The Bible & Maternal Health

Where is God in my story?

By Chelsea Glenn, Founder & CEO of Vigorously Loved, LCC.

During my miscarriage, I wondered where was God in my story. Where can I go to find women that relate to me? I was able to find numerous women that had these same questions. They were struggling in hard political environments and death was reality for many of them. The question came back during Christmas when many are rejoicing over the birth of Jesus, and I wondered, what about the women that lost their sons because of the birth of Jesus. Where was God in their stories?

Where was God in Egypt in approx.1393 BCE?

The Torah in Tanakh (Judaism), Holy Bible (Christianity), Quran (Islam), and history supports the existence and impact of Moses life. [I will only reference text from the Christian Bible throughout this article because this is the doctrine I live my life on.] In Chapters 1 and 2 of the Book of Exodus, it shows us the 'War on Birth' in the 14th Century Egypt.

15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” 17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. 18 Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.”

20 So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.

22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.”

Can you imagine the fear that was in these people's hearts? They had become prosperous, the Pharaoh feared them, so he begin to oppress them. When harsh labor didn't defeat the people, he decided to begin killing their baby boys. I bet at this time, the people felt defeated, hopeless, abandoned by God, and angry. Imagine the lengths in which a mother or father would go to in order to protect their child from the evilness in the Pharaoh's heart.

Chapter 2 continues...

Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, 2 and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket[a] for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.[Near the princess court] 4 His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

5 Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. 6 She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.

7 Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?”

8 “Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother. 9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses,[b] saying, “I drew him out of the water.”

Wow! So Moses was one of the babies, maybe even the only, that escaped a death sentence. God used the midwives, his parents, siblings, and even the Pharaoh's daughter to have mercy on this family, but even more, to be the key to mercy for all of the Hebrews. Something I know to be true about God, is that he weeps with us, he grieves and hates the evilness in the hearts of people. But even more, he always have a redemption plan. I am sure as all of these families were screaming and crying bitterly, his heart was breaking along side them. We soon see the redemption of his people begin with adult Moses in Chapter 4 of Exodus. This was a moment in history that when we thought God left us, he was still there and working things out for our good, but sometimes we have to endure the consequences of the evilness that can sometimes come with having free will.

Where was God in Bethlehem in approx. between 6 and 4 BC?

In Chapter 2 of the Book of Matthew, historical and biblical text of Jesus's life written by Matthew one of the twelve Apostles, who walked with Jesus. You see the birth of Jesus and the impact that it has on his Mother [Mary], Father [Joseph], King Herod, the Magi, and the Israelites.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler  who will shepherd my people Israel.’[b]”

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.

~Skipping a few versus to keep us going~

13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”[c]

16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

18 “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”[d]

Who can relate to this amount of grief? Your baby being slaughtered because of the pride and fear of a persons authority being challenged. Most of the time, we fast forward and go straight to the rejoicing of Jesus' birth and Mary getting to have her baby (which is rightly so), but what about these women whose baby boys were killed for no good reason?

Have you ever questioned that in your own life? How does so-and-so get to have their baby and mine died? Why did you decide to protect her baby instead of mine? That thought has crossed my mind several times since my miscarriage and sometimes I am left confused, especially when I compare my life choices to others. And yet, God does not answer in the way I want.

Where is God in your country, state, city, or county?

In the United States there is chaos all around because of the evilness in peoples hearts and many of us are dealing with the consequences of decisions made by law makers just like in Egypt and Jerusalem. Crazy how history repeats itself. God has chosen me, before I was in my mother womb, to be a black women. I am part of a community, where in this country, I am hated, not wanted, or considered bad goods. I see it in how my other sisters and brothers are being treated on the news, in their neighborhoods, at the hospital, in schools, and other everyday activities.

As I reference back to the statistics of women and babies dying in this country that is in my article titled, 'Black Doulas In Houston', there are people rising up.

What I feel God is showing me?

He weeps with those who weeps. By no means to I believe, he is inflicting us with this heavy burden, but he allows it. Just like he allows us to have free will to make our own choices, he gives satan that too. [Referencing the Book of Job] Now that is a hard truth, yet it is truth. It does not swallow down your throat right, but I guess that comes with freedom. But with that freedom, I have come to believe that God is using my/our pain for His glory and I get to be apart of that. I get to walk along women and be the comfort God and others were to me during my time season. Life was never promised to be easy, but I am learning what it is like to consider it pure joy, when faced trials of many kinds [James 1:2].

Even more, I see God calling out of the wilderness, people to stand up and to fight for justice. He has put godly sorrow on our hearts to produce in us: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done [2 Corinthians 7:11]. Some are battling in delivery rooms, corporate settings, bedrooms, medical offices, legislative sessions, on social media, on the news, and within educational institutions.

What can I do to help address the maternal health crisis in my area?

One way to show your support is by getting involved with organizations/initiatives such as the March of Dimes , PUSH Birth Partners, Hear Her Texas, Shades of Blue Project, Missing Pieces, and Every Mother Counts. Engage in discussions with lawmakers at the local, state, and national levels [Every Mother Counts has a great toolkit on ways to join these discussions]. Consider becoming a doula, hiring one, sponsoring a family, or learning more about the role of a doula and working together to bring about meaningful change. We are all on the same team and that is to protect innocent lives- both mom and baby.

A testimonial from one of my clients:

"Chelsea is truly heaven-sent. Her support and expertise made my labor and delivery experience so much smoother. She goes above and beyond to ensure you are well-prepared, providing plenty of helpful information beforehand so you can approach your hospital delivery with confidence and peace of mind."

-Tuate White (2025), Vigorously Loved, Google Review.

Additional Resource on Maternal Health Needs:

• The Momnibus Act- https://blackmaternalhealthcaucus-underwood.house.gov/Momnibus

• Texas Maternal Health Data- https://healthdata.dshs.texas.gov/dashboard/maternal-and-child-health/maternal-health/maternal-health

• Statute at Large 132 Stat. 5047 - Public Law No. 115-344 (12/21/2018)- https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1318/text#:~:text=1318%20%2D%20An%20act%20to%20support,health%20care%20quality%20and%20health

• Supporting Moms' Health in the Postpartum Period -https://documents.ncsl.org/wwwncsl/Health/Postpartum-Health-f03.pdf

• The White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis: Two Years of Progress - https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/07/10/the-white-house-blueprint-for-addressing-the-maternal-health-crisis-two-years-of-progress/

References:

• Exodus 1: 15-22 NIV

• Exodus 2: 1-8 NIV

• Matthew 2: 1-9, 13-18 NIV

• James 1:2 NIV

• 2 Corinthians 7:11 NIV

  
  

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

Chelsea Glenn

Founder & CEO of Vigorously Loved, LLC.

Please note that the information provided here is intended for educational purposes. It is advisable to consult your primary healthcare provider for assistance and advice throughout your maternal care experience. Additionally, the organizations mentioned are suggestions I recommend, but they are not affiliated with Vigorously Loved, LLC.

"Dearly Beloved,

You are VIGOROUSLY LOVED, more than you every could imagine! "

-Chelsea Glenn