Joy in Pain

Giving birth to a very charming baby opened a whole new chapter in our lives. I was supposed to be due on the 20th of February, which is also my birth date, but God has another special date for Blake. At exactly 37 weeks and 5 days, I was admitted in the hospital for high BP, the first one I ever had in my life, and a low score from the biophysical profile test. The next thing I knew I was being wheeled into the operating room.

Pounding Revelations

Flashback to last year’s events, it was on June 16, 2013 when we found out that we’re pregnant. It was surreal. Exciting. An indescribable feeling. A week after, I began to feel pain in my abdomen followed by a line of pink blood on my underwear that went on for days. Anxious and full of tears, I prayed for the little growing thing inside to hang on. As if I really have the right, I told God that He should not take away what blessing He had already given. But I made a promise to Him that I would take care of the little growing thing, just let it be OURS in its time on earth. And God listened.

It wasn’t a difficult pregnancy although the preggy hormones got really caught up with me. Gaining 50 pounds is sure an alarming number, but hey, I did not even eat that much rice nor craved for sweets. I was on the right diet. Still, I grew bigger every month. For the record, I also kept on receiving unsolicited advices, comments that weren’t much of a big help and nearly made me go war freak on the social website. They only mean well, I know, but sometimes they think they also know it all. Nonetheless, I am still grateful to everyone who kept me in his/her thoughts. It only shows how much I was loved when I was 50 pounds bigger.

During the anomaly scan at 23 weeks, the OB revealed the gender of the little growing thing- it's a BOY! That was also the first time I saw him fully (whole body) on the computer screen. He already looked like a chubby little baby!

3D/4D ultrasound at 33 weeks

Birthing Tale

Fast forward to week 37 of pregnancy: When the resident OB told me that I would be cut at 7pm instead of the next morning, I prayed to God to spare both of us (me and baby) from death. It was a morbid thought. Who would not think of such a thing when you see the doctors and nurses having a hard time trying to get a heart beat from the baby, not to mention my blood pressure that was climbing up.

On February 5, 2014, I gave birth with severe preeclampsia. My baby was born thru an emergency C-section because of very low amniotic fluid which equals to almost none, and meconium stained with the umbilical cord in its yellow colored state which means it was already very much infected. He is also SGA (small for gestational age). Blake was transferred to St. Luke's Medical Center via ambulance to stay for 10 more days at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). He battled numerous infections and conditions like neonatal pneumonia, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), jaundice and immature retina. It broke my heart seeing him with a feeding tube, IV, and all kinds of monitors strapped on his chest.

The ordeal was agonizing. I prayed like I've never prayed before, both arms raised as if I'm about to touch the hospital ceiling. I wanted to kneel to beg for MERCY but I can't because of my operation. I remember asking my husband, "Gagaling pa ba sya, daddy?" He answered quickly, "Oo naman, mommy." 

Phototherapy, KMC (Kangaroo Mother Care/Skin to Skin) and NGT Feeding are some of things that helped Blake get better.

With prayers from our families, friends and our Pastor and his wife, also with a very good NICU team, Blake became stronger and was able to go home completely healed. 

Such a relief to see him bundled up in our arms, enjoying the unconditional love radiating from our (his parents) hearts. Painful as it was, the unexpected circumstances, we never failed to see the joy Blake had brought with him when he said Hello to the world. 

And so, PAIN is temporary whereas, JOY is forever.

                                                                   Blanchefully Yours