Bringing forth life
2021 ADM Fellow Jodie McIver releases her new book on God’s good purposes in pregnancy and birth
Birth has always been a big part of Jodie McIver’s life. When she was a child, she was with her parents in the birthing suite as her mother gave birth to her brother Tim, and once again a few years later for the birth of her sister Tarn. For young Jodie, watching her siblings being born was a positive and encouraging experience that sparked a lifelong interest in pregnancy, birth and babies.
After finishing school, Jodie studied to become a midwife. She loved the job, but she found it challenging to balance her career with her involvement at church.
Jodie grew up in a Christian family and says she always accepted the truth of the gospel. She really took on the Christian faith as her own in high school when she started to go to church by herself. Along the way, her commitment to her faith and ministry raised some tough questions.
“Working as a midwife was hard and the full-time shift work was getting in the way of the ministries I was involved in at church,” Jodie explains. “After just a year of midwifery, I ended up deciding to go to Bible college and be equipped for vocational ministry. I thought I was leaving midwifery behind me at that point,” Jodie shared.
Jodie initially viewed her two career paths of midwifery and ministry as separate from each other, but over time, began to find similarities in both roles.
“Some of what I was doing in each role was similar, caring for and supporting women and there's overlap there. At work as a midwife, you're primarily focused on the physical health and wellbeing and the emotional, in ministry you’re primarily caring for the spiritual health and emotional health of women and families,” Jodie explains.
But the depth of the connection between ministry and the beginnings of motherhood didn’t quite strike Jodie until a little later.
“It really wasn’t until I had been through the challenges of the transition to motherhood myself that I began to think about the spiritual, physical and emotional elements of pregnancy and birth.”
Jodie began to think that a resource on this topic might be just what Christian mums-to-be needed.
The right support
In the beginning of 2020, Jodie McIver saw an ad on Facebook about the Anglican Deaconess Ministries (ADM) Fellowships program. She decided to apply, seeing this as an amazing opportunity to create a resource for Christian women on pregnancy and birth through a Biblical lens that would prepare and support them through this life-changing journey.
Jodie was one of six ADM Fellows in 2021. She received a bursary and spent two days per week in the dedicated ADM office space working on her book. As an organization committed to building up and equipping Christian women, Jodie credits ADM for their ongoing support during her fellowship, which went far beyond the provision of space and financial assistance. She explains:
“ADM firstly provided me with a confidence that this book was something that was needed and was worth pursuing and working towards, and that I was a good person to do this.
“We were placed into a supportive cohort of other fellows, undertaking a variety of different projects alongside one another, and benefitted from interactions with the wonderful staff in the office space. ADM also provided professional development opportunities every few months, namely group or individual sessions on goal-setting, project management, writing and editing your work which offered an opportunity to assess where you were at and thoughtfully move forward.
“I’m very thankful to have received the fellowship which enabled me to prioritise and commit to writing this book within my work and family life. It was also so important to have someone else – beyond just my family – believing in this idea and in my ability to even write a book.”
What she wrote
Jodie could think of a million different ways to describe the contents of her book, Bringing Forth Life: God’s Purposes in Pregnancy and Birth, but sums it up as a book “exploring the experiences of pregnancy, birth, and the transition to motherhood in light of the bigger picture of the Gospel”.
Jodie says that she really enjoyed the process of writing the book, and that it was unlike anything else she’d done before.
“I loved it because I was bringing together different parts of my life and experience and reflecting on that, but also there was also the community factor, including the stories of lots of other women and chatting to them about it. There were lots of other people who read and gave feedback on the drafts too,” she reflects.
“I loved thinking deeply about how our bodies work and the theology of birth and the transition to motherhood, but also particularly how each of these are interconnected and impact one another and the process of weaving them together into a book. I also enjoyed the sense of purpose I had throughout, that this wasn’t all just for my own interest or edification, but in writing a book, I had my audience in mind the whole way, the women and families that I work with and have supported in ministry undergoing this big and overwhelming transition. I was able to offer pastoral care by distance, beyond even those I come face to face with.”
Getting it out there
Once the book was complete, Jodie went about the notoriously difficult task of finding a publisher for her work. Many of the publishers she approached were interested in the idea but weren’t willing to support it. However, Youthworks was different.
Jodie shares, “Early on, Youthworks were really interested and ready to take the next step. The process with them was great. There are a lot of different editing stages and so I think the final product ended up quite well polished.”
She said she was thankful for them being keen to take on her project, despite it being different to what they usually publish. She was particularly thankful to the various members of the Youthworks team who had edited and assisted her in the process of turning the manuscript into a published work. “It was such a positive process,” she says.
The ministry of the book
Jodie says that since the book's publication in February 2023, she has already been hearing stories of pregnant women who’ve read the book and had their perceptions changed about what lies ahead for them.
Additionally, “Other women have shared how much they enjoyed reflecting on their past experiences of entering motherhood years ago as they read. So many have said how excited they are for an exploration of this topic which isn’t as commonly spoken of in church settings,” she shares.
“I really hope that it will support and provide a firm foundation for women/couples as they become parents. Also that it will elevate womanhood, birth and motherhood in all of our minds, revealing this unique and powerful role in bringing forth life.”
Further ministry
Jodie is also keen to use her experience and thinking to encourage other Christian midwives, and has taken on the role of coordinator of the new Birth Workers Greenhouse Guild this year. Greenhouse Guilds are small groups of Christian women with something in common – they work in the same industry, or have similar key relationships, or are passionate about the same issues, or serve in the same ministries at different churches. They meet monthly to support, encourage, and challenge each other to grow and develop as Christian women in the particular spaces in which God has placed them.
The Birth Workers Greenhouse Guild is a space for birth workers who love their work and for those who find their work difficult to love within the constraints of the system, but are keen to consider their role within the bigger picture of God’s work in and plans for the world. The guild maintains a realism about working in this area but is optimistic about its potential for showing love and care that both supports the families involved and gives opportunities for sharing the love of Christ. It facilitates thoughtful interaction with colleagues, families, and the world more broadly.
When asked what excites her about being part of this guild, Jodie commented, “I’m looking forward to connecting with other midwives and birth workers who want to think about their role, pregnancy, birth and motherhood in light of the God who gives us new birth. My hope is that this guild will be a place where Christian women working in this area can build deep relationships, share resources, and support and pray for each other, as we think together about how the work we do reflects the work God is doing in our world through giving us new birth in Christ.”
Header image: Jodie’s book is launched at the ADM offices in March 2023.