Early in the morning around 3 AM August 30, 2018 I lay in a hospital delivery bed,…I had received my epidural, my water was broken and now we were just waiting for Omari to make his debut. My mom and partner were asleep in chairs and I had just finally been able to fall asleep when around 3:30ish my whole delivery team (minus my obgyn) burst into the room… something was wrong.
The nurses were scattering around the room checking vitals and one of the residents was below me with half her arm inside me when she let the team know a c-section needed to happen immediately. The team started unplugging everything from my bed and prepping me to be wheeled to the operating room. At this point I started to panic, I thought “was I going to make it? Was Omari going to make it? What exactly is wrong?” I handed my phone off to my mom and then I was wheeled into the operating room around 3:36.
When we got into the operating room the whole team was moving with military precision, no one was in each other’s way, just everyone working like a machine. At this point I’m crying and praying, praying that God would save us, and also praying that if he didn’t that he would provide my family with peace and understanding. Thats when I heard “Dr. Rhinehart is here” (my obgyn), then I heard “cut” and literally in seconds I felt Omari’s body leave mine and heard him scream at 3:40 AM. That scream was music to my ears and my doctor’s as well as she told me later that they thought based on the vitals that they would have to revive him. Once he was out they brought Omari around the sheet to me so I could see him and honestly I can’t tell you what emotion I felt, I was just glad to see him (and honestly confused as to how light he was lol!!)
After they took Omari away the nurse who was beside me behind the sheet could tell I was still a little panicked and flustered so she told me “let me give you something to calm down” and after that I remember waking up in a recovery room mildly anxious again because I was looking for my baby.
Once I was awake for a certain amount of time i was finally transferred to my room and able to see and hold Omari.
Leading up to my delivery date we were praying for the right delivery team. We prayed for their wisdom, their empathy (because we know the mortality rate of black mothers is higher) and even prayed that they were well rested and I believe we got just that. I had mostly black nurses who had my back on everything and corrected the residents in the room when they felt they were doing something unnecessary or wrong.
I found out later that while I was praying on the operating table all alone my mom was also in the hallway on the phone with my sister praying and my partner was praying with a nurse who ended up also being a pastor. Prayer is powerful period but when a group comes together and cries out to God on one accord it hits his heart different!
From the outside looking in, the whole situation seemed like chaos. Honestly afterward we were so traumatized and actually decided we were not having anymore children, but looking back at it God had us the whole time.
He answered every prayer and while he didn’t answer them the way I thought he was the “right” way, he answered them.
I tell people that story and sometimes they see God in it just like I do and some are skeptical and think everything was a coincidence but I know better.
When I ask for help God answers and I love him for that.
Mommy Prays 