The birth of my son

On my way to a regular check up and from there on my way to a meeting at work.  I went into preterm labor and never made to the meeting and  was put into the hospital for 6 weeks on bed rest trying to hold on to my son.  I heard all the horror stories a mom would not want to hear while holding on to her child.  Stories such as, his vital organs not being completely developed to him having cerebral palsy.  It was a time that I really had to trust in God and not the doctors. I would have been hopeless with believing in the doctors report.  I was put on magnesium to slow down the contractions, but it not only slowed down my contractions, but my speech and motor skills.  I could not walk without assistance and I talked like I had cerebral palsy.  It was crazy because I could still think clearly, but couldn't talk clearly. My son still arrived 6 1/2 weeks early with all his vital organs completely developed and 5 pounds 3 ounces.  He did however have to stay in the hospital 2 weeks because his sucking reflexes had not completely developed.  I came everyday and spent the day with him nursing him as much as possible so that he could learn how to suck. In order to get food in him, he had to be fed with a tube through in his nose.  After finally developing the sucking reflex he was able to come home.  He was a little guy, but has been typically developing.  He is now 10 year a healthy little boy.    I am  so happy that there was medicine that could assist me in keeping my baby inside of me for a longer length of time. However outside of the United States in places such as Africa preterm babies rates are high due to infections, environmental exposures, socio-economic factors and lack of medicines.  Approximately 13 million premature babies are born every year worldwide.  The majority of them 11 million born in Africa and Asia.
United Nations Radio http://www.unmultidedia.org/radio/english/detail/88573.html