Prayers for Mothers of Newborns

Introduction Being a new mother is perhaps the most blessed and the most tiring thing I have ever done in my life. Four times, the season of a new baby has come to our home, each one incredibly wonderful and extraordinary. Each time I find myself praying aloud, "Lord, help me. Teach me how to love this baby well." While I wrote these prayers during the first four months with Anna Grace, I also drew from experiences with our other babies. Taylor was our first, and we prayed desperate first-baby prayers and tender awe-struck prayers over her. Grayson was next. We gave thanks for his life because of a difficult birth. We prayed for extra stamina when he didn't sleep through the night for fourteen months. And we prayed for his health when he had seizures that scared us senseless. Then came William - wild and wonderful William. We didn't know that our angel baby would turn into an adorable, extra-curious two-year-old who requires constant prayer for protection. As I write these words, I am wondering, What is William doing? The house has been unusually quiet for all of fifteen seconds, and I am worried. It is a privilege to share my prayers with you. As you pray through your own season of new mothering, may our tender God hold you tight and love you long. If you will cry out to Him, He will be faithful to come and abide. He will be your portion and your strength. He will be your delight and your rest. The child you hold in your arms proves again His great love for you. Press on, my sister... pray in all things... and kiss that baby for me. Angela Thomas A Mother's Intuition - pgs 144-145 LORD, In my pre-baby days, I feared that I possessed no mothering instincts. I never baby-sat as a teenager. Other people's babies held no attraction for me. I even remember keeping my infant nephew for a few days before the birth of our first baby. The practice will do me good, I thought. But oh, the joy I felt when his parents came to take him home. And I wondered if I would be an awful mother. Would I even love my baby? Thankfully, You knew what You were doing. Intuition and mothering and adoration immediately overwhelmed me when the nurse placed my child in my arms for the first time. Even in the hospital, I could tell when the nurse was bringing my baby, simply by her cry. Along the way, I sometimes doubt my instincts. Instead, I listen to everyone else's advice or opinion. Yet You repeatedly reaffirm my God-given insight, instinct, and understanding. This morning, I met a veteran-mother friend for breakfast. When the baby started to fuss, I said, "I just fed her, but I think she might still be hungry." My friend firmly instructed, "Don't give in to her. If you just fed her, she's not hungry." I hesitated. I waited a few minutes. I tired to distract her. Finally, I did what my heart told me to do. I fed her. She ate like a champ and fell fast asleep. My friend meekly recanted, "Well, you are her mother. I guess you know what she needs." Thank You for the gift of intuition. Thank You for whispering her needs to me. In the name of Jesus, AMEN. The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. ~ Isaiah 58:11 Our Circle of Friends - pgs 70-71LORD OF MY HEART, Thank you for our circle of friends. They stood with us through pregnancy and delivery. They helped us pray this baby safely here. They mourn our loss of sleep with us. They rejoice with us in each new accomplishment. They hold us up. They make the hard days bearable and the good days brighter. We are better parents and better people because we have great friends. Meals, cards, telephone calls, gifts, and flowers - our friends give so much of themselves. Yet the blessings just keepThomas, Angela is the author of 'Prayers for Mothers of Newborns', published 2005 under ISBN 9780785201328 and ISBN 0785201327.