Claudia’s Story:
A Birth Orchestrated by God
This January, my family and I welcomed the addition of our newest member, our second born, Rafael. His name is inspired from Jehovah Rapha, which means ‘God Who Heals’. Indeed, He has done so in the most amazing way through this pregnancy.
A little back story of my health. In 2016, I gave birth to my firstborn, Ezekiel, whose name means ‘God Strengthens’. Surely, God who went before me knew I would need to fully depend on His strength to pull through the coming years.
During my first pregnancy, I developed hypertension and was on medication from late first trimester. Ezekiel arrived prematurely in the 35th week and I had preeclampsia then. In addition, the dosages of my medications continued to increase even after giving birth as it continued to persist months after without a known root cause to be diagnosed by different specialists. Thankfully, despite the spike in my blood pressure during labour, Ezekiel was delivered through natural birth and had not required any stay in the neonatal intensive care unit.
In the following two years, more health challenges came up. In 2017, I experienced chronic fatigue and struggled greatly with my health. My gynecologist later discovered it was due to a large and fast growing ovarian tumour. A similar tumour also recurred the following year in 2018. Undergoing the two laporatomy surgeries left me feeling as if I had gone through caesarean births twice. Their recoveries were also very difficult due to the internal scar tissues that caused pain and disruption to my digestive system. After each surgery, I would end up being admitted to the hospital within a month of my discharge.
The turning point came in 2019 when I decided it was time to have a sibling for Ezekiel. One day, I was reading the testimony of a local artist Chew Chor Meng, whose baptism name was Raphael. Faith stirred in my heart and I claimed aloud in my room, “I’m going to get pregnant, my BP will be well and I’m going to name the child Rafael.”
However, things didn’t turn out that way as I instead found that I had a rare condition called Primary Aldosteronism, which affected 1-5% of hypertensive patients. Through several detailed tests on the aldosterone hormone, a tumour was revealed in my adrenal gland. This resulted in accelerated loss of my potassium levels, which in turn gave rise to my blood pressure. It was likely the root cause of the years of high blood pressure mystery, yet immensely difficult mentally to go through another surgery.
The good news of undergoing the surgery was that about half of the all patients had their blood pressure recover without further use of medication. Conversely, no one could confirm when that could happen or if it eventually would take place. Nevertheless, in seeking God about His purpose for allowing me to experience this, I heard His familiar and reassuring voice say, “Trust me” and carried His peace through it all. I discontinued my medication and made plans to bear Ezekiel a sibling. Till today, every doctor I’ve met would ask me how I managed to discover this tumor. Who could it be, if not for God who had sent me the right doctors in His perfect timing? My first miracle came when I conceived a few months later.
New challenges arose as I had by now become a patient with a complicated medical history. Although it was recommended to give birth via Caesarean section as the safest option, I could no longer bring myself to go through another surgery and continue to commit Rafael’s birth plan to God.
My second miracle happened in late second trimester. As claimed earlier, I was miraculously taken off blood pressure medications with good readings and carrying baby Rafael in my womb. It was then that my gynae had given the approval to try for a natural birth. With that, we were on to the final hurdle, which was to deliver a healthy full term baby.
My gynaecologist continued to do his best to ensure Rafael came as a full-term baby of 37 weeks. But into the 32nd week, I began spotting and was immediately ordered bed rest. I had to take hormone jabs and pills to tide me through the next four weeks. I even took a steroid jab to strengthen Rafael’s lungs just in case he arrived prematurely in the 36th week. Our goal was to get as close to the full term without any surprises. After all that was humanly possible done, I could only trust God in His perfect plan and timing.
So, I prayed to God for a supernatural childbirth; one that my heart would be so at peace with and flowing with God’s every move. The most ideal birth plan was to have my admission on a gynae review during the daytime. In addition, I would have time to worship and pray. Amazingly, that was exactly what took place! Despite having no contractions my review on week 37 + 3, I was sufficiently dilated and promptly whisked into the delivery ward.
The progression was so smooth in the delivery ward and an unexplainable peace washed over me. While waiting for Rafael’s arrival, my husband Paul, and I worshiped God with the song, ‘The Blessing’. As I declared God’s promises, he agreed in prayer with me. I even managed to catch a two hour nap before waking up energetic and to push at the predicted time of Rafael’s arrival.
Birthing a baby during the pandemic interestingly has its perks. With my mask on and I could speak very softly to baby Rafael and command my body in God’s authority saying, “It’s time to come out, Raf! Birth canal, open up etc.” and he entered the world in three good pushes under twenty minutes. Paul and I are still marveled by how smoothly the events ran and how God had orchestrated each step of the way. We have experienced God’s miracles and victories over and over again.
Post birth, my blood pressure is still fluctuating. According to the doctors, it could be due to hormonal changes, lack of sleep and various reasons. But one thing is for sure, as with the finished work God has done on the cross, He will bring complete healing and restoration in my life.
By Claudia Tan
HIM Singapore (Family Life Group)
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