Round Ligament Pain

The title of this post may lead one to believe it should belong in my blog for pregnant women, Your Labor Room, but it does not.

Round ligament pain is an extremely painful condition which affects some pregnant women starting about 28-30 weeks in their pregnancy and lasting until about 35 or 36 weeks.  It is caused by the tightening and pulling of the round ligaments which run along each side of the uterus.  Some women experience this and some women never do.

I never experienced round ligament pain with my first two pregnancies, but with my third I not only had it, but was shocked at the intensity of pain this caused.  I have often joked that I should apologize to all the patients I had before that third pregnancy because I wasn't nearly empathetic enough with them.

Since experiencing this pain, I have been able to not only have true empathy with my patients, but to teach them from a place I never could before.

Our Lord suffered and was "in all points tempted  like as we are, yet without sin," (Hebrews 4:15.)  There is no temptation, no trial, no suffering we can encounter which He has not felt.  Therefore, He has the ability to comfort us, to teach us and to lead us in a way none other could ever possibly have.  

In our times of trial, our times of temptation, in pain and suffering, let us look "unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God," (Hebrews 12:2.)  He alone truly knows our pain, our dilemmas and our moments of temptation.