Memorial Box Monday – the Bed Rest Miracle

So today’s story goes back to when I was pregnant with Graham, almost 16 years ago.  We were pastoring in Charlotte, NC where we had just moved to a few months before.

  I was 6 months pregnant with Graham at Thanksgiving.  I remember I had so many contractions over Thanksgiving {at just 6 months pregnant} that I didn’t tell Dw, cause I knew that he would high tail me to the doctors and that doctor he would put me on bed rest.  Right after Thanksgiving I went to see my OB.  He was asking how it was going.

I fessed up.  I told him I had been having contractions.  He asked how many.  I said I wasn’t sure. =)  He got a little more specific.  “For instance, how many did you have as you drove to the appointment?”  “Ummm, like seven.”  That was that.  He did an internal.   I was already dilated to 4cm.  He said he was putting me immediately in the hospital to remain until close to my due date, which was February 22nd.

We had only been pastoring in Charlotte for a few months.  We had no family nearby and barely had made any friends.  I begged this kind older doctor to please, please, please allow me to stay home on bed rest.  He asked me if I would promise not to get up {at all}.  I promised.

I went home to climb into the couch and settle there for the next 10 weeks.  He had a monitor brought to our home and twice a day we would hook a monitor to my belly to record the contractions.  Then Dw would hook the monitor to the wall phone and transmit the information to Chicago.

Abigail was 11 at the time.  Tyler was about to turn 9.  Autumn was 5.  Emma was a little over a year.   It was a time of blessing and struggle.  We had only moved into our home two weeks before the bed rest.  The day we had moved in I had left to lead a women’s retreat in South Carolina.  The following week we had had out of town company.  I had not unpacked basically at all and there were boxes everywhere.

Boxes, boxes and more boxes.

 So here I was, on complete bed rest and I couldn’t open even one of the boxes.

I went no where.  No where at all.  I couldn’t make meals.

I laid on the couch and did school from there.

The only thing I got up to do was go to the bathroom.

And I drank water.

Lots and lots of water.

I had told my doctor that I did not want to take any drugs.

Any.

At all.

The doctor told me that there was a general thought that drinking lots of water would dilute the hormone in my body that was causing the contractions, so I drank.

And drank.

And drank.

Literally, it took me about 20 minutes to finish an 8 ounce glass and immediately Abi
or Tyler would put another one down to drink.  I thought I would float away.  I didn’t complain though.  I just wanted my baby safe and I hated the idea of drugs.

I regretted {after it was all said and done} not measuring just how much water I had drank.  I did a rough guess and figured that after almost 10-1/2 weeks on complete bed rest, drinking about every 20 minutes {even some times through the night}, I figured that I probably drank an official Olympic swimming pool.  {sorta not even kidding}

Imagine that!

During that time on the bed rest I stared at my empty home, thankful to be in it, but wishing I could nest.   Boxes were still everywhere.  No window coverings.  No wallpaper {In those days I was known for my mad wallpapering skills-haha}.  It was so stark and I was longing to nest and make it feel like home.  
So I began to ask the Lord if He would do me a little favor.  See, with Emma I had been on bed rest as well. Only for three weeks, but none the less, complete bed rest.   When I was allowed off bed rest, the very next morning I went in to labor and had Miss Emma Joy – a full three weeks early.
Well knowing that our home was stark and so-not-home, I asked the Lord if He would be gracious enough to hold off labor until I had nested a bit.  Mind you, contractions were happening like nuts {and I was hospitalized twice during those 10-1/2 weeks because I was starting labor, but through prayer and anointing with oil by our elders, the labor contractions miraculously stopped.  Seriously, totally a miracle!  No drugs, just prayer and drinking water, drinking water, drinking more water.  The nurses at the hospital shook their heads and sent me home.}
The weeks passed.  Finally, it was February 1st and the doctor said it was only 3 weeks till my due date so I could go off bed rest.  He expected me to have the baby {although we didn’t know if it was a boy or girl, remember we LOVE surprises} that very day.  
I, on the other hand, having asked the Lord for a season of nesting, 
I just knew He was gonna’ answer.  I just knew it.   He is just so faithful.  

The very minute I had the doctor’s permission to be off bed rest I headed to a giant fabric store.  Dw had measured windows.  I bought several pieces of fabric.  I went home and got out my sewing machine.  I sewed my little heart out.  In the meantime my mom came from Buffalo, NY to visit.  She said, “Let’s wallpaper.”  We picked out paper and got to work on that.  Seriously, it was fast and furious and we were not gonna’ stop.  
I went to the doctor’s seven days later for my appointment.  
He was dumbfounded that I hadn’t had the baby.  
I wasn’t.  
*giggle*
Would you believe a complete 10 days of sewing, wallpapering, unpacking, emptying boxes and moving in had passed without any sign of baby?  Lots of contractions, but no baby.   On the night of February 10th, I spent some time with the Lord before going to bed.  I said, “Thank you my precious Lord sooooo much for giving me a season of nesting.  I’m ready.  You can bring the baby now.”  
And the very next day I labored quickly and one push later and 
there was a blondie we named Graham Josiah.    
I am still amazed that my precious Savior would hear my prayer and stay labor so I could nest.  He is definitely my Miracle-working, Mountain-moving, Awe-inspiring, Gasp-giving God.  The Almighty God who hears and and answers our heartfelt cries.  
What about you?  
What are your heart cries?  
Do you know He not only cares but He is willing to move for you?  
He loves you {and me} that much.  
He cares about whether your husband wants to adopt or whether you want to find your soulmate and marry or whether you or your husband needs a new job or whether you are trying to get a treasure home forever or whether you want to get pregnant or whether three sisters have a place to call home for a little season or whether I needed to nest or whether street boys in Uganda are treated like royalty for the first time in their lives…..He just cares.   That much.  
Link your permalink below and share with us your story of God’s faithfulness in your lives.  

15 thoughts on “Memorial Box Monday – the Bed Rest Miracle

  1. Linny, as I sit here in the hospital on
    bedrest with a baby here through the miracle of embryo adoption… 34 weeks tomorrow, I am in awe of your precious story:) Thanks for sharing…

    Would appreciate your prayers for our Levi as there are many emotions because our last birth resulted in our son Samuel being stillborn.

    He is faithful!!
    SAra

  2. Thanks for this Linny…as I sit here typing 7 weeks, 2 days along in my pregnancy and wondering how this one will turn out, your story of your pregnancy with graham really ministered to my heart and reminded me even more of our miracle making, mountain moving God! Thank you!

  3. How I wish I would have paid attention to where God was working in my life through the years. But the last 3 years I have been able to look back on my life with different eyes. God has been so good to me and provided for me even when I didnt acknowledge it was him! He protected me from an evil man, my step-father, he provided women in my life to nurture me since my mother didn't/couldn't for whatever reason, he protected and provided a friend and money when my children and I left my husband with $200 in my pocket for a 29 hour drive, he guided me to the home of some dear friends who then guided us to our current church home, I had been out of church for 18+ years! He loved me through some really rough years recently, he sent a women, an angel if you ask me, to walk beside me for the last 3 years, he wanted me to meet her, he wanted me at this church, he wanted me to know HE is the one who has made the changes in me, He is the reason I am here today. He loves me even though I am a mess, I am divorced, I am fearful, I am anxious, I am a doubter at times. He still loves me. My prayer right now is that I will not be alone. I want so much to be in a healthy, loving, respectful relationship with a man who loves God as much as I do, who will love my kids also. God will provide this also. Someday. Now I am asking for patience in waiting for that day to come.
    lisa (sorry I got long winded)

  4. How awesome is "our" God to bless a mother's heart so she can nest up a storm. He is so personal. Why do we often forget that. Thanks for the reminder.

    Blessings,
    Relle

  5. Hi,
    Because i don't have a blog and can't link up…..I will add my God is awesome story here.
    I was born without a uterus. Nick and i knew we would adopt. Nine weeks before the weeding i was a passenger in a car accident(Nick was not the driver)in which my back was broken. I was left with chronic pain for life. We were told due to the pain we were now not allegeable to adopt. That was heart breaking to hear.
    i had wanted to be a mummy since i was ten. Loved babies and babysat all the time. I had heard God speak to me 4 or 5 times. He said if you give it to me i will bless with want you want. I knew he meant a baby. Being a stubborn old thing, i kept holding on tight.
    One of my girlfriends was pregnant and i kept dreaming i was pregnant only to wake up and discover that was not true. The last time i dreamt this i woke up crying. I lay they i opened my hands and cried out to God. I said i want to give this to you. Please teach me how to leave it your hands.
    In Australia if you are permanently injured in a car accident you are awarded damages.
    I received a payment and we decided to do gestational surrogacy. God picked our surrogate for us i have no doubt. We put two fresh embryos in and they didn't take. The Dr said he thought since frozen were not as good, we should go three. Can you see where this story is going *smile*. I turned to Nick and said we would have triplets. He didn't believe me. i said you'll see. I started praying every day this prayer. Please God don't give us one, they are always spoilt(the ones i know at least). Please can we have twins and please God don't give me triplets haha. Six weeks later we had three heartbeats on the screen. At 24 weeks we had a scare and were told if they came in the next 48 hrs they wouldn't try to save them. We got the prayer chain going round the world, and again i prayed with my hands open. They were born at 30 weeks, two days…bigger than the average single baby for that gestation only God.
    We were blessed with two boys and and a girl( Caleb, Asher and Olivia). They are fine and you wouldn't know the were preemie. Caleb means bold and faithful and Asher means happy and blessed. I think that sums up our journey well.
    God does care about the details of your life and loves to bless you with delights of your heart. It may take awhile i waited 14 years, but wouldn't change a thing. His timing is always perfect.

    Blessings,
    Relle

  6. haha!!! I was also put on bedrest 6 weeks before a move. I also had an almost 2 year old and 3 year old. My mom flew up from where they were on the mission field to stay with me and my church moved us, but I wanted to be settled in before the baby came. Iprayed to be able to settle in and it was a 2 full weeks after bedrest was lifted and I was mostly unpacked and settled that he came.

  7. I'm amazed how you shared the desire of your heart with Him, and when you were done nesting, then the next day, Graham was born. That is truly amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this Memorial Box Monday story, it is special 🙂

    I appreciate you sharing 🙂

    And oh, I just posted a parcel today for Uganda GO team, two new white shirts (they come in twos), four brand new underwear, one new silvery tie, and one cream short with a soft black belt (my mother kept insisting a belt come too :).she didn't want the shorts to be too loose for someone) It should arrive to you in about two weeks. 😀 (and I also included a postcard with my photo as stamp 🙂

    My nephew was here when I shared with him about the clothes and who they are for (he is 8 years old), and I took a photo of him wearing the shirt and shorts, he is hoping to see a picture of someone wearing the same clothes at the wedding 🙂

  8. Thank you so much, Linny, for sharing another God story with us. We have seen the Lord work in all the details of our lives over and over and it is sooo encouraging to be reminded of how He LOVES to bless us and answer in such specific ways. Thank you for reminding me of this today! HUGS!

  9. I love the Lord so much! I love that you love the Lord so much! SO of course I just can't help but love you and yours so much! I will be mailing out my package for those sweet boys to wear to the wedding this week! God Bless!

    In Christ Alone,
    Sherri

  10. Thank you Linny for sharing this now. I am 32 weeks pregnant and I have been on strict bedrest at home for 10 weeks now. I have had several trips to the hospital but thankfully I am home now with my family. 10 weeks ago we were just praying that I make it to 28 weeks because my cervix was VERY short. Then through prayer God actually lengthened it! The high risk doctors could not explained how that happened. I continue to contract even up to every 2 or 3 minutes and I am still pregnant. We have now hit the big 32 week mark and we are counting our blessings for every day I stay pregnant. It has been a huge miracle that after being 4cm at 30 weeks and having my last baby at 33 weeks that I would still be pregnant now and not in the hospital. Thank you so much for your encouraging words.

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