When I began my journey as a mother I realized pretty quickly what an impact my mother had on how I parent my children. The way she nurtured, comforted, and raised me, has shaped me as a Mama. It follows that my grandmother's nurturing also influenced my mom to raise me the way she did. It’s a beautiful ripple effect. I feel I have the responsibility to model all of that wisdom and intentionality for my daughter too.
When we found out our second baby was a girl, I recalled one of my science lessons as a child. I had learned about how babies come into this world and I was fascinated by the different stages of fetal development as certain organs are formed. When baby girls are born, they have all of their thousands of ova or oocytes (eggs) fully formed in their ovaries. Baby girls begin developing ovum at just 9 weeks gestation and will have up to one million formed ova at 40 weeks (full term.)
After I became a mother carrying my daughter, those thoughts returned and I began to dwell on what that means.
It means 50-something years ago when my grandmother was expecting my mother, her body formed my mom’s tiny ova too. The meals my grandmother ate to give her unborn baby nutrients, the prayers she whispered over her growing belly, and all the times she visited her doctor to check on her baby, was not just for my mama’s health, but mine as well. A part of me, a part of my DNA, was formed inside her womb.
The ripple effect of motherhood is not only emotional and spiritual – it is physical. Women have the honor of carrying and nurturing a part of their daughter’s children. They help give life to their grandchildren in a very physical way. What a legacy! So ladies, as you celebrate your mother and thank her for giving you life (literally growing you inside her,) thank her for growing a part of your children too.
Who knows why God decided to design our bodies in this way? We may never know. But we do know the massive influence our mothers have on us. It is our privilege and responsibility to nurture our children and raise them in truth - pointing their hearts to Jesus, modeling grace and teaching with love. Because we know without a doubt, God uses mothers in a mighty way.
Written by Anna Chamblee
