A Miracle

This story is more than just a birth story, it's a story of a miracle. I can't just blog the birth because it began long before the birth. It is a story of pain and disappointment....it is the story of God's giving and taking away. This mom is a friend of mine. I met her at our church more than 14 years ago. They were raising one daughter who was from mom's previous marriage but dad had adopted shortly after they were married. Some years after they were married she had a tubal pregnancy unbeknown to her and nearly lost her life when it ruptured. Needles to say the fallopian tube (where conception takes place) was destroyed and partially removed. In Oct of 2000 she found out she was pregnant again. Not long after finding out we went to an ultrasound as she was having some signs of miscarriage. Sadly we found out that this little life was in the remaining tube. She was taken to the hospital where it was removed prior to rupture. The dr. said he did his best to put the tube back together. Fast forward 10 years....my friend who is now 42 finds herself not feeling well....I reluctantly suggest a pregnancy test. Low and behold it comes back positive to every ones surprise. I immediately scheduled her for an ultrasound because the likely hood that it would be in the tube again is HIGH, due to the scar tissue from the previous tubal pregnancy. I pray a lot wondering if this is gonna be the same book but another devastating chapter. Having already sat through this with them once I simply couldn't imagine watching them going through this for the third time. Most of the time this ministry yields such precious moments but when it's bad its very bad. I hold her hand when we get there, she asks me to pray, but of course that is all I can do is pray.... and hope for a miracle. We soon see the heartbeat. A miracle it is! Sitting right where its suppose to be in the uterus:) We cry and rejoice that God has made the impossible..POSSIBLE! When I meet with them the first time to discuss their birthing options the dad tells me that he never gave up hope that they would have a baby...What faith! Fast forward a very long 9 months to 2-24-10.
Miracle Mom calls Wednesday evening to say that she thinks she is in labor, questioning if her water may be broke and having mild contractions. I give her the things to do to protect the baby from bacteria..(since her water may be broke) and tell her to go to bed and try to rest. Instruct her when she should call me. I don't hear from them all night so I call her the next morning 2-25-10 encourage her to take a good walk and see me in the office later in the morning. When she comes in she is contracting regularly but mildly. I find her to be 4 cm dialated and 90% effaced and what I think is a bulging bag of water (an indication that her water may not be broke). I tell them to walk and have lunch and keep me posted. She called after lunch feeling tired and a bit discouraged as things had not picked up. Brenda met them at the Birth Inn at 2:30, finding no change in the cervix. They continued to walk and used the breast pump to stimulate contractions. At 5pm I decide to go over and asses things.On the way there I prayed a lot and asked the Lord for His wisdom. I felt the Lord directing me to break her water. I don't regularly do this but there have been times when I have sensed the Lord direction to do it and when I have it has made things go very quickly. One can never assume that it will always do that, so it must be done with caution because it does increase the pain and the likely hood of infection because the barrier is gone. When I get to the Birth Inn I ask them if they feel ok about me breaking the water...they are more than ok with it. She is almost a week over due at this point. So I break the water and it has meconium (the babies first poop). It can be a sign that the baby is under stress or it can be simply from being over due, which she is. At this point it is obvious that what she thought was her water breaking the previous night was not, since what she saw earlier was clear. I listen to the baby who sounds very good. I head home as I have my baby with me. I barely get home when I get the call from Brenda that things have picked up considerably. I give my baby a quick nursing and head over. When I walk in the door to the Birth Inn Brenda tells me to get my gloves on! The baby is coming! Its only been a little over an hour since I left. I honestly still can't believe that she is having a baby. She looks so determined...and is relieved when I encourage her to go ahead and push (which she had been fight the urge to do because she wasn't sure if she should). She focuses very well pushes great with help from big sister (who is 22) and dad.The baby's head eases out. I find a tight nuchal cord...can't slip it over. Consider clamping and cutting it right there..then feel the shoulders trying to come so I kind of summersault the baby through the cord. I unwrap the cord which is not only around her neck but under her arm and suction her good. She is a bit stunned but makes a gurgle and little cry. I hand her up to mom , dad talks to her and she lets out a big cry. My friends now have a 22 year old daughter, a newborn and 2 they will meet in heaven someday. A few minutes later dad holds baby who they name Jendie with tears running down his face. They name her after their moms (Judy and Wendy) who have passed on already. It was a birth permeated with the miraculous presence of a loving God who against all human odds brought forth life. Praise be to Him! By Deidre DeGrado