Volume 6

~ News From "Your Birthing Family" ~

Issue 1

 

_______________________________________________

 

   
 

Our Charis Family

Jessie Biggs


 

My name is Jessie Biggs, and I live in Lynchburg, Virginia. I’m twenty-three years old, a somewhat recent college graduate of Liberty University–where I now work full-time—and I’m still very wide-eyed about the turns my life has taken in the past year.  The process of how God led me to Charis continues to amaze me, because midwifery and doula studies had never been on my radar. The closest I’d come in the past to considering it was when I almost majored in Nursing, then thought better of it because I didn’t exactly love the hospital set up and would have wanted to spend all of my time in the maternity ward anyway!

When I heard that my friend Allison (whom many of you already know and love) had started a midwifery course through Charis Childbirth, I had commented to our friends about how wonderful that sounded and that I wished that I could do something like that.

Their response was, “Why can’t you?”

And thus began the journey. There is still a certain ring of uncertainty to it all, as I’m still anxiously awaiting my chance to attend a birth for the first time, but I’m trusting that God has laid out this path and this passion before me for reasons I’ll understand far more in the years to come.

Combined with my dreams to become a doula and, hopefully, a midwife one day, my greatest hopes involve someday having a family of my own (and we all know God works in His own timing and His own ways, so I’m continuing my lesson in trust and patience to see those dreams become reality). I also love to create things, whether it’s writing, art, making jewelry of polymer clay, crafting in general, etc.

I am truly looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible, hopefully at the workshop coming up in March!  May the Lord bless you all with His perfect love and peace.

I should also mention that I belong to two beautiful church families here in Lynchburg, full of some of the most incredible, Christ-filled people you can ever hope to meet.  They've been the ones to make this city my home."

Love,
Jessie Biggs


Jessie saying "hello" to a butterfly

 


Letters To The Editor

Comments From Our Readers

Thanks for the great story from Kenya.  I was part of a miraculous situation recently, too.  It was my patient’s eighth birth, but her first time delivering in America.  She spoke no English and did well during her labor.  Unfortunately we had the worst shoulder dystocia I've ever seen. It took over 9 min to get the baby out and only after the MD had decided to rush her back, do the Zavanelli maneuver and try a c/s.  Thankfully we were able to get him out vaginally before that happened. I quickly switched over from my L&D role to nursery RN and began resuscitating, but the baby had no heartbeat for 3 minutes.  The MD left the room she was so traumatized.  Long story short, we got a heartbeat.  Before we transferred the baby to a higher level hospital he had pulled his incubation tube out and was screaming.  Further test showed NO deficit.  His blood gases showed NO evidence of oxygen deprivation.  God was truly guiding my hands that night and I believe with all my heart it was Him who decided that baby has a purpose in this life.  It was an amazing miracle to witness.

Stephanie Whitmore, RN
Oregon

Charis Cuisine

Edible Art

Pleasing to the eye as well as the body!


raisins, mint, tangerines, melon slices, grapefruit, oranges, strawberries


pineapple, melon, kiwi, apples, strawberries, grapes, walnut shells, coconut


kiwi 'mice', grapes, green onion leaves, papaya, limes


cucumber, cranberries, kale


Edible Centerpiece


pineapple, grapes, grapefruit - cute little gecko


radish sprouts, cucumbers, cauliflower, broccoli,
red cabbage, celery, cherry tomatoes, carrots,
yellow and red peppers, green olives,
all on a bed of green curly lettuce


 


 'Behold, I will bring them from the north country, And gather them from the ends of the earth,
 Among  them the blind and the lame, The woman with child and The one who labors with child,  together,
 A great throng shall return there...And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the LORD.'
 Jeremiah 31:8, 14
~~~
©2011 Charis Childbirth Services, All Rights Reserved
Feel free to forward this newsletter to friends in its entirety, leaving all attribution intact.
January 2011