Power of Prayer!

Read on to see why the power of prayer is so amazing in this birth story!
Blessings to Gladys from My Life as Gladys for guest posting on Our blog be sure to  visit hers! This story had me in tears! It’s a long one but so worth the read. Grab a tea and  tissue, take a break and read on.

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Getting pregnant:

My husband and I conceived a little before our 1 year Anniversary. We were both very excited however, my family was not. My husband’s family was very supportive and happy for us, but my family felt that I would never go on to medical school if pregnant. This put a huge strain on me during my pregnancy as my family and I were not on speaking terms. God certainly repaired that relationship and they absolutely love their granddaughter.

During Pregnancy:

I was completely excited and so grateful to God to be pregnant, though I did have a rough pregnancy. For the first 13 weeks, I had severe sickness that lasted all day. I became hypoglycemic and lost 34 pounds. I could not take any prenatals and could barely keep water down. It had gotten so bad that I would make a pallet on the bathroom floor and sleep there all day to ensure I’d make it to the toilet in time, in case I was sick. I could barely bathe myself.

It was a trying time indeed. But God was faithful.

I was blessed with such a supportive husband. For those 5 months he cleaned, cooked, and took care of me. He never complained. He made sure I was okay before he left for work and would come home and just sit with me; reassuring me that everything would be fine. My doctors did prescribe me different medications to help with the extreme nausea , but it did not work.

Being home alone while in such a terrible state, was scary at times. I was so afraid that our baby wouldn’t be okay because of the lack of nutrients. I tried eating everything I could but seconds later I would get sick.

During this time I prayed and grew closer to God by reading my word.

I began to study scriptures that spoke on children and I began to claim them over my life. I began to speak scriptures of healing over my life. This gave me hope. And suddenly, I was able to drink a full glass of water and keep down a few fruit. My husband was so happy and so was I.

By 13 weeks, I was able to eat anything I wanted and not get sick. I was so happy! We did have to move unexpectedly from our apartment due to a bat making its nest in our vent system. We woke one morning to bats flying around our apartment. (Not fun when your 6 months pregnant) Our landlord was not interested in getting rid of the bats and so we left that night, and stayed with my sister in law for 5 days until we found a new place.

God was faithful as we found an affordable apartment quickly.

I was able to go back to work in my 6th month for a seasonal position at a hospital. I enjoyed being able to get out of the house but moving and breathing became difficult for me. The baby had positioned herself on my sciatic nerve and so I was in intense pain daily. I will never forget my last week of work.

It was November 18th, my birthday.

I was scheduled off of work that day but was in so much pain I called in for the following day, the 19th. Because I was so ill, my husband and I didn’t celebrate my birthday. We decided we would celebrate it the 19th. So the next day we went to AppleBee’s and had a great time. As we were driving home I began having Braxton hicks contractions. No big deal, thought to myself. The contractions continued but they did not hurt, so I was fine. Around 11 that night, the contractions got worse. I called the hospital but because I was only 7 months, they didn’t see a reason for me to come in. They just assumed it was tense Braxton hicks contractions.

At 5:00 that morning I woke up. Something didn’t seem right. I couldn’t feel the baby kicking. She usually kicked around this time. I got up and ate a piece of chocolate and drank cold water. That would usually make her move around but still, I felt nothing. I became worried. I woke my husband up and told him we needed to go to the ER. Of course, he told me yes but call first. When I called, the doctor I spoke to wasn’t concerned. They said the baby is just asleep. But I insisted on going in because something felt off.

It was winter time and we were having a blizzard.

My husband went downstairs to warm the car. The moment he walked out of the door, I began having intense contractions. The pain was different than the Braxton hicks. I called my mother and was barely able to talk. She was very calm and told me to get to the hospital immediately. I still didn’t realize I was in labor.

To this day, I believe God caused the storm to stop. Our hospital was 35 minutes away from us and again, it was a blizzard outside. Some how we made it there is 20 minutes and it seemed like the blizzard had stopped while we were driving. The moment we pulled up to the hospital, it began again. God was definitely looking out for us and protecting us.

I couldn’t even make it down the hallway to get to the reception desk.

I had stopped walking and clung to a wall when a nurse saw me and rushed out with a wheelchair. They rushed me upstairs and undressed me. A senior nurse came in and said she was going to check to see if I was dilated. Her face said it all. I had dilated 4 cm. I was in labor.

She asked me if I was pushing. I calmly told her no. The contractions were getting stronger though. She rushed out to get the doctor. The next thing I knew I had 6 doctors in the room with me and 4 nurses. They checked me again and saw I was now at a 5. I had dilated 1 cm in just 20 minutes. They started medications that would slow my dilation and also introduced steroids to force the baby lungs to fully develop. I will never forget the look on my husbands face. He was in tears.

Apparently I was saying,” It’s too soon.” Over and over again, but didn’t realize it. I had gone into shock.

I was so scared. There were different doctors talking to me at once and all saying things like, “you have to have the baby here but we don’t have a NICU.” So we will transport the baby to a different hospital. My ears perked up. “Not so”, I replied. I explained I was not leaving my baby under any circumstances and that they would have to transfer me to the hospital with the NICU to have the baby there.

They called the hospital but they refused. Because I was dilating so quickly they didn’t want to risk me being in the ambulance and having a baby 2 months early on the side of the road. I was adamant. I grabbed my husband and told him to call our Apostle and pastor and our friend Nancy. All prayer warriors and tell them to pray now. He didn’t want to leave my side but I assured him I was okay.

I began to pray right there in the hospital room.

I prayed for favor with God and man. The nurse came back after I was done praying and said the hospital agreed to take me. So, the ambulance came up, strapped me in and we drove in a blizzard to the hospital. They told me it would take them an 1.30 minutes to get to the other hospital due to the blizzard. We got there in 40 minutes. HE, is faithful!

By time I got up to the new hospital and in that room, I was checked immediately and had dilated to 8 cm and was was 80% effaced. Everyone was in the room ready for this baby to come out. NICU doctors, nurses etc. By this time my mom and dad had come with my brother. My husband had arrived. And then she stopped.

Right there, just stopped.

I stayed dilated to 8 cm, effaced 80% for 12 days. Contractions and all for 12 days. My mom and husband stayed (lived) in the hospital with me the entire time. Looking back now, it was so funny as all the doctors were so sure she was coming, but I had been praying she’d stay in long enough to develop fully! That God would do a miracle.

Birth Story

On the night of November 30th, I began having the worst contractions of my life. It felt like my bones were being crushed and then lit on fire. I didn’t want to call the nurse because I was so tired of being moved from room to room having intense contractions and then, the baby not coming. Side note: Some doctors wanted to induce but I said no as I knew the baby was safest while in my womb. Also, it got to the point where they couldn’t check me because I had a bulging water bag. My mom called the nurse in and doctor Due to how intense my contractions were, they checked me and realized I was at a 9.

I was in true labor.

I chose to get an epidural as I was exhausted from everything that had led to this moment. However, he did not succeed the first time doing it. So he tried again (yes, I was given an epidural while have full contractions at 9 cm dilated) and succeeded. However, I didn’t get any rest as every time I’d lay to one side, the baby’s heart would drop. So, they switched me to another side every 5 minutes. I had to be given a penicillin (I think that’s what it was) 4 hours before birth.

However, because I’d been there so long and I had IV’s in my arm every day, my veins were shot. Meaning they had no where to place the IV in my arms. I had one nurse try but she couldn’t get a vein. They didn’t administer lidocaine. So again, imagine being in full labor, 9 cm, 80 percent effaced, intense contractions and now there are people stabbing you on your body trying to find a vein with no numbing. It certainly wasn’t pretty or nice. The anesthesiologist had to find a vein because after 2 nurses cant get it, then it has to be a doctor.

I was in labor until 7 am and thats when my body naturally started pushing. My water bag still hadn’t burst, so the doctor did that for me.

Lily was born at 7:59 am on December 1!!!

She weighed 4. Lb 17 oz and was 17 inches long.

They rushed her to NICU while I recouped downstairs.

Lily stayed in the NICU for 13 days exactly and I lived with her. I never left the hospital.

I will never forget the night I saw angels in her room.

It was around 3 am and I had to pump and take the milk up to her room. This was day 2, the day before I was discharged and could go and stay with her. I was exhausted, but I had prayed. I prayed that God would protect her and make her better soon. That she would develop completely. That there would be no issues. I remember praying, if God could send just a word to heal Lily, I’d be so grateful.

I went to go to her room and it was dark on the NICU floor. No nurses were around. Not one. But her room was glowing. As I walked up I thought it was the monitor. But no, when I stepped into the room there were angels all around her. One in the corner, one on each side of her little NICU bed, one in the chair, one by the fridge and the biggest one at the door. I just stood there. And as I turned to look towards the door, I will never forget this, the biggest angel looked at me and declared in the strongest voice I know, “We are here.” I fell to the floor in tears, worshipping and thanking God.

Soon, I got up, kissed Lily and went back to my room to praise God some more. I called my husband and told him. I called my pastor and my parents. My pastor knew because they had been praying for God to loose angels to fight on Lily’s behalf.

I felt led in my spirit to breastfeed her.

The doctors were against it as she was only 34 weeks gestation. But I fought back and explained she was my child, and she would be breastfed. She latched like a pro. I began to take over Lily’s feedings and vitals. I changed every diaper, took her temperature, did every feeding. I didn’t sleep much for those 13 days but it was worth it. Her weight went up every day. She was getting stronger. She was doing so good they moved us to the lower unit believing we’d be discharged soon.

I was so grateful and happy and excited. When we got home, Lily refused the bottle. (We were supplementing breast milk with the addition of neonatal for calories). Nope, Lily wasn’t haven’t that. She just wanted to be breastfed. So that’s what I did.

I am blessed to say that our daughter is 3 now and as healthy as can be!!!!!

I give all glory to God! I praise God for the experience. It was certainly not what I had imagined, but I was able to proclaim the good news of Christ to every doctor and nurse there and they were able to witness a miracle. I am still friends with 4 of the nurses on facebook and they all have begun to talk to me about Christ! God can and will use every situation to get the glory and show that He is God on the throne!

This is was the word Gladys received she had prayed for:

Matthew 8:5-13

⁵ And when Christ was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,

⁶ And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.

⁷ And Christ saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

⁸ The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

⁹ For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

¹⁰ When Christ heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed,

Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

¹¹ And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

¹² But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

¹³ And Christ said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.