My long-awaited testimony (Our Journey)
Through this journey we realised there are so many couples struggling with infertility and afraid to talk about it. The battle is real and affects many of us, without most of us even realising it. It should not be a topic you are afraid or ashamed of. Remember knowledge is power. To those that are constantly asking others when you are having a baby or when is the next baby coming, maybe we should be more considerate and allow couples do things at their own pace instead of adding more pressure to an already sensitive subject. I think the right approach would be to encourage couples to talk about what they are going through as appose to asking those difficult questions. Remember God’s timing is always perfect!
In 2018 we decided we would like to have an addition to our family, it was not an easy journey, but it was worth it. Warrick and I had a plan on our timeline and how we wanted it to all work out but God had a better plan for us and as we look back in hindsight, we are so grateful to God for his perfect plan that unfolded in our lives. The sequence of events over the past 2 years was nothing short of amazing! After about 2 years of trying to conceive, we decided we need to seek medical advice.
We partnered with one of the best Doctors we could have asked for, went through various tests to make sure we ticked all the boxes. We started our journey with our Doctor in 2019, his advice to us was do not stress about it and take the pressure off. After a while it becomes psychological, a mindset shift. After trying for a about year in 2019, our Doctor recommended a very basic IUI treatment. In January 2020 we had our first IUI, nothing happened, in February our 2nd IUI and again nothing happened. By this time, we were feeling very low and disheartened. Usually, IUI is administered 3 times before moving on to the next treatment. In March, our Doctor had to leave for an International conference, and we were unable to see him for our 3rd try. There was not much we could do, but to our surprise we found out I was pregnant in March and this happened naturally, no treatment.
It was surreal, we were over the moon, ecstatic, and we were on cloud 9. When our Doctor got back, we told him the good news, but this joy was short lived. Three days before Good Friday 2020 I had a miscarriage. Going from such joy and happiness to sadness and despair was difficult but through this emotional roller coaster I felt a calmness over me. Almost like God saying to me ‘Trust me’. It was Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday 2020; I remember feeling very sad and down but trusting God in his word to us and knowing God has my best interest at heart. It was not easy but Warrick and I knew God had a plan for us and his timing is perfect! Just then South Africa went into level 5 lockdown, and we were not able to see our Doctor. Over the next 3 months we did not think too much about trying to get pregnant or stressing about anything. We just let it be and committed it into God’s hands.
3 months later, 15th of July, we found out I was pregnant, and this happened naturally again, we were abit sceptical about getting excited but we found ourselves overjoyed and full of hope again. This time felt different, we went through all our monthly check-ups/scans and each one was better than the last. I had a really healthy pregnancy, no morning sickness/nausea, no swollen hands/feet, I was able to eat anything and everything, and no serious back pain etc. On 15th March, our Beautiful and healthy Baby girl was born weighing in at 3.42kg.
As Good Friday draws closer this week, we hold our beautiful baby girl, and we look back at the pain we experienced last year during this time. We need to remember what happen on Good Friday as Jesus was crucified and on the 3rd day, he rose again which gives us hope for our future. Jesus is the hope we have to cling onto when we are faced with any challenges. Although it may seem like an impossible hurdle to get past at the time, that is when the hand of God is best seen. It also turns out my birthday is on Good Friday this year. How much more significant can this journey get. Jesus has come to give us life and life to the fullest (John 10:10). When we decided on a name for our Baby Girl, we did not know the meaning of the name we chose, we just fell in love with the name and too our surprise the meaning of Zoe in Greek is LIFE. In an among the panic, disarray, and lost lives the world faces, God gave us life and we get to decide how we want to use this free gift. Warrick and I have learned so much through this journey, things we were so oblivious too. To all my friends and family and even strangers reading this, if you ever want to talk about a similar challenge you are faced with, we are available to share more about what we learnt through this process and hopefully it will encourage and help you aswell.
ARTICLE BY AMY GARTON
