Attached at the Hip

Trust

A job. A car. Food. Relationships. A spouse. Children. Rain.  Clear skies. Money. Peace. Friends. Prosperity. Answers. Performance. Grace. Safety. Every breath.

We trust God for many things; in fact, for some, we trust Him with nearly everything in our lives.  So, why, then, do we not trust God with birth?  What is it about our culture that has convinced us that God's design can't work?

There is a prevailing culture of fear surrounding birth, and, on a broader scale, the workings of a woman's body in general.  However, for those of us who believe our bodies are the creation of an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving God, we have the freedom to embrace His creation and all of its intricacies.  We can replace fear of the unknown with knowledge of the design and rhythm of our bodies.

Knowing our bodies and how amazingly powerful they are is an important step to embracing birth and trusting God's plan for it.  Babies are not grown larger than a mama can birth (except in extraordinarily rare cases); their heads mold; our pelvises spread; we feel the urge to sway and move and change positions; our uterus squeezes in perfect rhythm; and ultimately, with no external influence, our bodies are capable of birthing a baby, peacefully and safely, into the world.

There is nothing more amazing in life than watching God's plan for life - conception, pregnancy, and birth - unfold.  Each minute detail is so perfectly planned, so that, when it follows its natural, God-given course, we are prepared for each successive step.  The entire process is about far more than the destination of holding a baby in one's arms. It is about physically, emotionally, and spiritually preparing to be a mother to a new child.  The atrocity that is "normal birth" in our culture results in many of these steps being skipped, and we lose out on the benefits God has planned for us.

Trust.  We can trust Him with birth, and witness the amazing unfolding of His designs.

Review: Lunapads

I was recently asked by my sister to start a buying club with Lunapads, a Canadian company manufacturing and selling reusable menstrual products and accessories.  I've heard wonderful things about Lunapads over the years, but had never tried their products or purchased from their site.  The buying club seemed like a good deal, however: 20% off orders over $300, so long as they are paid for and shipped to a single person.  I run a local co-op/buying club already, and have also run other online co-ops, so it seemed quite reasonable to take the opportunity to try out Lunapads.

I was able to put together orders from 17 ladies totaling over $1600 in retail cost.  The Lunapads service was excellent.  They shipped the next business day, despite the huge size of our order.  When a few items were missing from the order, I received sincere apologies and they reshipped the items immediately.  They upgraded some items that were out of stock to the "deluxe" counterpart, and even added a free chocolate bar with the replacement items!  The service was absolutely second-to-none.

The products are wonderful, as well.  After sending my cloth items through an initial pre-wash, they came out of the dryer amazingly soft and "yummy."  The quality on each item is excellent and they're wonderful to use.  Most of the women who participated in the buying club said that they, "can't wait to need to use them!"  (If that isn't a ringing endorsement, I don't know what is!)  They also have a range of "comfort" products that is very tempting.  I saw many of these items but haven't used them myself.  The herbal heat pack smells amazingly good and would be fabulous for any sorts of aches and pains.  It should also work well as a "cool" pack - just put it in the fridge or freezer for a gentle cold compress.    And, while they don't manufacture it, they do sell the Diva Cup, which is one of my very favorite mama care products.  Lunapads are a great companion product for the Diva Cup, and are even offered in a kit together with it for extra savings.   

While the cost of reusable products can be a bit shocking at first, the benefits of them (health, comfort, ecological impact, to name a few) far outweigh the cost.  And, considering that these products can be used for years - rather than mere hours - you realize just what an economical choice they are, too.

I have been thoroughly pleased with my dealings with Lunapads thus far, and am looking forward to working with them on another order in the next few months.