When my sister, Red,  and her husband, TBO, were dealing with infertility I understood the world they were living in. We may have undergone different procedures, but I spoke the language. IUI. IVF. 2WW. BFN. U/S. And then finally, BFP. I could commiserate and offer advice. It’s not a road anyone wants to walk down, but at least Red & TBO weren’t walking it alone.

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Red’s pregnancy went from routine to high risk last Friday.  Then on Sunday it went from high risk to critical. Family was called and we all started living on pins and needles.

Yesterday morning it was decided that it was safer for everyone if Red had the baby.  She was only 28 weeks along, but my niece wasn’t growing fast enough and Red’s health was in danger.

Yesterday afternoon my niece, LaLa, was born weighing 1 lb 14 oz.  Amazingly enough, she was born crying. Even more amazingly, she’s breathing on her own with minimal assistance and her heart rate and blood pressure are picture perfect. I believe the nurses even called her a rock star.  Red, thankfully, is also recovering well from her surgery!

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There are so many things that absolutely stink about this situation- namely that a teeny-tiny baby will spending the next few months in the NICU.  For the family that lives 350 miles away from Red, TBO and LaLa, it’s the feeling of helplessness. Red & TBO were forced into a whole new world yesterday, a world that the vast majority of us have never even visited yet alone lived in.  Thankfully they aren’t without some great resource both within our extended family and their friends to help them along.  I just wish there was more the rest of us could do besides hope and pray.