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Natural childbirth
Natural childbirth. No medication. Friends and neighbors could not believe that I would choose to have a baby this way, but as a lifelong Christian Scientist it was only natural for me to turn to God for help during my pregnancies. I had learned from a very young age that God would be my help in any situation.
When my husband and I found out we were expecting our first child, we immediately called a Christian Science practitioner to pray with us for the next nine months. The practitioner helped me see that I needed to begin immediately to establish my understanding that the baby was God's child, and that both of us had our own identity in our Father-Mother God. A statement from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures made this very clear: "Whatever reflects Mind, Life, Truth, and Love, is spiritually conceived and brought forth; but the statement that man is conceived and evolved both spiritually and materially, or by both God and man, contradicts this eternal truth" (p. 303). I did not have any discomfort during the first few months.
As the fetus grew, it appeared to be getting too big for me. When it kicked a certain way I was very uncomfortable. This statement helped a great deal in healing this: "Adhesion, cohesion, and attraction are properties of Mind" (ibid., p. 124). Cohesion meant to me in this case everything fitting together perfectly; there could not be any overlapping or overcrowding, because as ideas of God, the baby and I reflected divine harmony. Once I realized this, there was no more discomfort when the baby moved.
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September 18, 1995 issue
View Issue-
Watching today's kids, seeing who they truly are
Channing Walker
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Innocent!
Ralph Hollingsworth Clarke
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You think you are a victim—think again!
Janet Tinsley
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Prove them wrong!
Robin Jagel Berg
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Who is your model?
Grayce G. Young
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Letters to a Sunday School pupil: the Ten Commandments
with contributions from Your Sunday School teacher
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In the midst of challenges, seeing God's presence
Robert A. Johnson
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Freely sharing your insights of Truth
Lacy Bell Richter
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Seeking an experience of the sacred
William E. Moody
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How can you pray about ethnic strife?
Mary Metzner Trammell
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Natural childbirth
Jennifer Ball Wolf with contributions from Robert C. Wolf
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I was born and raised in a Christian Scientist family
Matthew Lockhart
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In August 1993 I spent a few days with some Parisian friends...
Corinne Isabelle Poncet
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My husband was alarmed when I cried out, "I'm all right
Patricia C. Annis