God's Little Miracles

It had been an otherwise fairly uneventful twin pregnancy, with mom working full time, resting as she could, gaining adequate weight, and having evaluations with the high risk doctors to closely watch the growth of the babies and be alert for early signs of discordancy, or discrepancy in the size of the babies.  As weeks 25 and 26 came around it became obvious that one tiny girl was slowing her growth and her sister was not.  Mom was hospitalized in week 26, put on bed rest, given steroid injections to help mature her babies' tiny lungs, and daily fetal testing was done.

As the babies entered week 27, the smallest little girl began to reverse her blood flow back to the placenta, which signaled the need for an early delivery of both babies to improve their chances of survival.  How do you prepare a mother for the birth of her babies 13 weeks early?  A cesarean section was scheduled as the safest route for delivery of the tiny girls, family and friends arrived to support mom with their presence and prayers and two NICU teams were present for the birth.

As the skilled OB GYN lifted the first tiny baby girl Olivia, from the womb, she was held in warm towels as the umbilical cord continued to deliver blood and oxygen to her tiny body for 30 seconds.  A tiny cry filled the room,then off to the radiant warmer where skilled neonatologists and practitioners cared for her. Nice and pink, with a small breathing tube placed in her trachea to support her breathing, Olivia was off to a good start.  Weighing in at only 1 lb  6 oz (631gm), she has a lot of growing to do!  

One minute later, the second baby girl, Ava, was delivered, raised a feisty cry, held, warmed, and to the second team of professionals at the second radiant warmer.  Pink, flexing her little arms, small breathing tube placed in her trachea to assist breathing and rest her tiny body, Ava is off to a good start as well.  Being the bigger of the two, she weighed in at 2 lb 1 oz (947 gm).  both babies had little baggies pulled up over their little bodies to help keep them warm.

Being present and assisting the birth process is always a precious gift, but to hear two 27 week baby girls cry and be stabilized and off to the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) is witnessing a modern day miracle! 

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you (set you apart)"...Jeremiah 1:5.    
 "For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb."
"I will praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;"  Psaml 139: 13,14.

Thank you Lord, for sharing these two precious miracles with us.