Similar to our wedding date we've had a list of baby names years before actively trying for a baby. Our original plan was to wait a year or two after getting married, but God changed our minds.
After our honeymoon and a very romantic post-wedding December I was pretty sure I was pregnant, since I wasn't taking the pill properly. My period was late, and when it arrived I was devastated. I didn't expect to feel this way, but I did. This went on for a couple of months, so Gersh and I decided to sit down and have a serious chat. In April, when I was on my last packet of Nordette, I decided to see my gynae at the time. This was to discuss the way forward, since I have PCOS and I was told I would struggle to conceive.
The Tuesday morning (this was during my school holiday) of my gynae appointment, her secretary called to cancel and she assured me that she would call back later in the week to reschedule. The Friday arrived and there was still no call. That Friday was the day before my cousin's baby shower. A baby shower I was planning. This was the saddest I had ever been planning such a happy event (excuse, the pun). That morning I went to the shops to buy the eats for the party, but my spirit was down and I felt let down by the Lord. I just wanted a baby too. Well, as I took the corner down the one aisle to get the chips, a lady stops me. A complete stranger. She asks if I would be okay with her praying for me. I stood there, pushed my trolley one side and opened my hands. As the lady prayed for me, it became clearer. God had sent her at the exact moment I needed her. She prayed for a health concern related to my womb. How crazy, right!? I was weeping as she prayed (all of this in the middle of a grocery store) and as we said Amen, she asked why God would want her to pray for my womb. I explained my situation and she proceeded to pray over my womb. She began praying in tongues. It's like time stood still in that moment. I just stood there and hugged the lady so tightly and wept. It was the most surreal moment ever.
I got home and shared this with Gersh, and we just sat there in awe of God. I saved that spiritual gift in my mind, and started to pray more purposefully from then on. The next day the baby shower went as planned and by the Monday the gynae's secretary had called to reschedule. I visited the gynae after school one afternoon and we had our discussion.
During my gynae visit we discovered that my cysts on my one ovary were no longer as bad as they used to be and she gave me some useful tips for trying to conceive (TTC). I was told to cut out carbs like bread, rice, pasta and potato, and exercise for at least 10 minutes a day - losing just 5kgs would help me get pregnant. I was encouraged to eat foods rich in folates like spinach and bananas. She recommended inofolic and DS24 for me, and Staminogro for Gersh (this was the first vitamin he ever took on a daily basis, he usually wastes the others I buy). The other tips were a little private, these private tips included baby dancing every second day. Or every day. She left that choice up to us. She also told us to not track my ovulation. She said we should just have fun!
By the end of April we started actively trying. I had lost some weight and had two normal, 28 day cycles (which is something I rarely experience, but I was excited because it meant I was ovulating) and by July my period never arrived. Two weeks prior to my very late period I had noticed that I could no longer stand the smell or taste of coffee. It literally made me gag. Now if you know me, you'll know that I love my coffee black, strong and without any sugar! This should've been my first sign, but reports were due at school and we were meeting with parents, so pregnancy never crossed my mind. I also had the most tender tatas in the world, putting on a bra felt like torture chambers were encasing the girls! Gersh would hug or cuddle me and I'd want to punch him. I thought I was having terrible PMS, but oh boy, was I wrong! Then one night we went out for burgers and drinks, and yours truly was feeling rather tipsy after one drink. This prompted me to finally buy a pregnancy test. We bought this test the day after my one glass of wine tipsy moment and I was meant to wait until the weekend, but I decided to wake up early and take the test then.
To my surprise, the test showed that I was pregnant almost instantly! But I walked away and timed it anyway. I came back after 10 minutes and there it was, my positive! I ran to the bedroom and woke Gershwin up, very excitedly! We were elated! However, we wanted to be certain, so we booked an appointment with our GP. He confirmed the pregnancy with another urine sample and he also did a blood test to triple check. The sample was sent away and he said he would let us know the results as soon as he got them.
The next day, while on our way to the movies at the Waterfront Gersh received a call. Our GP asked to speak to me and he confirmed that I was indeed pregnant and congratulated us. That evening we decided to tell our parents in person. We had already told our sisters at this point, and my mom sort of knew because she suspected I was pregnant for a while. When we told my parents, mine cried tears of joy (my dad especially, since her due date was in his birth month) and my in-laws were jumping up and down excitedly, hugging and kissing us!
Yes, this was a mere 6 months after getting married, but the joy that filled our hearts (despite my nausea and strange aversions) made us realise that all of this was ordained by God. We were ready when He needed us to be.