A Mother’s Touch

This post is written by Mary Archbold, our sister.

A Mother’s love knows no bounds. I never truly understood that statement until I became a mother myself. I read this incredible story of a baby who had contracted Meningitis and went immediately into a coma. The family prepared for the worst. The doctors told them to. For 2 weeks the parents could only stroke his arm and hold his hand through the incubator and watch their child struggle on life support.

Finally, they let Baby Adam be held by his mother. And that’s when it happened. Baby Adam opened his eyes. He woke from a coma after being placed in his Mothers arms. And all I could think was, thank God. And “of course.”

The pregnancy books and doctors talk so much about that initial skin on skin contact that is so beneficial to a baby right after birth. But that isn’t always possible.

I had dreamed that I would have that magical moment of my baby being born and then placed directly into my arms. My little man was born during what they called a Crash C Section. It was pretty much the worst situation imaginable. My doctor even joked with me later that he tells patients “it’s not like you see on TV. Yours was. But that is what we train for.”

After Little Man came out I heard the worst thing imaginable. Silence. Nothing. Not even the doctors and nurses yelling or talking. They were busy. They were trying to get my son to breathe. All I could see was that horrible blue sterile cloth and the anesthesiologist who would not look at me. I prayed and cried. After what seemed an eternity he Cried. Thank the Lord. I was never so happy in my life.

They continued to work on him and because of the gravity of the situation I couldn’t see him. For 10 minutes they worked and everyone was so thankful he was breathing no one seemed to notice I hadn’t seen him. When they finally let my husband in he insisted they wheel him over so I could see him. Joy. I can’t describe. All I wanted to do was hold him. Sadly, I was still being operated on so it would be a bit.

In recovery I thought “Great, now I will hold my son.” Sadly, another wrench. I had an adverse reaction to the anesthesia where I shook uncontrollably. So the nurse said no holding the baby. I spent the night in recovery and the next morning they brought the baby to me. And then the big moment. Nearly 10 hours after his arrival I got to hold my son. It was overwhelming and made all the pain I was going through disappear. When I thought of the initial skin on skin contact I dreamed of I thought it would be for his benefit, regulate his body temp, his breathing etc…. But in our first embrace my little man regulated me. He told me. “I’m OK Mom. No need to be scared.”

So when I heard of this child’s’ amazing moment of waking from a 2 week coma the first time his Mother held him I thought, Thank God and Of course. A Mother’s love.

Note: Check out my webseries, “Pat and Mary Save their Marriage”
www.patmary.com