My Miracle Reign <3

Butterfly1121 - 10:55pm Apr 7, 2012 EST

When I was 20wks pregnant I went to find out the sex of my baby. The same day they told me she was a girl they diagnosed her with complete heartblock. Her heart rate was 49bpms. I then began traveling 3 hours twice a week to see the high risk ob and a cardiologist. The ob immediately suggested I terminate the pregnancy because they said she wouldn't make it, I told them absolutely not and continued having faith in my baby. The cardiologist put me on medications considered to be very dangerous. They would raise my heart rate dramatically to increase hers by a few beats.
      I spent the rest of my pregnancy with the elevated heart rate which made it feel as if I was always running and out of breath, but it made her 55bpms so it was all worth it for me. The ob proceeded to tell me I had "false hope" and that I was "killing myself for a baby who probably wouldn't survive". This was heartbreaking to hear several times a week but I wouldn't give up on my baby. Later they said if she did survive delivery (predicted to be 26wks) that they didn't think she would survive heart surgery.
     I went for a regular weekly check up at 31wks pregnant and her heart rate had dropped to 50bpms with the medicine, so they performed an emergency c-section. My baby girl was 3lbs 12oz. I was able to see her for a split second before they whisked her away to the NICU. They put her on a lot of medicines and stabalized her heart rate at 62bpms. She was on an incubator, feeding tubes and breathing tubes. At 2 days old they performed the pacemaker surgery. The surgery went beautifully. She was out of the NICU within a week and moved to a lower level intensive care. She progressed quickly getting out of the incubator and off of her tubes. She left the hospital a month and a day after birth.
     My beautiful baby girl that they thought wouldn't make it is now nearing 5 months old, chunky, and is perfectly healthy. You can't tell anything was ever wrong. I am truly thankful every day for my precious gift. I joined to try to encourage other women to keep strength and not to let the doctors discourage them. These beautiful babies are a lot stronger than we ever imagined!