Bringing Up Bates star Carlin Bates is revealing how her newborn daughter Layla suffers from heart and breathing issues in a new Instagram post. The 22-year-old and husband Evan Stewart welcomed Layla on Jan. 31 and joked that the hospital has “become our 2nd home.” Layla was born prematurely and has faced several health concerns since her birth.
In a lengthy Instagram post, Bates said Layla has “had breathing problems and episodes of turning blue where she can’t catch her breath.” Bates went to the hospital first for meningitis and enlisted sister Erin Bates to take care of Layla. The next day, Laya was “having rapid breathing and turning blue,” and was then rushed back to a children’s hospital. “I was over come with fear of the unknown, along with feeling guilty that I couldn’t be there with her,” Bates wrote. “Evan went back and forth from hospital to hospital, checking on us both.”
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Bates felt alone at her hospital during the crisis. When she was released, Layla’s doctors said her EKG levels “weren’t reading right,” so Layla would have to be taken to a heart specialist. The specialist discovered Layla has a small hole in her heart, which could be the reason for her breathing issues. The doctor told them not to worry, so they are praying the small hole will close itself “as they often do.” Bates and Stewart ordered a special sock to monitor Layla’s heart rate and oxygen levels “because this nervous mother couldn’t sleep at night!”
Layla gave the couple another scare when she “turned white” and her O2 levels dropped to 80 percent. “Again, I felt like my world was turned upside down as I held her in my arms,” Bates wrote. “I felt so helpless watching her struggle for oxygen.” Bates’ sister Michaella came over while they waited for an ambulance. By the time the ambulance arrived, Layla’s color came back and her O2 level was back to normal. They were told not to take Layla to the hospital due to the coronavirus pandemic and instead saw Layla’s pediatrician. The doctor suggested this might have been an acid reflux episode.
“Although we’re still so nervous about the outcomes of everything, I know my God is in control and He’s writing our little story,” Bates wrote. “I am so thankful for His protection over my sweet baby girl. We’ve been in some scary places, but I know I can lean on Jesus. I may have many fears and worries, but I’m doing my best to place them in His hands. Becoming a mother has grown me in so many ways, and I’m beyond blessed that God gave me this little girl. We appreciate all your prayers for Layla Rae.”
Bates and Stewart married in May 2019 in Tennessee and Bates announced her pregnancy in September. Bates stars on the Up TV series Bringing Up Bates, which debuted in 2015. The series is similar to the Duggars’ Counting On, in that it follows a large family, led by Gil and Kelly Jo Bates and their 19 children. Carlin and her siblings range in ages 31 to 8.
