The Miracle of Birth!

Over my 4 years as an L&D/ NNICU nurse at Parkland I have seen many, many babies being born. I still feel that it is a beautiful and miraculous sight but on Tuesday I got to be a part of a delivery that had God's hand print all over it and it was truly beautiful and miraculous!

This story all started last year. It has a long and very sad background to it so be prepared now. On June 12, 2007 I was working an extra shift from 7pm-11pm in Labor and Delivery before working in the NNICU from 11pm-7am. I went back on a delivery of a 24 week baby boy. The baby was very sick and premature and was taken to the NNICU. When I went to the NNICU at 11pm to work I was assigned care of the baby for that night. Since I was working the following 2 nights also I got to care for the baby those nights. Over those 3 nights I fell for tiny Ricardo who was fighting so hard for life and for his parents. I signed up to be Ricardo's "Primary Nurse" meaning that each shift that I worked I got to take care of him, helping to promote continuity of care and be an advocate for the baby since I would get to know him and his likes/ dislikes so well. Because Ricardo was so very sick he was moved into the only private room that we have in our NNICU so that we could try to control the noise and prevent him from being over stimulated. So, I would spend just about every minute of my 12 hour shift either alone with Ricardo or with Ricardo and his parents Martin and Martha (this was their 3rd pregnancy- the first 2 she miscarried early on). I really got to know these parents and looked forward to work so that I could be around them. Martin and Martha would bring me some incredible Mexican food to eat, they taught me a lot of Spanish and I helped them with their English!

Ricardo lived for 44 days. He was so sick and although he fought very hard he just had too many problems. It was a tough 2 months in the NNICU for all the staff as we all got to know this family so well and were all pulling for this precious baby to survive. His death was probably one of the hardest things that I have been thru because I was so attached to him- he had become a part of me and my life. I helped the family plan the funeral (they didn't live in Dallas and all the funeral homes that we work with were so far away from their house that they wouldn't be able to visit the baby). So I called around until I found a small, family run place that was willing to work with this family and their situation. I went to the funeral and sat beside the Mom and held her hand and cried along with her for her loss.

Because of how much time I spent with this family we became very close and so I have kept in touch with them over this last year. In January I heard from a doctor at the hospital that she had seen Martha and she was pregnant again. I had just talked to her on the phone at Christmas time and she hadn't said anything about it so I decided not to call her and ask her about it but to let her tell me when she was ready. In July Martha called me and told me that she was 36 weeks pregnant (almost full term) and that everything was going great! The doctors decided to admit her to the hospital at 36 weeks, to keep her at Parkland till 38 weeks and then deliver her (she is also a diabetic and so that puts her at a higher risk for a still born baby the longer the pregnancy goes). On August 13 Martha was admitted to our high risk antepartum unnit where I have been able to visit every few days.

On Tuesday morning Martha was taken to the L&D unit and was induced. She was given a Misoprostil pill (for induction) at 9:45am and at 1pm I got the call that she was completely dilated and that I needed to come for the delivery. I got to help coach Martha as she pushed and be there for the delivery. At 1:55pm Tuesday, August 26 baby Alejandro made his appearance in the world. A perfectly healthy 8 lb 1.9 oz baby boy. It was the most joyous and wonderful thing that I have ever been a part of! I really don't think that there was a dry eye in the room when this baby was born. He is just the most beautiful and precious little boy! I saw God at work at Tuesday and over these last 9 months and I do believe that Ricardo has been a guardian Angel keeping watch over his Mom and baby brother. I am so very happy for this family- they do truly deserve this baby and I am so blessed that I got to play a small role in their joyous day!