Book Review--The Christian Childbirth Handbook

The book The Christian Childbirth Handbook by Jennifer Vanderlaan has been a valuable resource to me since giving birth to my second child--I wish I would have read it when I was pregnant to my oldest! Full of scripturally-based encouragement, this book thouroughly explains all the stages of pregnancy, labor, delivery and post-partum in a biblical manner. This book does not explain pregnancy with just medical terms, but encourages the reader to think about pregnancy and childbirth in spiritual terms. I especially enjoyed all of the scripture references that pepper the book--I never realized the wealth of information that the Bible contains on the subject of giving birth! I have written several of these scriptures down on index cards and plan on using them for focus while giving birth next month. There are also mini study guides at the end of each chapter, allowing for more personal introspection and a chance to delve deeper into what God's word has to say about certain aspects of childbirth.

Here is one of my favorite passages from the book:

"Your child is on loan to you from God. You are the steward of that which is entrusted to your care. This means you have some control over what happens, but it is not without responsibility. Authority always comes with responsibility. God will hold you accountable for how you have cared for his child, because he does have a stake in the outcome of your pregnancy."

(Taken from The Christian Childbirth Handbook by Jennifer Vanderlaan)

I highly suggest this well-written book to any pregnant woman, no matter if it's her first pregnancy or her tenth!