Miracles happen every day. Some people merely brush them off as simple coincidences that compile their daily activities. Other people acknowledge the miracles and use them to give hope and reassurance. Sharing our life stories, our experiences, is a part of keeping health alive among the generations to come. Without the words of wisdom and the stories from our forefathers our lives wouldn’t be as enriched and blessed as they are today. So, this week I’m not going to give you any piece of advice on exercising or diet, but I’m simply going to tell you the story of my latest life miracle.
I’m a Christian. I believe in God, and I’m proud of that. I believe in divine intervention and the interactions of heavenly beings in my life. Sometimes I get frustrated with God when things don’t go my way. In fact, I get downright mad! That was the case just a few weeks ago before I gave birth. Each week, Wednesday would roll around and I would find myself at the doctor’s office for my weekly ultrasound and exam. And every week was the same news: the baby looks great, and your body isn’t ready to be induced (meaning my cervix wasn’t dilated).
By 39 weeks I was beyond frustrated. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t gone into labor yet. What was the problem? This was my second baby; at least my cervix should have been dilated. But of course this week was like all the others––no baby and no signs of labor. The doctor said that because of my diabetes I shouldn’t continue to be pregnant beyond my due date because of the risks to the baby. So, I was scheduled for an induction the following week on my due date.
I have to admit I was a little bummed out and at the same time relieved that there was an end in site. However, I wanted nothing more than to go into labor on my own. After I left the doctor’s office I did everything I could think of to put myself into labor. (I will spare you the gory details.) I prayed, begged, and pleaded with God to just let me go into labor so I wouldn’t have to be induced. But nothing happened; no answer from God and absolutely no contractions.
The morning of my induction came. I was nervous; my husband was nervous and off we went to the hospital. Once we arrived there and got settled in we felt more comfortable. The doctor came in and saw us and said he was going to start some pitocin to begin the induction. I had hoped for some type of vaginal medication just because I thought it would be an easier way to get my body into labor. So, after discussing this with him, he still thought pitocin was the best method, and we agreed.
It wasn’t long after that the contractions started. They were really mild in the beginning. In fact, I wasn’t really uncomfortable until about 4 hours into the induction and even then I wasn’t in a great deal of pain. Then things took a turn for the worse. My son’s heartbeat starting dropping. The doctor checked me, and I was only 2 centimeters dilated. No where close to being ready to deliver! The nurse turned off the pitocin, and the doctor said he would restart it after my son’s heartbeat had time to recover. A little while later the pitocin was restarted and things looked good until my contractions started getting strong again, which only took about 4 or 5 contractions. And then it happened again. My son’s heartbeat dropped, this time for a much longer time. I swear the whole nursing staff was in my room including the doctor. I had an oxygen mask on my face and I was on my hands and knees. I was crying; my husband was crying and with all the commotion in my room all I could hear was slow heartbeat of my son . . . thump . . . thump. It was so scary! I kept mumbling “Please, dear God, let his heartbeat come back up!” Thankfully it did. But that was it, my induction was over and the doctor said I was going to need a Cesarean section.
I was in shock and extremely disappointed. My husband was scared out of his mind. When we arrived at the hospital that morning we never thought that a cesarean section would be in our future. But we didn’t care; we just wanted our son to be O.K. The nurse prepared me for the Cesarean section and we talked about the day’s events. She said we were very lucky the doctor decided to start pitocin instead of using a vaginal medication because the pitocin was able to be stopped, but the vaginal medication wouldn’t have been, and things could have been a lot worse. That was Miracle #1!
Finally, it was time for the cesarean section. I was wheeled back to the operating room and shortly after the surgery started my husband joined me. It seemed like an eternity until we heard our son cry, but in actuality it was only a couple of minutes. His cry was the sweetest sound my husband and I had heard all day! We both wept. Then the doctor told us he had his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck twice. He explained that babies our born every day with the umbilical cord around their neck, but our son’s was just tight enough that he wasn’t going to tolerate a contraction and come out vaginally. We talked with him awhile explaining how we had wished for a natural labor and he said we were lucky I didn’t go into labor at home because by the time I would have gotten to the hospital I could have had a dead baby or at least a severely compromised one. That was Miracle #2!
My son’s life is a true blessing! It’s not enough to just believe in a God, but it’s these kinds of life lessons that allow us to see just how God intervenes in our lives. Some might say this outcome was inevitable; it was just mere coincidence, but I know that my son is alive because of divine intervention. I can’t explain it any other way. So, as you go about your week search your life for divine intervention, open up your heart and mind so that you can find God working in your life. Your health depends on it!
