You Have To Have Faith

I learned so much during my first few months of motherhood. The most important lesson was the significance of my faith in every area of my life. At this point, I had seen God bring me through so many obstacles. It began with my seemingly uneventful obgyn ultrasound appointment that ended with an emergency admittance to the hospital. I kept thinking about what would have happened if I had not gone to the doctor’s appointment when I did. The outcome could have been much worse.

I prayed for Laila every chance I could, realizing that I was powerless in the situation and would need to rely on God every step of the way. He responded by imparting me with a peaceful calm that I was able to harness whenever I felt fearful of how things would progress. It must have been evident because the doctors and nurses often questioned me about my calm demeanor in the face of stressful situations. One night in particular stands out as an example. My husband and I received a phone call that Laila’s stomach was swollen and there was a concern for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). We had heard of this infamous life-threatening condition that affects the gastrointestinal system. I began to pray for Laila’s health immediately. I knew the dangers associated with this potential finding, but I had a feeling that all would be well. I’m not sure how much time passed, but later that night the doctor called to tell me that Laila just had a nasty case of gas and would be fine. I thanked God for his grace and vowed to continue to trust Him.

On another occasion, I came to the hospital to find that Laila’s E-coli testing had come back positive. She needed to be placed in immediate quarantine away from all the other babies. My husband and I had to wear a hospital gown whenever we entered her room. She had no symptoms and the testing had been done as part of the routine lab work that was performed periodically. I was told that there was a chance the specimen had been contaminated and that she was not infected; however, she would need to be watched very closely. This type of infection was also potentially life-threatening. Once again, I prayed and relied on my faith in what God had already done for Laila at this point. She never displayed any signs or symptoms of illness or distress. Laila was even able to get her own private room out of the whole ordeal. Look at God!

There were so many tests that were performed as part of the standard procedure. Laila never had any intracranial bleeding, which is more common in micro-preemies her size. She failed her hearing screening before discharge from the NICU but passed upon follow up at Children’s Hospital. They assured me that she had a small amount of fluid in her ear, which most likely contributed to the failed screening. Every abnormal finding was struck down repeatedly. I saw God move continuously during our entire experience, from my premature labor diagnosis to our hospital discharge and beyond. I can confidently say that He has been and continues to be faithful in our life.