In March 2014, I gave birth to my second child who was a premie born in the 7th month weighing 995 grams in Singapore General Hospital. I had my 7th-month medical check-up and all seemed to be fine, however, after a couple of days, I started to get pain. When I was rushed to the hospital, the doctor told me that I was in labor. It was a great shock! My spiritual practices (sadhanas)* gave me a shock-absorbing capacity. The sadhanas helped me to be composed and balanced. With a sense of calm, listened to the explanations given by a team of doctors about my child’s condition, his need to stay in the hospital for 3-4 months, the risks, and the financial expenses.
I decided to follow the path of karma yoga “Ishvara Arpanam and Ishwara Prasada”
“I am going to do my best and accept the results with complete Surrender to the Universal will.”
The first group of doctors informed me that I would need to undergo a C-Section delivery. I was still brimming with positivity and full of hope that whatever happens is for my good. I was given all the necessary anesthesia and taken to the operating theater. The doctor examined me at the operating theatre and informed me that things seem to be conducive for normal delivery. My joy knew no bounds. I immediately accepted the suggestion despite having a lot of risk factors. I delivered my baby normally a few hours later. The operating doctor told me that it is the first in her history that she called off an operation procedure just before the nick of the moment. Also statistically, it’s very rare to have a natural birth of an extremely preterm baby. This is when I started to experience miracles through my Universal Surrender.
After the delivery, the baby had come down to 810 grams due to multiple infections. His digestive system was not fully functional. He also suffered from PDA (Patent ductus arteriosus).
The baby had to go through multiple blood and platelet transfusions. He had undergone surgery for his condition of hydrocele, and inguinal hernia. During the complete recovery journey, from the time of birth to discharge (3 months later), there was never a question of “Why me?” within me. I did not let the sympathy and negativity of the surroundings impact me psychologically. I felt that being a mother of a preemie, I was extra special as Universe does not pick anybody to witness a miracle.
The doctors did not find any reason for my sudden delivery. In this situation, I took it as my destiny. After this event, how did I manage to turn this breakdown into a breakthrough, this adversity into an opportunity? How did this life event turn out to be successful despite multiple risk factors?
I owe this to my continued spiritual practice. Positivity lies in the power of thoughts and it’s the mother’s positivity that has a profound impact on the infant’s development and recovery right from the time of conception. As a mother, If I had not displayed stability of mind through unconditional surrender to the almighty, my blood pressure would have fluctuated and my baby would have had to be taken out through an operation. When I surrendered unconditionally, there was no room for doubts, anxieties, or worries. I kept my mind calm to allow any decision-making process. I had complete faith in the Universe, that it places hurdles and also equips us with the ways to cross over if we are receptive to its suggestions. To experience this, we need to be always balanced and have a lot of determination.
I went through a tough internal battle during this phase to witness external success. The baby was in the NICU from the time of birth and parents were only allowed to visit and sit beside the baby. From day 1 in the hospital, I spent hours and hours with my son giving kangaroo hugs, passing on positivity, and seeking Universal Grace. His sister, then 5 years old, used to give an audio recording every day as she was not allowed to enter the NICU premises. “Praneel, you will get well and be back home soon. Akka is waiting to see and hug you”. The positivity around him helped my warrior to fight his battle. By Universal Grace, my son now turns 9 this year. He is a happy, healthy, and positive child.
Every child is an expression of joy. Every woman who bears and brings a child into this world is a creator of life. The creation would be at its best when the creator is able to give their best. Recent research studies have shown an increasing trend in the occurrence of early child developmental delays and imbalances in mental states. In most cases, the root cause springs from the state of mind of the women during pregnancy and the early stages of infancy. The emotional and physical states of the mother have a profound effect on the baby’s/child’s brain development. The first 5 years of a child are very crucial for its brain development.
“An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.” When we treat expectant and nurturing mothers with respect, care for them unconditionally, and support them for their physical, mental, and emotional well-being, the world would be naturally blessed with healthy, happy, well-developed, and balanced kids. Do care for an expectant mother or a mother who has just delivered. Understand her needs and emotions along with your care for the baby. Babies are always taken care of, it’s mostly the mothers who are ignored and unsupported. Every mother goes through an intense mechanism experiencing various physical, physiological, and psychological changes to bring her life creation into this world. Any woman will certainly remember the person who was a pillar of support during her lows throughout her life. One such person in my life is my client manager. He gave me assurance about my employment contract at a time when my employer was unsure of the support. He gave me complete flexibility to balance my work as well as my journey as a premie mother. I have immense gratitude for all my pillars of support during my tough times.
I dedicate this blog to my champ Praneel Subramanian as he turns 9 His journey to survive and thrive and a few other events in my life slowly transformed me into a holistic wellness coach focusing on physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Feel free to approach me via apporoachabhyasa@gmail.com for any kind of guidance, coaching, or consulting.
To know more visit www.approachabhysa.com
Author: Abitha Venkataraman Proofing & Editing: Harini Balaji
*Detailed blog with all my Sadhana's (spiritual practices) would be published soon.