A Miracle: The birth of Victor

What a ride. A joyful and nervous feel-like roller coaster ride. It all started on
July 27th. We had a plan: a planned C-section. From having two previous C-section
surgeries, I thought this one would be very easy. After all, three times is a charm,
right?

I waved good-bye to my mom, dad, and sisters as I entered the operating
room. We were all so excited to find out the baby’s sex. The big day had finally
come. As the clock hit 1:30 p.m., the doctor shouted “It’s a Boy,” and
the entire room celebrated the birth of baby Victor.

I looked at my husband and smiled with joy even though I was feeling very, very sick from the anesthesia. I got to see Victor really quick – just a little glance. Shortly after that, he was handed to the nurse in the operating room. Why didn’t he cry and scream like Bela
and Marcus did? In a split second the joy melted away and I had tears rolling down
my face. Being strapped down, I could not even wipe them off. I kept squishing
Alex’s hand to see what was going on. All I wanted to hear was “don’t worry, he is
doing just fine,” but that moment lingered for about 20 minutes. At times, I
couldn’t breathe and I felt really dizzy. I kept saying in my head, cry Victor,
cry. The pediatrician and the nurse took Victor to the nursery room. Alex followed
them and I stayed behind.

Later in the evening we found out that he was having problems breathing because one of his tiny little lungs had collapsed. I couldn’t really grasp what was happening. I cried, I prayed and I kept thinking about the day that I would leave the hospital with my baby. Sure enough that day came, five days after he was born. Those five days felt like five weeks. Such a scary time. Luckily, the time was spent with my supportive family and good friends. My little miracle came home with us and he is doing great! Bela and Marcus adore their baby brother. I am thrilled to show you my little blessing. Please meet Victor Araujo Cancado. And so, let the journey go on …

Send us your birth story! Whether you had a home birth, hospital birth, 37-hour labor or emergency C-section, we’d love to read the tale of your little one’s grand entrance. Write up your birth story (click here for tips on getting started) and email it, along with a few photos, to birthstory@pnmag.com. We’ll share it on our Birth Day blog and may even print it in an upcoming issue!