Unexpected answer to prayer

We know, of course, that our Father in Heaven always answers prayer in one way or another, eventually. So I knew that an answer would come. I just didn't expect things to play out quite like this:

One night about a month ago in my evening prayers I asked that God would please guide and direct my husband and I to a good obstetrician and a ritzy, natural-childbirth friendly hospital. We are brand new to the area, so we needed to find these two important things. Are you with me? Hang on!

The very next morning at 5, I woke up with a terrible pain in my upper back, and then began having great difficulty breathing. It was unlike anything I'd ever been through. My husband took me to the emergency room of a large hospital nearby and I was seen nearly right away - they don't keep pregnant ladies who are having trouble breathing waiting, hallelujah!

Within 2 hours they diagnosed me with pneumonia, gave me medication that helped me breathe and made the pain lessen greatly, and told me that I'd need to stay there in the maternity ward for a while. How very shocking all of this was to me; I'm living in the warm American southwest, am typically in the pink of health, and hadn't even had a cold or anything before this. Meanwhile, all the nurses, doctors and staff were incredibly nurturing and professional.

My accomodations were in a private birthing suite which included a nice bathroom and a great view of the city! Not that views are that important, but wow. My daughter and husband were able to stay with me at any time, and the nurses were wonderful to them, too. Jeff and I joked that I was really getting quite a full tour of this place.

Earlier in the week I'd called about scheduling a tour of the hospital's maternity ward - I like to see a place before I give birth there, ha ha - and they were actually booked until January 15. No kidding. So I was thinking that this hospital was probably just going to be eliminated from my list, because I needed to choose a doctor before them. But, then all this happened and I got my own private tour anyway!

The first day of my stay I was really in rough shape, and I was incredibly relieved to have a staff looking after me. I could hardly hobble across the room, and needed help wheeling my IV stand, and help opening and closing the bathroom door: it was like getting a taste of what a feeble elderly person must go through daily. All throughout that day, though, the nurses and doctors were like angels of mercy. I thought of our role as homemakers and how we are called upon to do all sorts of things within the home, sometimes serving as helpers to the ill.

Pneumonia calls for even more than (most) homemakers can offer, though. So I was really grateful for the care I was given at that lovely, shiny, ritzy, clean hospital.

And toward the end of my stay there I was able to sort of interview two of the nurses I'd gotten to know. I asked them all my questions about what it is like to labor there, and I really liked the answers they gave! One of the nurses also recommended a good OB practice (she called them "the sweetest men in the world" - - how's that for a glowing review?).

So, the end of the story is that I'm all better now, and that my husband and I were adequately impressed by that hospital and I'll be giving birth there in March. And we really like my new OB. (Now that I am giving birth for a second time I'm much more comfortable asking questions and getting on the same page as my doctor, which is a big relief. I have no idea why I was so shy with my questions when I was pregnant with Elena, I'm not usually shy.)

Yay! God cares about the details of our lives, and is so faithful with providing for our needs.