St. Gerard, Protect Them BothPatron to expectant mothers
Congrats to one of the original Bloglodettes, my old pal, Coffee Catholic. I just found out that she's five months along. WOO-HOO!!
And if I may be so bold as to suggest names. For a boy, Andrew Gerard Pius. And for a girl, Maria Regina Caeli.
In the meantime, here the Prayer of St. Gerard for Mothers During Childbirth;
O glorious Saint Gerard, because when falsely accused of crime, you did bear, like your Divine Master, without murmur or complaint, the calumnies of wicked men, you have been raised up by God as the patron and protector of expectant mothers.
Preserve me from danger and from the excessive pains accompanying childbirth, and shield the child which I now carry, that it may see the light of day and receive the purifying and life-giving waters of baptism through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Oh! This post took me by surprise! *Grin* Thanks sooo much for the fantastic prayer to St. Gerard.
ReplyDeleteNames: Good idea, Cavey...
Husband wants to name the "bairn" Benjeman (spelling?) if the baby is a boy and we've chosen Elspeth if baby is a girl. So...
Benjeman Maria Gerard S----?
Elspeth Ave Maria S----?
Whaddaya think??
Those angels and Saints in heaven have deffinately been praying for me and watching over me because thus far I've beaten all of the odds that were set against this pregnancy. The big issue is that my womb is misshapen because it's full of fibroids and that's not always a good thing. So I was not conceiving, then I had an early miscarraige so we were getting nervous and the doc wanted to send me to the fertility clinic "doon sooth". I said, "No thanks." and prayed. Then one day while visiting Pluscarden Abbey (I'm a novice Oblate!) good ol' Father Benedict said, "Pray to Our Lady of Guadalupe!" and I did and, well, etc etc etc ~ and wouldn't you know it a few months later I was as preggers as they come!
To our nervousness, the baby implanted right next to the biggest fibroid (go figure...) and so there were lots more prayers to Our Lady... and here I am in the middle of my 5th month with The Leetle Bladder Bandit dancing around in my womb as happy as can be. And wouldn't you know it again... the big nasty fibroid is located in a position that will not interfere with the position of the baby or my birthing of the baby!! It's up high and out of the way!! The placenta is in the right place as well... I mean, everything is just working out beautifully!
This pregnancy has been verrrrry painful from the very beginning and I'll admit that I've suffered dreadfully ~ couldn't even bend over at 2 months because of the fibroids, can't find a single pain free siting or lying position, walking is sheer agony ~ but even still, God has given me the grace to not only be joyful through all of this pain but to want to have as many babies as I can even if every pregnancy hurts as much as this one!!! God is so good to me. I am so blessed...
(Because I know how I am when I'm subjected to invasive medical inteventions, I have been praying, and I beg all of you to join me as well, that my birth is not *traumatic* because if it is I'll become so afraid of birth that I'll find myself not open to life. What misery it would be to try and keep having babies while terrified and traumatized!! I know myself well. Please pray for me!)
The only remaining problem is that I have an "increased risk" of hemoraging after the delivery of the baby because wombs full of fibroids sometimes don't like to shrink back down. So if anyone has any time to spare... can ya'll pray for me that my womb either shrinks down or the anti-hemorage drugs work and keep me alive?? We are planning on a natural home birth with a midwife ~ she can give the drugs ~ but I have to be able to get a patent IV established when labor begins (that remains patent throughout the birth) and I live in the boonies so the logistics of getting to a clinic to get an IV are tricky. Any prayers for the birth of this beautiful little Bladder Bandit will be so greatfully appreciated!!
I'm due November 4th but you know bairns, they come when they darn well please!! "Due dates" are such a joke in my opinion hehehe!
Thank you so much and GOD BLESS!!