The Miracle of Murphy

A NICU Journey and Skin-to-Skin Contact

Stories of tiny miracles—like a 2-pound, 6-ounce fighter—and dreams coming true are always worth sharing. Morgan’s journey of bringing her beautiful family together under one roof is no exception. We're grateful she shared her compelling, inspiring story with us, and we’re excited to pass it along to you. In her heartfelt words, Morgan opens up about the challenges and triumphs of being a preemie parent, navigating adoption, IVF, and more. Whether you’re a NICU parent, an adoptive parent, or a labor and delivery nurse, Morgan’s remarkable tale is one of hope and strength you won’t want to miss.

 

 

Morgan and Ayla, mothers to a NICU miracle, have been together for three years. Morgan, a nurse with over ten years of experience, has worked in labor and delivery, the NICU, and currently serves as a surgical nurse in a fertility clinic. Ayla, on the other end of the continuum, supports families through end-of-life care.

“I didn’t believe in ‘love at first sight’ until I met Ayla. We both knew from the first date that we would spend the rest of our lives together. She cooked ‘Marry-Me-Chicken’ on one of our first dates, and the rest is history,” Morgan said. 

Morgan always wanted to be a mother, and worried that she would never meet the right person to make this dream come true. Then, she met Ayla. Morgan and Ayla both shared a desire to start a family and had a passion for supporting children in foster care. In the summer of 2022, they opened their foster license and began providing respite care for children. It wasn’t until the winter of 2022 that they welcomed a long-term placement. Around the same time, they scheduled an appointment with a fertility clinic, but the earliest available date was six months away. Their lives quickly became busy and joyful when an incredible six-year-old boy was placed in their home, making them moms overnight. Early in his transition to their family, he expressed his dream of having a baby sister—unaware of how deeply Morgan and Ayla shared that same hope.

Morgan and Ayla began fertility treatment shortly after their appointment in the spring of 2023, embarking on the road to IVF. By May 2023, they had embryos frozen and ready for future use. However, as they faced the challenges of navigating a broken foster care system with their son, they decided to take a break from trying to conceive.

In November 2023, after months of endometriosis suppression, they proceeded with their first frozen embryo transfer. Everything appeared ideal—the uterine lining, hormone levels, and the perfectly developed embryo. On the seventh day after the transfer, Morgan received a positive home pregnancy test and surprised Ayla with the news. Their dreams seemed to be coming true, with a baby on the way and their son’s foster case moving toward adoption. Sadly, the pregnancy tests began to fade, and by day 12, lab results confirmed that Morgan was no longer pregnant.

“I grieved for this little embryo and the dreams I had for her. We gave my body a couple months off for a break and did additional suppression,” Morgan said. 

On January 16, 2024, Morgan and Ayla transferred their "little embryo-that-could"—a perfect, fully hatched blastocyst. With cautious optimism, they tested eight days later and were thrilled to see two pink lines. The lines continued to darken, and surrounded by coworkers and friends, they learned 12 days after the transfer that the embryo had successfully implanted. Morgan’s pregnancy labs were perfect.

Two weeks later, they saw their baby for the first time on an ultrasound, complete with a strong, healthy heartbeat. The pregnancy progressed beautifully, with their baby girl passing every test and ultrasound. Despite experiencing anxiety, nausea, and carpal tunnel, Morgan loved being pregnant and cherished the journey up until 25 weeks.

“I was just so excited to be pregnant with this little dream girl.”

At 25 weeks, Morgan underwent surgery on her wrists due to rapidly progressing carpal tunnel syndrome and was informed that her blood pressure was elevated. She began monitoring her blood pressure at home, where it consistently remained high. A few days later, at an OB appointment, a preeclampsia workup was conducted, but the results were within normal ranges.

Over the following week and a half, Morgan's blood pressure continued to rise, accompanied by headaches and swelling. Having spent seven years as a labor and delivery nurse, she was acutely aware of the potential dangers and felt terrified about what might come next. At 26 weeks and 6 days, during an OB appointment, her blood pressure reached severe levels, and she was sent to triage. That evening, she was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with preeclampsia, as her lab work showed rapid deterioration.

Morgan spent three days in the hospital, during which she was started on blood pressure medication and given steroid injections to accelerate the development of her baby’s lungs. Upon discharge, she was placed on strict bed rest and scheduled for twice-weekly follow-ups with her OB and maternal-fetal medicine specialist.

“I was so scared and we celebrated every single day I was still pregnant. I had taken care of babies at this gestation and knew what a tough road they had in the NICU. Going from a job where I was on my feet all day to bed rest was no easy task, but our village of family and friends stepped up for us and I was told about ten times a day to sit down.”

On Friday, July 12, 2024, at 28 weeks and one day, everything changed for Morgan. She felt unwell and knew something was wrong. Late that evening, she called the on-call OB, who instructed her to go to triage. There, she was admitted once again with worsening preeclampsia, elevated blood pressure, and concerning lab results.

Over the next five days, the medical team worked tirelessly to stabilize her blood pressure and manage her headaches, but their efforts were unsuccessful. On July 16, 2024—exactly six months after the embryo transfer—the decision was made to deliver at 28 weeks and 5 days for Morgan's safety. The weight of the situation became clear: their premature baby was coming.

 

Morgan and Ayla right before Morgan’s c-section

 

“Ayla, the calm to my storm, held my hand and radiated positivity. I held it together with a smile on my face through the preparation for my c-section and being started on magnesium. The NICU team came down to prepare us for what to expect. Once I became the patient and this became MY baby, all my prior knowledge and reason left my body. I remember telling the team to treat me like any other mom despite my experience.”

Unfortunately, induction was not an option due to how sick Morgan had become, and she still grieves not having that experience. She felt incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by her former coworkers, delivering on the very unit where she had once worked as a labor and delivery nurse. It was especially meaningful and reassuring to know that her close friend, the NICU charge nurse on duty that day, would be the one to catch and care for their sweet baby girl in the operating room.

“The moment I was wheeled into the OR I lost my calm and cool composure and the tears didn’t stop. I was so scared. My team was incredible, but the reality hit that I was really sick and our baby was about to be here way too early. My wife entered the room and placed her forehead on mine and knew exactly what to say.” 

At 1:47pm they dropped the drape and Murphy Claire entered the world with a tiny cry at 2lbs 6oz.

 

 

“I remember looking over at the warmer, sobbing and begging her to breathe and be okay. While Murphy responded as expected for a 28-weeker, watching her being resuscitated and understanding everything the team was saying was heartbreaking. I felt immense guilt for all she was going through and all she would have to endure. Once she was stabilized, they wheeled Murphy over to Ayla and me, and I was overwhelmed with love and joy. I held her tiny hand, and she was more perfect and beautiful than I could have ever imagined. She was quickly taken to the NICU, with Ayla by her side.”

 

Morgan and Ayla admire their tiny miracle

 

Murphy spent 71 days in the NICU. Ayla held her for the first time on her fifth day of life, just after she became stable enough to have her breathing tube removed. The nurses placed Murphy skin-to-skin with Ayla, and for the first time, it truly felt like she was their baby. Those five days, only being able to touch her through the portholes of the incubator, felt like an eternity.

 

 Ayla and Murphy practice skin-to-skin

 

Morgan and Ayla held Murphy skin-to-skin every day, even once she was in clothes. They would scrub their hands and then take Murphy down to her diaper and immediately place her on their chests.

“Bonsie Skin to Skin Babywear has quickly become the number one gift I recommend to any new mother, especially NICU moms. We didn’t discover Bonsie until discharge and talked often about how incredible it would have in the NICU. Murphy would get very worked up and cry every time we had to take her clothes off and put them back on. Skipping that step would have taken away so much stress.”

 

 Morgan and Murphy practice skin-to-skin

 

While Murphy had a relatively smooth NICU course with few setbacks, it was a journey that neither Morgan nor Ayla would wish on anyone. Balancing rest, sleep, and recovery while spending time with their 8-year-old son, managing their home, laundry, and dogs, and commuting back and forth to the hospital was incredibly tough. They rarely had time together, as siblings were not permitted in the NICU for the first month and a half, so they had to take turns staying home with their son. At three weeks postpartum, both Morgan and Ayla tested positive for COVID and had to spend 10 days away from their daughter, terrified that she might test positive as well. Thankfully, their little fighter remained negative and healthy.

“Unfortunately, I was only given 12 weeks off for FMLA and just five weeks paid at 66% through short-term disability. This meant that if I wanted any time off once Murphy came home from the hospital, I had to return to work just six weeks postpartum, knowing the remaining time would be unpaid. It was devastating. America has to do better to take care of their mothers and families. To work full-time as a nurse for ten years, taking care of other mothers and babies, and then return to work at just six weeks postpartum, leaving my own baby, was heart-wrenching. I don’t believe I should have had to make this choice in order to have time with my newborn once she came home. I spent a month working nine-hour shifts, heading straight to the hospital for two hours, then switching with Ayla to care for our little man in the lobby, just to go home, make dinner, and do bedtime, repeating this five days a week. I felt so much guilt being at work and not with her, but I trusted the team and knew they held her whenever possible. Those were the hardest months of my life, with my heart in two separate places.”

 

 

On September 24th, Murphy Claire came home at 5 lbs 7 oz, and Morgan and Ayla’s family and hearts were finally all under one roof. She was finally theirs. They no longer had to ask permission to hold her or feed her, no longer had to leave her at night with tear-filled eyes, and could now pick her up and comfort her whenever they wanted. It was also finally time for her to meet the rest of her family! During the months Murphy spent in the NICU, she was only allowed three visitors in total, and Morgan and Ayla couldn’t wait for their village to finally, and safely, meet their little girl.

 

 

“We were gifted a preemie Bonsie outfit at discharge, and it immediately became our favorite. We washed it almost daily. The material was so high-end and soft. For a baby who hated having her clothes changed, the Bonsie was incredibly fast and convenient! It covered her hands and feet and made breastfeeding and skin-to-skin at home so easy. I credit Murphy’s success as a great breastfeeder to all the hours she spent skin-to-skin. I am still so thankful, knowing how rare that is for a former 28-weeker. Even today, nothing calms Murphy faster than being placed skin-to-skin, heartbeat to heartbeat.”

 

 

To watch Murphy in pain, struggling to breathe, enduring lab draws, and having spells was devastating. Each day felt like a year in the NICU, yet somehow it was beginning to feel like a blip in time. 

Morgan and Ayla could not have gotten through those days without the NICU staff. The nurses became like family, and they truly miss them now. The nurses were deeply invested in Murphy’s health and growth, and it showed. The NICU social worker became a safety net they hadn’t known they needed. Morgan had to learn that asking for help was okay. They would never forget one very experienced nurse, who had picked up on Morgan’s anxiety over Murphy’s vitals on the monitor, saying, "You be Murphy’s mom, and I’ll be her nurse. I promise I won’t let anything happen to her." Another nurse told them, "You are her mom, and you know her best. I’m going to call the doctor now and see if we can get her more comfortable because you’re right. You know your baby," when Morgan noticed Murphy looking distressed, irritable, and uncomfortable while intubated on her second day of life. Being validated as her mom was something Morgan didn’t know she needed.

“Even as a former NICU nurse, nothing could have prepared me for being a mom to a preemie in the NICU. It is the toughest, yet most inspiring journey. To see this tiny little baby overcome so many obstacles and remain so tough is amazing.”

 

Murphy gets a bath

 

There was so much joy in the little things, and many of the nurses understood that. One morning, Morgan and Ayla walked in to find an array of photos from Murphy’s bath time. When they had COVID, a nurse would place her phone in Murphy’s isolette daily to let their daughter hear their voices. The same nurse even took one-month photos for them while they were still quarantined during this milestone. NICU nurses are true heroes. 

“I’m happy to say that Murphy is now approaching 7lbs and thriving at home with her moms, doggies and proud big brother. She has lots of nicknames, but is mostly referred to as Moo. We are so proud of our family and so thankful we get to share our story.”

We are honored to share Morgan, Ayla, and Murphy’s beautiful story with your readers. It’s always special for us to connect with NICU and labor and delivery nurses, who are experts in skin-to-skin contact and advocates for this healing practice. Our goal at Bonsie is to promote the benefits of skin-to-skin contact, educate our readers on its lifelong advantages, and inspire you with remarkable stories from parents like Morgan, who do so much to support new mothers and their babies.

 

Murphy takes her 3-month-old photo in Bonsie's Peony Footie