Jewell Buenavista: I can’t imagine the thoughts that went through your mind. I mean, what got you through it?
Macy Padilla: We would just ask, you know, “Just allow us to accept whatever’s going to happen.” You know, “Just allow us to be strong as a family.”
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Bernie Rosquites: Parenting isn’t easy. It’s challenging and frustrating, but it’s also rewarding and inspiring. We just need a few reminders. Parents, dads, mamas, you’re not alone. Let’s do this parenting thing together. I’m Bernie Rosquites.
Jewel Buenavista: And I’m Jewel Buenavista. We are the Tired, but inspired, Moms, and you’re listening to the Faith and Family Podcast; a Christian family community that aims to promote Christian values for every phase of your family life.
Bernie: Ok, so, you know when I think of the word “geriatric”, I’m putting my fingers up like I’m doing air quotes, I think grandma and grandpa. But when you put geriatric and pregnancy together, it really just means you’re over 35 and older, and at 35 you’re an old woman. Women are still young and thriving, but so many people think it’s not an appropriate age for pregnancy.
Jewell: But is 35 really old? Come on! I mean, I see women in their mid-thirties conquering their careers, building relationships and living their best lives, but studies reveal that women who get pregnant at 35 are at risk for complications.
Bernie: See, you know, that’s the thing. For me, I actually got pregnant at the age of 40, and the doctors told me because of my age there (are) possibilities there could be complications. But you know honestly, my doctor, she didn’t make it sound too scary. She was like, “Okay, just so you know, your age, you may/may not have some complications, but I’m just letting you know.” Because the woman before me, at my appointment, the patient before me I think she was 50 years plus. She was older than me and she was having twins. So when she told me that, I’m like, “I’m going to be good, I’m going to be okay.” But with lots of prayers we had a healthy baby boy who is now a fine, fine young man, you know, like when he’s asleep. I’m kidding. He’s awesome.
So, it can be done. I’m proof, and so is our guest. Macy Padilla was considered a geriatric pregnancy. She and her husband, Marcus, tried to have a baby 3 years after they got married. Everything was going fine until 31 weeks into the pregnancy. Doctors found her blood pressure was 161 over 105, and got admitted immediately due to preeclampsia.
Jewel: Preeclampsia affects 5 to 8% of all pregnancies and is considered life threatening, unfortunately, for both mom and baby.
Bernie: But, thankfully, Macy’s story isn’t a story filled with suspense or tragedy. She’s on with us to share how prayer, a village, and God can help get anyone through pregnancy complications.
Macy’s on with us right now. Hi, Macy!
Macy Padilla: Hello! Hi, moms!
Bernie: Hello!
Jewel: Hello! Hi, Macy! Thank you so much for being on with us today. You know, when I think about you, Macy, when you were 35, I mean, I saw you as healthy, you’re beautiful, you’re happy, you’re doing so many good things at work and for the Church Of Christ. Yet, I can’t believe you were labeled as a geriatric pregnancy. I mean, how did that make you feel? I mean, in my eyes 35, girl, is still young.
Bernie: Is very young.
Macy: You’re telling me! I mean, I still listen to BTS (a Korean boy band). I honestly, I was like, okay, well I’m getting married a little later. I’m starting a little later in life, but I feel great, I’m working out. And then you know, just as Bernie said, you know, we’ve been trying, and three years after, we got pregnant. And I was right on the cusp of 34 entering 35.
And, because my sister she’s like an OB (obstetrics) nurse and she was like, “Well, you know you’re geriatric.”And I’m like, “No, geriatric is like 70.” Yeah, I’m like, “That’s not.” And she was like, “Well you know, just be careful”, and then when I went to my first OB appointment, they kind of glazed over it. Just like what Bernie said, they didn’t really target me as somebody that was going to be high-risk. But they were like, “Oh, by the way, this is just something that might happen.”
So, when we found out that we were pregnant, you know, the very first thing that we did is we went to the chapel, and we would regularly have devotional prayers at the chapel just to entrust our pregnancy to God. I tried to eat healthy. For the most part I had a lot of different cravings, like lemonade and spicy chicken sandwiches. I think I tried every single spicy chicken sandwich from every fast food menu and, you know, it was very different for me.
But I did try to sneak in the 30 minutes of cardio. I did everything that they told me. And I went to a routine doctor’s appointment and the doctor was just like, “Did you know that you gained 20 pounds since your last appointment, 4 weeks ago?” And for me, I was like, “Oh, well I ate a lot in Hawaii. Hahahaha.” And she was more concerned and like, “No, that’s not normal. Four weeks? That’s not normal.” You know, we had a quick prayer while she was gone and then she came back and she said, “I’m going to have to admit you to the hospital”
I had a lot of guilt already. I was like, “Should I have done something different? Did I cause this? Did we…were we careless about things?” We told our minister right away, we told the office right away like, “Hey, I’m getting admitted.” We got anointed immediately and then when they told me that I actually had to stay for three weeks, I think that’s when it sunk in that….
Bernie: Yeah, get comfortable, girl, because you’re not leaving like in 15 minutes.
Jewel: You went from thinking, “I’m going to be here for 30 minutes for a check up” and then you were admitted for who knows how long you were going to be admitted for. I mean, I can’t imagine the thoughts that went through your mind. I mean, what got you through it, and what were your prayers like?
Macy: Literally, even before they would come in because I would get routine blood pressure checks, I would have my own prayer. But me and Marcus would pray together at the same time every day, and we would just ask, you know, “Just allow us to accept whatever’s going to happen.” You know, “Just allow us to be strong as a family.” And I’m so thankful for the deacons and for the deaconesses especially, because they huddled together and they had a schedule every day to visit me for 3 weeks without fail.
Bernie: For anyone that’s listening, deaconesses are married women who are officers of the Church Of Christ, and they are there to give us advice and pray with us.
Jewel: Macy also mentions being anointed with oil. Anointing of oil is important for us members of the Church Of Christ, because it’s advised from the Bible that when we are sick we call on the elders who are the officers of the Church to pray for us and anoint us with oil.
Macy: Mid-prayer, the doctor would come in and he would pray with us, and then he would just stop and they would be in the room when they checked my blood pressure, and I could see them praying with me—And it was just so beautiful. They said, “We just need to get you to 34 weeks. That’s the safest time.”
Berie: Okay.
Macy: So actually our prayers started to shift, like, just to get me to that finish line.
Bernie: Yes.
Macy: They were like, “We can deliver you soon, but 34 weeks is where we need to be.” So if we would get there, that’s what we wanted, and then that’s what we shifted for, like, “Bless our baby, make sure she’s healthy above all, but also help me to be able to not stress out as much as possible.” You know, like leave the anxieties to God, take away our anxieties.
Bernie: Absolutely.
Macy: So 34 weeks was the target but, because I could not stabilize on the blood pressure count, they actually tried to induce me 4 days before. So they were like, “We have to do this now.” And I’m like, “Okay, let’s go.” If this is what’s supposed to happen, this is what’s going to happen. So I got into a delivery room and they said, “We’re going to try to do this naturally. That’s our goal and that’s the plan.” So I was worried because I was like, “We need to get to 34. This is early. What if her organs are not developed?”
And they tried everything to induce me, and I was literally poked, prodded, shoved, all of these things—and nothing was working. And on Friday, midnight, they were like, “Okay, she’s starting to distress, we’re losing a heart rate. We need to go into emergency c-section.” So when they said that, it turned exactly onto that Saturday. So she was born on exactly 34 weeks, despite them trying to force God’s will, and that’s how I always thought. I was like, “See, you know, He made it happen.”
They did an emergency c-section on me and I didn’t even get to hold her. They cut her out of me, I was so groggy, I heard her cry and then I was like, “Is she okay? Is she okay?” That’s all I was wondering about. And they let me touch her hand, and that’s it. And they pushed her away and I was like, oh my gosh, just praying. I remember, “As long as she’s okay, like everything….”
Bernie: Then everything is… once you hear that little cry-
Macy: Exactly.
Bernie: -you’re like, “Okay, okay.” After the birth, Madden was hooked up to feeding tubes and spent time in an incubator for several weeks. But baby Madden made a full recovery, and it’s been over a year now. Macy, what’s life like now?
Macy: You know, you wouldn’t have expected that she was this tiny, little, preemie baby that was attached to feeding tubes for three weeks. She is like a spunky, sassy, little, independent, girl. Albeit she walked a little bit late, she actually at 15 months. And every mother was like, “Once she walks, there’s no turning back. So enjoy it, enjoy it.” And I was like praying for her to walk and all of a sudden now I’m like, “Please, just sit down. Please, like slow-”
Bernie: Can you crawl a little bit more?
Macy: –Yes! She loves running. She knows how to answer in prayers now.
Bernie: Oh, the best.
Macy: She’s so sweet. She will not let me hold her spoon, she will not let me hold her bottle, she wants to do everything on her own. Sometimes I think that she’s trying to correct me with her little baby talk and I’m like, “No, girl.” Her favorite song is Moon River and I’m like, “Are you 70? Like how old are you?” Yeah, she has this personality, and she tries to sing along with it.
We’re so, so, so grateful to have this little, happy, bundle of joy that is quite fashionable I might say.
Jewel: I’m picturing it all happening and I’m just feeling for you, you know, and I loved how you just continued to pray and hold on to what God can do for you. So Macy, let me ask you, I mean, “What is your advice for other women who are considering having a baby at an older age?”
Macy: It’s so worth it, and I would say, “Just entrust everything to God.” I always say leave everything up to God, and do everything that you can within your own power to take care of yourself. And, you know, listen to medical (advice), but at the end of the day God knows what’s best for you—He has perfect timing. I would say not to let anyone be discouraged, and I know there are so many women out there who try, and try for years, and you know we’ve been there. And it just happens at the perfect time.
Bernie: Yeah, I mean it took me 5 years. I thought it was going to be easy-peasy,-
Jewel: Right.
Bernie: -but you know, it took longer. But you know this whole story today, I mean this topic, it really is proof that God is truly—truly—so great. Thank you, Miss Macy, for sharing your story.
Jewel: Yes, thank you so much for sharing. We know that someone out there is listening and probably needed a reminder that we will always need God in, literally, every phase of our lives—And He never fails.
Bernie: That is so true.
Macy: Thank you. I love you guys and I love Tired Moms.
Jewel: Thanks Macy.
Macy: It helped me get through a lot. Thank you, guys!
Jewel: Thanks Macy!
Bernie: So, everyone, thank you for listening to this episode of Faith and Family. If you enjoyed listening to us talk, laugh, cry, build each other up, you can download more on Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Apple Podcasts under Faith and Family. Please leave us a review or just say hi. Until then, take care and stay safe.
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