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Mother’s Stress & Her Child’s Brain

Mother’s Stress & Her Child’s Brain

I found much insight in your series Healing The Mind on Forest Lake Church’s website and recently discovered your website.  In one of your podcasts there was mention of a connection between stress during pregnancy and a child’s wellbeing.

I’ve often wondered if there could be a relationship between the stress my mother faced during her pregnancy with me and my mental health. After ten years of marriage, my mother entered her second pregnancy. During the 5th month she lost my father suddenly to bacterial meningitis. Neurological symptoms appeared in less than 24 hours of my father feeling he had the flu and passed away in the ER. Could you expand on this subject and explain the possible mental issues a child might be more susceptible to and the neurotransmitter /hormonal changes involved?


I am sorry to hear of your family tragedy and its impact upon your life. You are quite insightful to ask this question, which has to do with brain development and the stress response.

Let’s review the normal human stress response. When we encounter a stressful experience the brain’s alarm circuitry (amygdala) will fire directly stimulating the adrenal glands to release adrenalin and simultaneously activating the hypothalamus, which in turn sends hormone messengers to the adrenal glands to release stress hormones (glucocorticoids). All of this sounds rather good in the acute setting, but when one stays stressed over time these same pathways stay activated and cause significant problems to the body and brain. Chronic stress results in increased risk of obesity, heart attack, stroke, diabetes mellitus, bone loss and mental illnesses such as depression. These changes are mediated through chronic stress and the activation of the immune system with subsequent elevation in inflammatory factors, which damage insulin receptors in the body and glia (the white supporting cells) in the brain. Additionally, gene expression in the neurons of the brain is altered and proteins which cause neurons to grow and stay healthy (neurotrophic factors) are suppressed.

Now with this back ground we can examine your question of a developing fetus in the womb of a highly stressed mother. The mother’s brain and body would experience the biological changes as described above. The stress hormones (glucocorticoids) cross the placenta and enter the blood stream of the developing fetus. This rise in stress hormones impairs the “braking” mechanism in the fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis is what regulates the rise in stress hormones (adrenalin and glucocorticoids etc). Thus the child born from a highly stressed mother will have a brain wired to be more anxious and stressed and less capable of calming itself than it otherwise would have been.

In childhood this could result in a child who is more apprehensive, fearful, socially avoidant, and sensitive to criticism. This child throughout life would be less capable of handling stressful situations of all kinds including family and relational stress. When a stressful event occurred such a child would be more likely to experience anxiety, activation of the HPA axis with rise in stress hormones, and less capable of adaptive and timely calming of the stress response once the external stressor has resolved. In other words, once the crisis was over such an individual would likely stay anxious and aroused for much longer than would typically be expected.

Such individuals, who experience a chronic overactive stress response, are more vulnerable to both metabolic problems and mental health problems including depression. Sadly, it is likely that the stress your mother went through when she was pregnant with you did cause changes in your developing brain making you more vulnerable to stress then you otherwise would have been.

However, having said all of this, the good news is that the brain is pliable and we were created by God for adaptation. This means, that despite being born with a “preset” of heightened HPA axis reactivity, one can experience the ability to calm and slow the stress response. Multiple other environmental factors impact the brain causing the birth “template” to continue to change and modify throughout life. Events which would promote a calming impact upon the stress circuits of the brain include a loving, secure, nurturing environment, avoidance of high stress and relational conflict, particularly in the primary relationships of childhood. Also, avoidance of theatrical entertainment, developing a healthy spirituality and healthy forms of meditation, particularly on God’s character of love. And finally, a healthy diet, exercise, avoidance of alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs, caffeine, obtaining regular sleep, certain forms of psychotherapy, and appropriate psychopharmacology.

One of the founders of my church wrote a beautiful idea regarding the power of the Holy Spirit to heal both our hereditary as well as cultivated problems:

In describing to His disciples the office work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus sought to inspire them with the joy and hope that inspired His own heart. He rejoiced because of the abundant help He had provided for His church. The Holy Spirit was the highest of all gifts that He could solicit from His Father for the exaltation of His people. The Spirit was to be given as a regenerating agent, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail. The power of evil had been strengthening for centuries, and the submission of men to this satanic captivity was amazing. Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the Third Person of the Godhead, who would come with no modified energy, but in the fullness of divine power. It is the Spirit that makes effectual what has been wrought out by the world’s Redeemer. It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given His Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress His own character upon His church. – Desire if Ages, pg 671.

So, continue to seek God, His truth, His presence, choose to apply His principles to your life and be hopeful – your brain (and everyone else’s) is constantly changing based on the choices we make!

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Testimony 66

I am incredibly grateful for the transformative impact you’ve had on my life, and words cannot fully express my appreciation. Over the years, I have been an avid listener and follower of C&R and extend my heartfelt thanks for creating the C&R mobile app. It has allowed me to immerse myself in your lessons repeatedly, enabling me to grasp the profound significance about the Character of God, Design Law, the protocols for life, the reasons behind the current chaos, and Christ’s mission to restore everything. They have deeply touched me. Having studied with various churches, I came away with the perception that God is no different from the deities of ancient Greek or Roman mythology—demanding sacrifices and taking pleasure in bloodshed. Thanks to your transformative teachings, I have experienced a profound awakening to the true nature of God and the immense power of His love. It is truly a remarkable and liberating sensation to finally grasp the truth and embrace the empowering nature of God’s laws. My self-perception has become brighter and more infused with love. My journey of growth continues on a daily basis.

Chris P., Lake Mary, FL, USA

 

Testimony 46

Over the past couple of years God has been expanding my view of Himself and His character. Along my approximately 40-year journey, I have often had questions, but was hesitant to voice these and step outside the traditionally accepted thinking, for fear of admitting that I may in fact be eternally lost. In the recesses of my thinking has been the thought – if one blindly accepts (which is widely regarded as “real faith”) and does not question, is this really ‘truth?’ I often find it challenging to grapple with very theological ‘speak,’ but Dr. Jennings has a real gift of explaining spiritual concepts with clear practical examples. The weekly discussions are growing my Christian experience and slowly changing my view of how to live as a child of God in today’s complex world. Finally the whole Old Testament sanctuary teaching moved in my mind from fantasy to reality!

Beverly S., South Africa

 

Testimony 26

Your teachings about our heavenly Father have changed my life. Thank you sooooooo very very much! I know He’s doing some serious healing in my heart and life and I look forward to each new day to learn something new about Him and to just hear you speak about Him. Thank you, forever.

Nancy S.

 

Testimony 56

I cannot thank you enough for opening my understanding to the beautiful truth of God’s Law of Love and how it applies to everything. I have been a Christian for over forty years, but I feel like I am only now seeing with my eyes open. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!

Tammy Cinzio, Australia

 

Testimony 40

I was brought up in a different faith and have been petrified my whole life of God. I believed that I would burn in hell for eternity. When I was 12 I started pursuing the things of this world, but for the next 45 years the Spirit was always calling me, as I knew there was a God through nature. I could see the vast sea of stars in the universe and knew there was something bigger out there. Five years ago, through a Revelation seminar, I was blessed to learn about God’s character and government.

Then I found Come and Reason Ministries and have come under some extreme pressure when I speak about the ministry. One time a member sent me an internet article titled “Whats wrong with Tim Jennings?” I asked her what she thought of it and she said “I don’t know, I didn’t read it.”

I have always wanted to find out for myself the truth about God, so I stayed with the Design Law construct and have been liberated to understand the big picture. Once we consider Design Law, all other Bible stories and prophecies seem to fit perfectly. It is truly beautiful to see people grasping how God operates this Universe of Love and the liberation it has provided in their lives. It blows my mind to see how consistent Design law is with what our founders believed. I hear statements like “This makes so much sense.”

Tom W., Mt. Pleasant, MI, USA

 

Testimony 53

I was so blessed by a friend who gave me your book, “The God Shaped Brain,” while I was sitting in church asking God to please help me learn more about Him and help me not to be so confused and scared. That was about 2 years ago. Your books have helped me to love God even more. I’m not confused or scared anymore! I have listened to all of your bible study classes and feel like I know the wonderful people that attend every week. Thank you for all that you’re doing in spreading the true message about God and His law of love. God bless you and your whole class.

Elssy P., Modesto, CA, USA

 

Testimony 70

I have been watching you for many years and have learned to love God with all my heart. I was raised by a loving Christian mother that had been lied to about who God really was, so our religious upbringing was hell fire and damnation. As soon as I was old enough and moved out, I not only left the church, I ran as fast as I could to get away from it. Sad to say, it wasn’t until the past couple of years that I learned and understand who my Father really is and how much He loves me. I understand God’s Design Laws (which make sense) and when I’m teaching my church Bible study class, I’m able to really put to use the things I’ve been learning and Holy Spirit is leading. Thank you for introducing me to my Father of true, pure love. Everyday with Him is new and exciting. One thing that breaks my heart is that I didn’t know Him sooner. God Bless you and your ministry!

Judy Phelps, Reno, NV, USA

Testimony 2

I continue to enjoy your lessons every week. The more that I research your conclusions, the more I am convinced that the Holy Spirit has lead you to distill out the essence of human redemption. Thank you for your courageous stand for the truth.

S. G., TX, USA

 

Testimony 29

Thank you for all of your work to correct misconceptions about God’s character. So many people that my husband and I have talked to seem to be against the natural law construct and view it as “errant” and “dangerous.” Having learned more about it through your blogs and lessons, I don’t really understand why they view it that way, except that it means they have to relearn theology they have known for their entire lives. But I’m so excited to relearn this. For the past few years I have been questioning how I could trust a God who punishes arbitrarily and is full of wrath for those who don’t obey His commands. That view made me afraid to “mess up” or “not be good enough,” even within my relationship with God. I really appreciated the point you bring out about God not wanting us to serve Him because we are afraid, but because we love Him.

Melissa H., IN, USA

 

Testimony 37

Hearing Dr. Jennings’ presentations in person came at a pivotal moment in my spiritual journey that began about nine months ago, when the fault lines inherent in my belief system began to crack under questions that most reasonable people end up asking about God and His nature. These were questions I couldn’t find answers to, and they shook my faith. I was unable let it go any longer and be satisfied. My Christian experience became distant. I was afraid; the fear in me rose like thorns, pushing me away from Jesus. And then someone heard my questions and introduced me to this ministry, and my life has totally changed.

I can tell you that this new, “present truth” message is far grander and life-changing than when I shifted from being an agnostic and then a nominal Christian. It has radically altered my worldview, because it reveals a God that makes sense. It is a revolution. I believe that Dr. Jennings’ message is the final message that must go to the world. If any message could be called “righteousness by faith,” as abused as that term is by the right and the left, this is that message, because Jennings’ biblical message identifies a God who is different, whose character isn’t an impossible contradiction.

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Testimony 50

After coming into contact with Come And Reason Ministries, I can finally say that many of my unanswered questions have fallen into place. I discovered that my view of God’s Law was “imposed laws and rules” with “imposed punishments” and that this was the major culprit of my many unanswered questions. Thanks be to God for using you and those around you to help us who have struggled with this “infection” of thought. I have now rejected the “imposed law” concept to fully embrace “Design Law”… to look thru “Design Law,” instead of “imposed law,” is a relief.

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Testimony 54

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My heart thrills when I listen to your bible study lessons. Literally I have gone from death to life. It is a journey I look forward to every day, as God reveals areas this distortion affects. Praise GOD! I will ever be grateful to God for this ministry and your cooperation with the Spirit!

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Testimony 5

We listen to your bible studies lessons in our class in Montana. You actually were the main reason I decided to get a laptop, so I can go to your site and listen, read, learn, and print the class notes. I am so grateful to learn the correct view of God and his character. Now, to just have others have an interest in knowing, so I can share it with them. Good thoughts your way.

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Testimony 39

[This ministry is the] biggest blessing I have ever received! Your DVDs and lessons could not have come at a better time in my life. I have experienced in the past year many difficulties that, if it wasn’t for this wonderful view of God that I have discovered through this ministry, I would not have been able to respond in love and forgiveness. My heart is being transformed everyday by the Calvary-looking God you teach. Hallelujah!! I have tears in my eyes as I write, because my life has taken a complete turn from where I was heading.

I am from Central America. Most of my family is scattered in different parts of the world and all have the same view of God that I had growing up; a distant, exacting, and ready-to-punish-us-with-tragedy type of God. So, I have been translating lessons for my family and, to my surprise, they have also been sharing them with others! I can already see the difference. My brother has often said, “Thank you for sharing, I have never heard it this way!” My other family members are taking an amazing turn from a message of “repent or burn” towards a loving God, pleading to us that we won’t reject him because he loves us eternally.

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Sofia S., Ashfield, MA, USA

 

Testimony 58

I have been watching your videos in The Power of Love seminar and I must say these have liberated me and have improved my relationship with the Lord. I am no longer terrified of him as I was before following your teachings.

Thando N., South Africa