I may have done this amazing, miraculous thing…given birth…now one DOZEN times…but I never take it for granted. In our first world state of fine medicine and good prenatal care, it can be easy to take for granted that everything will come out just fine…but I’ve been humbled enough times in the delivery room to know better. Never take a healthy baby for granted. Be grateful for every good thing that happens in labor and delivery. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief yesterday after all was said and done and my baby was doing so well. So grateful.
I discovered I was pregnant with this child on Good Friday. Within a few hours of a positive pregnancy test, I was bleeding profusely. Another miscarriage, I was sure. I phoned my OB (a now lifelong family friend who has been with us for every baby over the last 20 years!) and he concurred. “Come on in Monday, we’ll see what’s happening.”
Fully expecting to see a mass of lifeless tissue, I was completely floored to see a fully formed little baby floating and flipping around! Heart beating and all! I was ten weeks along! The challenge causing the bleeding was a tear between the amniotic sac and the uterine wall. Because of the size of the internal hemorrhage I was put on bedrest. Week to week we waited to see improvement, and roughly six weeks later my health was mostly cleared.
Except the placenta was over my cervix. So again, risk was raised.
Eventually, praise God, my placenta moved. But then a simple cold turned into a respiratory infection that just wouldn’t go away. Five weeks into this debacle, with my coughing fits completely uncontrollable, I was placed in the hospital. After a few days stay and an extended dose of steroids, my lungs were finally healed.
So many challenges this pregnancy, I had begun to fear delivery. Tension ran high in my heart and mind and I’d love to say I was a happy and perfect mommy the last few weeks, but the truth is that I was just really nervous.
So yesterday, as little man made his way into the world, I was pretty quiet. My epidural worked pretty well, but there was about a 20% window on my left side where there was total pain. I found myself thankful that even though it was very painful, I had medical care. I had my doctor who has long since become a friend. I had a husband who loved me. I had friends and family anxiously awaiting this baby and even my ninth grade girls group at church was praying for me. So much to be thankful for that when he made his way into the world breathing and crying healthily I was overcome with gratitude.
Thank you for celebrating with us the birth of our newest son. Thank you all for your prayers, emails, social media messages and support. What an incredible honor to share the blessing of a new life with all of you. Thank you so very much and God bless you all and your precious families.
Tove Maren says
Congratulations and I love your message of never taking their safe delivery and health for granted. I know first hand that something can happen all too quickly. Enjoy him!
Amanda says
He is just beautiful. It has been my honor to walk with you and pray for this sweet baby and help you prepare. God has HUGE plans for this little muffin. Xoxo
Michelle Wiginton says
Thank you for sharing your struggles, so we know how to pray, celebrate and praise with and for you! God is good…enjoy every moment with your new son and the blessings that will follow as he is enfolded into your family!
Pamela says
Congratulations!!! Praise be to God for a healthy mom and baby! He is adorable and a very lucky boy!
Tory says
Congratulations on your little blessing. I had baby number 11 a month ago. Also a boy. What a blessing from God. I’m celebrating with you. 🙂
Katrina says
Congratulations!! and I so hear you about never taking a healthy baby for granted. I had eight healthy pregnancies that produced eight healthy babies….and then I had a series of five miscarriages….and then, finally, another healthy pregnancy with a healthy baby. Then almost two years after our #9 was born, we learned we are expecting our #10. That was on March 20 of this year. I was nervous. I thought for sure it would be another loss. I was 45 years old — surely my eggs were “old” and another healthy baby would be nearly impossible. But week after week the baby hung in there, and at 11 weeks I saw him on ultrasound. I was SO happy! so very happy and relieved. Then at week 16 we learned he has Trisomy 13. This completely broke our hearts. He is due to be born this month via c-section. Trisomy 13 babies usually pass away in utero, so the fact that we have had him with us this long is such a blessing. If he makes it to term and we can actually meet him and love on him for a while, that will especially wonderful. Trisomy 13 babies do not live long, but every day, hour and minute will be treasured by us. I just want to hold him and kiss him and tell him he’s so loved. When he goes home to Jesus, I will rejoice for him but of course I will miss him terribly. We have named him Aaron. Although he is not meant to live long on this earth, I am SO grateful for him. I’m honored to have been chosen as his mama. My sweet #10.
Pamela says
Katrina my prayers are with you. I’m sorry for the pain in learning of Aaron’s condition, but it sounds like you have found joy in the creation of this new soul.