God works miracles - We're pregnant!

There have been so many people who have been praying and encouraging Stephen and I on our fertility journey. It has definitely been a journey to say the least, but God is so faithful. I wanted to recap how things have been going since my initial post, and share the miracle of our pregnancy.

We have continued to do fertility appointments for timed-intercourse, which included several medications for me, numerous trans-vaginal ultrasounds, and a trigger shot once I had a dominate follicle. Each cycle would include an initial ultrasound appointment to check to make sure there weren't any cysts followed by blood work to check my homone levels. I'd be instructed to take my medicine for 5 days (the highest dosage) then come back to check for any dominate follicles. It would usually take my body a little longer to respond to the medicine, so typically I would have 4-5 ultrasound & blood work appointments within the course of a week and a half. During the two week wait, I would take progesterone which I took vaginally twice a day until my follow up appointment. This waiting period seemed to last forever. Every little symptom would make me feel hopeful that we could possibly be pregnant, but if there was a lack of symptoms I would be filled with doubt and anxiety.

Many people who have struggled to get pregnant will reference the rollercoaster of emotions that are experienced during the process. Rollercoaster - ups and downs were definitely the dominant feeling for me. Two weeks later I would go back to my doctor for blood work to check to see if we conceived. Everytime I would get the blood work results back my HCG levels would show 0.100, to me those numbers would scream...DEFINITELY NOT PREGNANT! After getting those results sometimes I would be filled with faith to continue to believe that God had a plan and purpose for all of this. Other times I would be filled with doubt and disappointment. A song that was would continually fill my mind was, "Wouldn't it be like you" by Bryan & Katie Torwalt. "And wouldn't it be like you to be different than we thought, different than we want, but better. You're better." It's one thing to be able to praise God when times are good and everything is going well, and it's a totally different story to praise God in the midst of struggle and pain - knowing that He will provide even when it seems like nothing is happening.

In the month of September we decided to take a break from doctor's appointments and medication -Stephen was still taking his medicine for testosterone, but I decided not to continue mine, at least for the moment. I was beyond frustrated. Why was my body not responding the way that it was supposed to? Why wasn't this working for us? After being so discouraged and frustrated, we both agreed that it would be best to just take a break, hear from God, and then move forward with what we believed to be right. Stephen and I agreed to seek God and "lay out our fleece" and make a decision based on what we believed God was telling us to do.

In scripture, Judges 6: 36 - 40 is a story about Gideon, who would be considered an insignificant, average man who God chose to use in a significant way. Gideon came from the weakest clan of Israel, and God used him to help the Israelites fight against the Midianites. Because of Gideon's not so impactful background he wanted some reassurance from God, that God could work through his weaknesses. One evening Gideon laid out his fleece and prayed that the fleece would be wet with dew and the ground completely dry - God answered his request. The following evening Gideon asked for the reverse to happen, the ground wet with dew and the fleece to be completely dry - again God answered his prayer.

Personally Stephen has had many "fleece" moments in his life - times where he would ask God to show him something specific so that he would have confirmation about which direction to go in. Both of us prayed for confirmation and peace about how to move forward on our fertility journey. Fast forward to January of the new year, after prayer and confirmation, we believed that the IUI procedure would be the best route for us. An IUI procedure starts with an initial consultation appointment followed by a transvaginal ultrasound and blood work at the beginning of my cycle, usually around day two or three. On day three of my cycle, I would take medication for five days straight, which would trigger my body to ovulate. Around day twelve of my cycle I would go back to the clinic and the doctor would check to see if there is any dominate follicles, using an ultrasound. Typically it would take at least 4 of these appointments over the course of a few days before I would have a follicle that was within the correct size, ready to be fertilized. Once my body was ready with an egg/follicle waiting to be fertilized, Stephen would give me a trigger shot in my stomach, which would stimulate or trigger my body to release that egg.

After our initial consultation, our doctor's first available appointment for the IUI procedure was in April. At that time I was feeling impatient that we had to wait, several months that seemed like forever - just to have the procedure done! The timing of everything, I believe, was definitely orchestrated by God. Easter week (Holy Week) this year was March 25th - March 31st. Our IUI appointment was Monday, the day after Easter Sunday. That Sunday I felt so many different emotions - nervous obviously, but confident in God's promises. Stephen and I went up to the front at church for prayer that morning, believing that everything would go smoothly and we would get pregnant. I specifically remember the lady who prayed for us because she had such a strong African accent, our church is really diverse. On the day of our IUI, Stephen had his appointment first to collect his sperm sample, which would be proceeded and washed. This process would leave behind the strongest and healthiest sperm. An hour later, it was my turn, the doctor inserted a catheter into my uterus with Stephen's sperm sample in a syringe. I asked our doctor if Stephen could "push the button" to release the sperm, she smiled and allowed him to do it.

Now we wait, two whole weeks. Stephen and I decided not to take a pregnancy test just in case it wouldn't be accurate, we chose to wait until my blood work appointment to get the results. During those two weeks we chose to trust and believe God whatever the outcome. I had a peace almost like a reassuring feeling that we would hear back positive results. Maybe it was because of that Easter week; God had filled me with supernatural confidence and assurance in His word. Was I still nervous? Of course... but still trusted in His promises!

Two weeks had gone by and I went back to the clinic for my blood work appointment. Usually I wouldn't get blood work results until after lunch time around 1:30 or 2:00 in the afternoon, so I waited to check until Stephen and I were together. I opened my patient portal, my HCG level was 363.4, and I immediately knew that meant I was pregnant (anything above a 5.4 means pregnant)! Because we saw so many negative tests, I wanted to see the word "PREGNANT" on a pregnancy test, so we immediately took a test. Almost instantly the word "PREGNANT" appeared on the screen! Tears of joy, relief, and thankfullness began to fall. God answered our prayer! For the next couple weeks, I would just randomly start crying because I felt so thankful. "I can't thank you enough!" Those words continually filled my mouth. "How could I ever thank you enough God?"

Have you ever been praying for something specific for several months even years, and see God do the exact thing you've been praying for? There has only been a handful of times that I remember God answering a specific prayer, something that I've been believing for, for years. Every single time a prayer like that had been answered, I knew without a doubt that it happened only because of God's grace! There was nothing I could do in my own strength to make my body ovulate - I tried so many things like changing my diet by eliminating sugar, diary, and gluten. Not fun - especially considering the amount of cheese I like to eat. God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, more than we could ever ask, think, or image (Ephesians 3: 20).

On a Saturday morning in May, I shared with my women's small group about our miracle pregnancy. I recently joined this group and probably had only been to two or three sessions prior to that Saturday. The lady who prayed for us at the alter that Easter Sunday was sitting right beside me, it was her first time visiting our group. "Your husband's name is Stephen right?" she said, "I've been praying for y'all since that Sunday and think of you often!" Her comment almost brought me to tears, because it was just another reminder of God's faithfulness to me. There is purpose in every trail and disappointment we go through - on this side of Heaven, we will probably never know exactly why, but we can trust that we have a God who cares about every detail of our lives.

It's so easy to take for granted being able to get pregnant, and conceive a child naturally. It is easy to forget that the entire process is only by God's grace. The process of getting pregnant is such a miracle within itself, so many things have to line up perfectly for conception to happen.

I don't understand why infertility was apart of our story, but I do know that, I was able to experience God's goodness in a way that I would have never experienced had I not gone through it. I am thankful that God is able to continually show me different aspects of who He is, and I am continually left amazed! I pray that God will use our story to share with others and encourage other couples who are experiencing something similar.

If you're still believing for your miracle baby, I stand in agreement with you! I pray that our pregnancy journey encourages you to continue to trust God for what may seem impossible - my God is able!

Encouraging Songs:

-Wouldn't it be Like You by: Bryan & Katie Torwalt

-Can't Thank You Enough by: Nate Ingalls

-Been So Good by: Elevation Worship w/ Tiffany Hudson

-Closing the Distance by: 7 Hills Worship

-I Still Believe by: Jeremy Camp

-Hold On by: Katy Nichole

Encouraging Scriptures:

-Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us. Ephesians 3:20

-For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love. Lamentations 3:31-32

-The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3: 22-23

-"Sir," Gideon replied, "if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn't they say, 'The Lord brought us up out of Egypt?' But now the Lord has abondoned us and handed us over to the Midianites." Then the Lord turned to him and said, "Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!"

Judges 13-14

-Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4, 6-7

With love,