week are in the same vein.
ReplyDeleteI hope yours went better than mine. I got a filling last Thursday and it still hurts...I'm hoping that doesn't mean I now need a route canal
ReplyDeleteGood for you. I recognize that I am a little on the hard-core side of preparing for pregnancies, so I try to keep myself in check and remember that most babies turn out perfectly fine even if their mothers do not prepare their bodies for pregnancy.
ReplyDeleteThat said, if you can take care of your body first and give it that edge for a healthy pregnancy, why wouldn't you?! I firmly believe that every woman who could possibly become pregnant should at least make sure that she is getting enough folic acid, if not take a prenatal (which is what I do).
I would want to get the flu vaccine *before* getting pregnant since it is quite dangerous to be sick while pregnant. I know that they say that it is perfectly safe during pregnancy, but the medical establishment has been wrong so many times on this sort of thing, so I'd rather play it safe.
And my husband laughs at me making him eat foods that are high in zinc and selenium, but I think that if it is good for male fertility it should be good for male health in general.
http://www.marilynglenville.com/infertility.htm
Hm. Anyway, I guess that I am crazy, but you're totally doing the right thing in taking care of your body first!