MARIANNE IS A RETIRED HOMEBIRTH MIDWIFE
Marianne's older books are...
Primarily about Christian homebirth and are available on Amazon. The text on this page is from Marianne's old website, Christianmidwife.com
by Marianne Manley, R.N., C.N.M., ret.
Text from Christianmidwife.com (before the site was taken down):
Why Home Birth?
Some of the reasons people choose to have a home birth are:
*Not being induced but allowing the cervix to ripen on its own so that it is ready to open when labor starts;
*Being in the comfort of your own home, your own bathroom, shower, tub, kitchen, bed;
*Being able to eat and drink what you want;
*Being able to move around (not strapped in a bed);
*Knowing who will deliver your baby (some doctors and midwives rotate being on call);
*Being able to implement your own birth plan;
*Less chance of intervention due to convenience or fear on the part of the care provider;
*Being surrounded by loved ones in a less stressful and more peaceful environment;
*Reduced chance of cesarean surgical birth;
*Able to keep baby together with mother and breast feed as needed;
*Own choice of music, able to video and photograph birth better;
*Ability to pray and seek God’s help and to read Scripture;
*Ability to have a more informed, well-educated pregnancy, birth and postpartum;
*Less strange people doing exams, etc.;
*Less chance of infection of mom and baby from the bacteria, and microbes at the hospital;
*The husband doesn’t have to give up his authority as head of his home, wife and children to the wishes of the doctor or midwife at the hospital;
*Being able not to go anywhere while in labor but to have others come to you and help you (not having the baby on the road) able to be tucked into your own bed with the baby afterwards;
*For family members to be part of birth;
*Less unwanted IV’s, procedures, interventions and medication.
What Sets a Christian Midwife Apart?
A Christian Midwife is the natural childbirth specialist who is in touch with the One who makes all things possible. She is no longer seeking, but knows that she knows the truth, and the One who is the Truth, the Way and the Life. She knows that Satan has hated childbirth ever since the Deliverer was promised to come from woman, and she bathes all things in prayer accordingly.
She knows that God created marriage and therefore He honors this institution and families. God said “Be fruitful, and multiply” and that “children are a heritage of the LORD.” God gives her love for the women and families she serves by His Spirit. She should be above reproach in all situations and in every circumstance. Her financial integrity is essential. Her profession united with her faith become a ministry. She models loving her husband and children and keeping her home to the women she cares for. She follows the promptings of the Holy Spirit, knowing that she is in a constant relationship with the living and loving God, who gives wisdom to all who ask.
Types of Midwives
A Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) is a Registered Nurse (RN) who has completed a nurse-midwifery academic program, a nurse-midwifery clinical residency, and passed the California Board of Registered Nursing’s Advance Practice Exam for a Nurse-Midwife. Most CNMs work in hospitals or birth centers but a few, like Marianne, have their own home birth practice.
In California a Licensed Midwife (LM) is an individual who has been issued a license to practice midwifery by the Medical Board of California after finishing an apprenticeship and passing an exam. LMs can join the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) and take the association's exam to be designated as a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM).
Both CNMs and LM’s are qualified to attend cases of normal pregnancy and childbirth, provide prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum care. Both CNMs and LMs can be excellent midwives; it is the character of the individual midwife that matters most, whether they are trustworthy, knowledgeable, skilled, and dependable and so on.
When planning your home birth and interviewing midwives, you should check your state’s license requirements.
Why choose a Christian Midwife?
The main reason for choosing a Christian midwife is that God gives her true love and wisdom to care for her clients.
Why is Childbirth Painful?
Pain in labor is part of the consequences we women inherited from Eve. That our husbands should rule over us was the other part. However, men are not to rule as dictators but as lovers and servants, even as “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it” Ephesians 5:25b. Jesus “came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many” Matthew 20:28. Men have to work and toil to bring forth food. Yet in yielding to these consequences there are blessings. A man (or woman) who works hard has the satisfaction that comes from a job well done. In yielding to the pain of labor, by relaxing our bodies, the pain is actually lessened. However, as women practice yielding to their husband yielding to Christ's Lordship in our lives becomes easier. Furthermore, in cultivating our gracious, quiet, gentle, self-controlled spirits toward authority, we grow in grace which is precious in the sight of God.
Labor pains feel like menstrual cramps that come intermittently (unlike menstrual pain which are usually continually painful for a few days). These pains gradually become stronger and more intense until complete dilation. Then when the cervix is fully pulled over the baby's head, the baby is pushed down onto the pelvic floor and the mother feels an overwhelming desire to push him out. The baby's head then presses against internal pain sensors, numbing them. Therefore, the pushing out of the baby is not regarded to be as painful as the labor. Most women actually find dilation to be the most painful part of childbirth.
It was after Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden of Eden that pain, weeds, and death entered the world. Before the fall these resulting consequences did not exist. Childbirth was meant to be pain free, work to be a joy, men and women to rule together, and we were meant to have fellowship with God.
Comfort Measures during Labor and Delivery
A knowledgeable experienced care provider can assist in guiding the mother to a safe birth for her and her baby. Pain in childbirth can be reduced by relaxing during the contractions. Relaxation is further facillitated in a comfortable safe environment with people who care and love you, like your husband and other family members. God has equipped the mother to be able to accomplish childbirth. In fact, before the 1950's most births were accomplished at home. Childbirth is not an illness but a natural process. Although giving birth is hard work the goal is to help the mother have a joyful, peaceful birth without fear and without undue pain. Marianne shares many pain management techniques in the Handbook for Christian Natural Childbirth.
Services usually provided by a midwife
•Pre Pregnancy and Conception Counseling
•Nutritional Counseling
•Prenatal Care and Dress Rehearsal for the Birth
•Childbirth Education and Preparation
•Breastfeeding Instruction
•Home Visits
•Home Birth
•Water Birth
•Postpartum Care
•Newborn Care and Exam, NBS
•Well Woman Care, Physical Exam, and Pap Test
•Group B Strep Test
•Blood Draw, Lab Work
•Ultrasound referral and diagnostic testing
How often are visits scheduled?
Once a month till 30 weeks, and then every two weeks till 36 weeks, and then weekly till delivery. During these visits we pray and discuss what to expect and how to prepare for every stage leading up to the birth. A medical and obstetrical history, physical and labs are done. Breast self-exam teaching. Diet recommendations are given and a diet history is done. Baby bath, massage and care are taught. Breastfeeding instruction and pain management techniques are shared. At 36 weeks we do a “Dress Rehearsal” in your home for your birth where we review all the practical information needed, so that when the birth occurs, everyone will know what to do and expect, and to make sure we know how to get to your home. The people that are to be at the birth should attend the rehearsal. At this time, we review your birth plan, when and how to contact us when you are in labor, and discuss your specific desires for your birth. I do a post-delivery home visit the day after the birth or in the first week after birth if the clients so chooses. A second weight on the baby is obtained when the baby is a week old to make sure that the baby has regained his birth weight and is thriving. Then we do a 4-6 weeks postpartum office visit. Newborn care is also provided at these times.
How is my baby monitored?
By Doppler, or Pinard stethoscope
What prenatal testing do you recommend?
A blood pressure and urine test at each visit. A Prenatal Panel blood test is done which includes a complete blood count (CBC), blood type, Rh factor, antibodies, rubella, hepatitis B, and syphilis test. I also recommend doing a 2 Hour Postprandial Blood Sugar Screening Test for Gestational Diabetes (you eat certain foods and do not need to drink the sweet soda). I also teach all moms to do kick counts from the 30th week till delivery. I do a Pap test at the 6-week postpartum visit, if indicated.
Ultrasound and a Biophysical Profile (BPP) are only done if indicated or desired. There are other tests which may be indicated such as Thyroid, liver panel, anemia tests, bile salts, HIV, Gonorrhea and Chlamydia screening. All tests are discussed, explained, reviewed and agreed upon by the midwife and clients.
How do I get my lab work done?
I will draw and collect your lab work in my office and the lab will pick it up for testing. The results will be sent directly to my office. I will review all your test results with you.
What method of childbirth education classes do you recommend?
The prenatal visits are 1 to 2 hour long for the first baby and include childbirth education, pain management, instructions for fathers who deliver, breastfeeding instruction, baby bath, baby massage and baby care. Some clients opt to attend additional Bradley classes and referrals are available.
How many midwives are in the practice?
Christian Midwife Home birth is a solo practice and all my assistants are dependable, “born again” Christians; some are CNMs and some RNs and some are Doulas.
What happens if two women are in labor at the same time?
I only accepts a limited number of clients per month to lessen the chance of this happening. In over 21 years of doing home births in San Diego County I have never had two women deliver on the same day. When due dates are close, we pray for separate delivery dates and God blessed us all. I make myself on high alert for the 37-42-week window when the baby is due. A due date is an estimate; babies can arrive a few days outside of the expected window but that is right on time for them.
Do I need to see a doctor during my pregnancy?
All clients have a plan B to go to a nearby hospital if the home birth doesn't work out. Having a doctor to go to, is advised. If your insurance is an HMO, it is wise to stay in contact with your assigned doctor where labs and other tests will be covered by your insurance and in the event of a transport hospital based care.
What kind of labor complications have you handled?
I have encountered complications such as meconium, fetal distress, tight cord around the neck, a true knot in the cord, twins, shoulder dystocia, postpartum hemorrhage, and respiratory distress of the baby at birth all of which were successfully resolved at home without incident.
What type of emergency equipment do you carry?
Oxygen and suction, though used infrequently, I always set them up in case they are needed. Essentially I carry similar equipment that is found in a labor and delivery room at the local hospital with the exception of the continuously used fetal monitor machine. I intermittently monitor your baby’s heart rate with the use of a hand held Doppler. Approximately 10% of newborns will need some resuscitative measure. I carry injectable Terbutaline which can stop contractions for about 45 minutes so that if there is a problem there is enough time to transfer the client to the hospital. I am also trained and experienced in Newborn Resuscitation. I carry IV (intravenous fluids) equipment, Methergine (both tablet and injectable) and Pitocin which I use only in the case of excessive bleeding and after your baby has been born. I also carry Lidocaine and everything needed for suturing and repairing any lacerations. I have taught other midwives repair techniques.
Do you carry pain medication?
I do not carry any pain medication that you would find in a hospital because their use does increase risk to you and your baby. However, I do use a variety of ointments, tens units, warm compresses, massage, and essential oils. Our greatest pain remedies are undivided tender experience loving care, encouragement, and the water birth tub, affectionately called the “Aquadural.”
When would you transport to the hospital?
Transports to the hospital are rare and usually not an emergency, and are generally done upon the mother's request. The most common reason for transport from home are maternal exhaustion and posterior position of the baby. I do everything I possibly can to help the client succeed with a safe home birth, but the ultimate goal is a healthy mom and baby.
What are your fees? When is payment due? Does insurance cover your services?
My fee is very reasonable and affordable. I offer discounts for pastors and missionaries. I ask for 10% down at the first prenatal visit. I accept cash payment plans to be paid in full by your 36th week. Most PPO insurances cover home birth with a CNM, I also accept Tricare Standard, MediShare, and GoodSamaritan. HMO plans do not cover home birth.
Are labs charges included in your fees?
All lab fees and other diagnostics such as ultrasounds, amniocentesis, will be billed directly to your insurance from the facility at which they are performed and are not included in my fee. I will perform the New Born Screen test upon request. The cost of the test is extra but then I bill your insurance company. Most insurance companies cover the test so usually you are reimbursed.
What about water birth?
A 150 gallon Water birth tub is available at no added cost. Liners for the tub cost $20 dollars. I also supply the hoses needed. The water birth tub is a wonderful tool, and highly recommended. They are extremely relaxing and helpful to the mother especially during transition, while providing a gentle birth environment for the baby.
Can you tell me about your cesarean and transfer rates and other statistics?
Christian Midwife Home birth Service has a very low C-section rate of 3%, emergency transfer rate of 0%, a transfer rate of 4%, an episiotomy rate of 0%, induction of labor rate of 0% because it is best to allow labor to begin naturally, breastfeeding rate of 99%, and 100% healthy moms and babies. The Lord deserves credit for his assistance and mercy in allowing for all these successful outcomes.
How long will you stay after the birth?
My assistant and I stay for at least two hours after the birth to make sure the mom and baby are stable. I make any needed repairs. During this time you and your baby will be evaluated for signs of wellbeing: normal vital signs, uterine tone and fundal position, normal amount of bleeding, breastfeeding to be well established, healthy normal baby with normal respiratory effort and temperature, the mom is fed and showered, and she must be able to urinate after birth. After departure I will call later in the day to find out how mom and baby are doing.
Do you examine the baby?
I do a complete newborn exam prior to our departure but ask that you bring your baby to a pediatrician or care provider of your choice within one week after the birth to evaluate your newborn. All parents are encouraged to choose a pediatrician before their birth.
What newborn procedures do you offer?
I offer the Erythromycin eye ointment and Vitamin K injection. The Department of Health Services Newborn Screening Test, which is a heel stick for blood collection (also known as the PKU test) is available. This is also a required test for the birth certificate but you may sign a test refusal if you so desire.
What Other Resources Do You Provide?
I also have a lending library with books, CD's and DVD's available for my clients to check out material. Furthermore, I have compiled several birth story books to help prepare and encourage you by hearing from real moms who have gone before you. In addition, all clients receive the useful guide Handbook for Natural Christian Childbirth to refer to during their childbearing and beyond.
Diet Tips - Folate
Presenting our bodies with the right foods is the best way for them to be healed. God has given us bodies that can heal themselves in most cases. Folate in the diet has been determined to reduce the chance of the baby developing a neural tube defects such as Spina Bifida, and is especially important in the first 11 weeks when the baby's spine is forming. Therefore even before conception a mother should consume a prenatal vitamin and food that contains folate. Folate and other B vitamins are also good for the heart.
Foods rich in folate are: Lentils, black-eyed peas, soybeans (edamame), oats, turnip greens, spinach, mustard greens, green peas, artichokes, okra, beets, parsnips, broccoli, broccoli rabe, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, oranges and orange juice, brussels sprouts, papaya, seaweed, berries (boysenberries, blackberries, strawberries), starchy beans (such as black, navy, pinto, garbanzo, and kidney), cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, corn, whole-grain bread, and whole-grain pasta. Many more tips and recipes for eating healthy and well are included in my book, Handbook for Christian Natural Childbirth.
Getting Rid of Belly Fat is possible with the breakfast below, sensible eating and exercise. Breast feeding also helps because milk production burns so many calories that nursing the baby is like having liposuction.
My Favorite Breakfast
Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (You can get gluten free at Trader Joe's)
Water
Pinch of salt
Milk (added while cooking makes the oatmeal creamy)
Extra Oat Bran (optional)
Frozen blueberries
A spoon of plain yogurt
A spoon of hemp seeds, chia seeds or toasted nuts (optional)
Make the oatmeal according to package instructions. Making sure to boil the old fashioned rolled oatmeal for at least ten minutes to make it creamy (using lots of liquid). Put frozen blueberries in a bowl, pour hot oatmeal in bowl over berries (the berries thaw and the oatmeal cools). Sometimes I top the oatmeal with hemp seeds, granola, chia seeds or toasted nuts. I usually add a dollop of plain yogurt.
Note: I brought my LDL cholesterol down 46 points in 6 months eating oatmeal several times per day. I also went from 140 pounds to 134 pounds during that time (I was also swimming and walking, several times per week). My neighbor lost 50 pounds, eating oatmeal several times a day, and eating it in the evening instead of having ice cream.
Total Decadence
Add to hot oatmeal a handful of chocolate chips, stir till melted. Enjoy. A handful of walnut pieces added to this creates an “oatmeal brownie”. These satisfy the chocolate urge, while being so filling that no overindulgence occurs.
Pros and Cons of Water Birth
When my first water birth client gave birth to her daughter, the cord was around her neck as she shot out into the water. It was then I had an “Ah, ha!” moment, and realized that having the cord around the neck is no problem and that water birth had many advantages (pain relief, soft landings, etc.)
Giving birth in water is great. Water comforts the moms, gives support and buoyancy to encourage a position that uses gravity, and assist in preventing perineal tears.
Some women prefer just to labor in the tub, then get out to deliver. Warm water is so soothing to the moms. I usually have the client wait till at least 6 cm to get into the water birth tub. Before that they can use their own shower or tub. The tub I use is a black plastic horse trough by Rubbermaid. We call it the “Aquadural” (instead of an epidural). It makes labor do-able. The water should be no more than 100 degrees. The water pressure increases rapidly with depth and the pressure helps support the perineum (reducing tearing) and also “lubricates” the outlet (which also reduces tearing) when the baby is born.
The air hitting the cord, along with separation of the placenta both contribute to the shriveling of the cord. Till these things happen the cord remains the air hose to the baby and the baby will not take a breath. Any manipulation of the cord can cause trauma to the cord, even pulling it over the baby's head. Therefore, I recommend leaving the cord alone, even if it is around the baby's neck, because there is still usually plenty of cord behind the baby to allow the baby to be born. It is best not to cut the cord until the baby is breathing well and is pink. I do not recommend clamping and cutting the cord until the baby is born and doing well.
Once the head comes out, the mom blows through one more contraction which allows for the shoulders to get in the up and down position. Then she can push the baby out with the next contraction. The catcher gently guides the baby out, keeping the back up, as the baby is brought out of the water immediately after birth and given to the mom. Keeping the backup prevents the baby from taking in water. The mom then has to be careful not to become so relaxed, while she is holding the baby, that the baby slips under the water and breathes in water.
We have never had any problems, having done about 50 water births, not counting those births where a mom was in the tub for just her labor. I recommend emptying the water birth tub as soon as it is no longer needed if you have little children which could potentially drown in the tub if not supervised.
Light meconium can be washed from the baby in the tub. If the baby has thick meconium, the mom should not have a water birth; so that the baby can be suctioned well when just the head is out, before the baby takes its first breath. Breathing in any meconium could result in a chemical pneumonia. The baby's white blood cells can phagocytose (eat up) any stray minor particles of meconium, but large quantities of meconium could potentially be overwhelming.
Husbands Catching the Baby
Many husbands want to catch their own baby. Whenever possible I encourage them to do that. I want to strengthen the bonds between the husband and wife, and between the parents and their children.
As a home birth midwife I am honored and privileged to be able to be part of these dear families lives during such a very miraculous time.
The husband is the priest of his home, and we are hand maidens for his wife. The midwife and her assistant want to come under his authority and headship. We respect that God works through the husband to his wife and children. I once drew a diagram of a series of umbrellas, one on top of another. The husband is the top umbrella under God (God is one in three persons with a hierarchical order also, Father, Son and Holy Ghost) then the wife, and under her the children.
When the husband catches the baby, his wife is often able to relax more because she feels comfortable with her life companion. Many women don’t tear when they can relax the birth outlet. The husband becomes so involved with his wife's labor pains and pushing that he appreciates her hard work even more. The babies become even more valuable and highly priced because of the difficulties involved with birthing. It is such a blessing for the fathers to take the responsibility of catching their babies. They enjoy being the first one to feel the warm slippery newborn God is giving them. We always ask the husband to lead us in prayer to God before and after the birth. Birth is a time to rely on our Maker.
The midwife and her assistant are only around for this special time, but our goal is to promote love bonds in the family, which last for a lifetime.
Incredibly, I have not only had many husbands catching their babies, but fathers, mothers, assistants and even the daughter of one of my clients. I teach the husband or other person who is going to catch the baby how to do it using a doll and a T-shirt. Then I stay right next to them to help out if necessary. I also give them an instruction sheet to go over with their wives before the birth. Our goal is to strengthen the families and help them not only to have an experience that they will never forget, but bonds that will never be broken.
Overdue/Induction of Labor
It is best to let labor start on its own, and to trust God for when He wants the baby to be born. The cause of labor is still unknown but currently many scientists believe that hormones in the baby initiates labor. Trust God that He has an appointed time for the delivery. The Bible says that there is “A time to be born” Eccl. 3:2. Elsewhere it talks about how babies are born in the fullness of time and when the mother's days were completed, and that it is God that causes delivery. Unless there is a medical reason such as diabetes or Cholestasis. I think it is best to wait for labor to start, and to trust God. I have had several clients who have gone beyond 42 weeks gestation. The longest we waited for anyone was for Hadassah's baby Hannah, see the book: Born at Home, Praise the Lord! Six weeks after the original due date she gave birth to a healthy girl, but if she been induced the baby may have been premature.
There are several hormones involved in childbirth. Prostaglandins cause the cervix to ripen. Oxytocin causes the uterus to contract. Adrenalin helps the mother to keep going even when she is exhausted. Endorphins are natural pain relievers in the body. It is especially important not to induce a first time mother when her cervix is not “ripe” (soft and ready to open). Trying to force a cervix open just sets the mother up for a cesarean surgical delivery. We must be patient, even if that is difficult sometimes.
“'Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?' says the LORD.
'Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?' says your God” Isaiah 66:9
It is God who causes delivery, and birth.
What About the Placenta?
The placenta sheers off the inside of the mother's uterus after the baby is out. Of course, when the placenta is no longer attached to the mom there is no longer oxygen circulating through it to the baby so the baby can be detached from the cord at this point, or sooner if the baby is doing well. The placenta should be pushed out by the mom just as she pushed out the baby. Because pulling on the cord to get the placenta out can cause part of the placenta to still stay attached to the mom's uterus or pull the cord off. Retained products of conception (placenta, cord, or membranes) can keep the uterus from contracting all the way and cause the mother to bleed heavily and perhaps even bleed to death. This can all be avoided by not rushing the expelling of the placenta. Breastfeeding and giving the mom food with some protein such as a turkey sandwich can give the mother the energy she needs to push the placenta out. Sitting up (on a birth stool or on the toilet) is also a helpful position for pushing out the placenta. Medication to contract the uterus should not be given until after the placenta is out, so the placenta doesn't get trapped inside the uterus.
Why Breast Feed?
The Breast is Best. Breastfeeding helps a mother lose her childbearing weight. The production of breast milk burns a tremendous amount of calories, more than even the most strenuous work out. The baby is the best lipo-suction machine.
When I married I looked slender at 130 pounds. I gained 42 pounds with my son but thanks to breastfeeding I was down to 120 pounds six months later.
Most people know that the breast milk is best for the baby's brain development since the gray and white matter is mostly made of fat. Breast milk contains antibodies to protect the baby from illness. The milk is living goodness unreproducible in the lab. Breastfed babies are more secure and have less chance of developing obesity as adults.
Breastfeeding helps bond the mother and baby emotionally, physically and hormonally. It's also the perfect temperature, perfect amount and perfectly portable (no need for bottles, nipples, and other paraphernalia). Loving husbands encourage their wives to breast feed, knowing it is best for both mom and baby. Also prolactin is a “tranquility hormone.” The breastfeeding mothers become tranquil, relaxed and sleeps better. The baby becomes satisfied, sometimes seemingly “drunk” on it's goodness. Breast milk is a complete baby food and the baby does not need anything else, no water, vitamins or juice.
Finally, breastfeeding is not just for nourishment, but for consolation. If the baby bumps his head and cries you can just draw him close and nurse him for comfort, see Isaiah 66:10-13. Breast feeding helps the baby to develop trust. When the baby cries with hunger and is held by his mother and nursed consistently, trust is built.
Breast feeding has health benefits for the mother.
1. It helps the uterus contract after birth reducing the amount of blood loss.
2. Breastfeeding helps the mom to loose excess weight.
3. Prevents pregnancy using promoting natural child spacing.
4. Reduces the chance of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer.
5. Breastfeeding saves both money and time.
Breast milk gives the infant the best start.
1. Human milk perfectly meets the nutrition needs of the infant.
2. It is always fresh and available at the right temperature.
3. Human milk is easy for the baby to digest.
4. Breastfed babies hardly ever have problems with constipation or diarrhea.
5. Breastfeeding promotes proper tooth and jaw formation.
6. Human milk contains disease-fighting substances (antibodies) that protect the infant from illnesses.
Time Management
The best illustration of time management that I have ever heard goes like this: Think of time as a large clear glass jar. First put in as many big rocks as you can, followed by gravel (little rocks); follow this by pouring sand into the spaces, and then finally add as much water as possible. What is the point? Not that we should try to do as much as we possibly can, but that we should be sure to get our big rocks in first. What are the big rocks in your life?
We need to be able to prioritize. Knowing our priorities helps us structure our time.
Priorities
1.LORD · “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4).
2.HUSBAND · “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself” (Eph. 5:28).
3.CHILDREN · “Obey your parents in the Lord” (Eph. 6:1).
4.HOME · “To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed” (Titus 2:5).
5.YOURSELF “Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband” (Eph. 5:33).
6.OUTSIDE THE HOME · “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Gal. 5:14).
7 THE WORLD “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time” Colossians 4:5.
We must redeem the time. History is a record of what man has done with the time God has given him. Remember: “Only one life, 'twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last.”
I think to myself, how much can I do for Jesus before I die?
The Christian Home
Taken from Ephesians 5:22, 25; Colossians 3:20-21.
Wives, submit to your husbands, as to the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church.
Children, obey your parents in all things, for this pleases the Lord.
Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they will become discouraged.
Childbirth Books
Marianne Manley's childbirth books are available on Amazon. The text on this page is from Marianne's old web site, Christianmidwife.com.