Zha'Nova's Story

Zha'Nova was three months early due to placenta detachment. By the grace of God, I had an ultrasound appointment where the placenta detachment was noticed by the doctor, and that led to my being admitted to the hospital. About four days later, Zha'Nova arrived at 26 weeks and 3 days, weighing 1 pound and 9.6 ounces. I was so terrified for her little life in the beginning. I was beyond scared that my baby wouldn't make it; Zha'Nova is our rainbow baby, so we had already experienced a loss and couldn't bear another. It was kinda impossible to think positively after already losing a child, but she was so much stronger than we could have ever imagined.

It truly inspired me to see my not even 2-pound baby fight so hard for her life as if she was determined to be here. First, she needed to get off the many medications that she was on due to things like her blood pressure, blood cell count, and fluid in her lungs. That took about a month and a half, and next was her being able to hold her own body temp and breathe on her own, which meant bye-bye incubator. After that, she learned to bottle-feed, which wasn't hard, but she ended up having a setback after that.

When I returned to work after Zha'Nova could bottle-feed, pumping and keeping up with her appetite became challenging. The switch to formula didn't agree with her belly, causing violent spit-ups, choking, and dropping vitals. After numerous tests, I changed her milk, and although it helped significantly, it didn't completely resolve the issues. Following her doctor's advice, we added cereal to her milk to thicken it and introduced an acid reflux medication, ultimately solving the problem.

In all, this experience taught me patience because it was tough, and it was a four-month stay; as much as I wanted my baby to be home, I had no choice but to allow her to heal and receive the treatment she needed. The only advice that I can give is to stay patient, trust the doctors, and, most importantly, trust your own intuition; when you feel there can be something that can help, suggest it. My love bug is now home, and I'm loving every moment of it.

Love,

Nyasia Smith