One day, a couple came in for a pregnancy test and ultrasound.
During our initial questionnaire, they revealed unanimously that they were intent on getting an abortion. Because of their living and perceived financial situation, they just didn’t see how they could take on a child right now. This wasn’t in their plan— they didn’t feel ready.
Sure enough, their ultrasound showed a tiny fetus. The patient began to cry and her partner looked at her with confusion. In his mind it seemed like for him it was a very logical decision, but for her it was simply no longer the sensible thing. This moment—the first moment that they saw their child, should have been joyous, but instead, the room was filled with uncertainty. By an outsider’s standards, they were a great couple to welcome a child, but they felt unprepared and therefore, considered abortion as their only option.
We attempted to follow up with them after they left, but were unable to reach them. We regularly prayed for them because we really believed that the Lord needed to intervene in this situation. Despite the uncertainty and sadness we felt, we knew we had to give it to God to carry.
Weeks later, the patient reached out to us again. To our surprise, she said she wanted an ultrasound because she was afraid she might have miscarried. She and her partner had long discussions about what it would actually be like to carry this pregnancy, and the Lord had worked in their hearts to start imagining a beautiful life with their child. But now, thinking she miscarried, she was feeling the rollercoaster of so many emotions.
When we gave her another pregnancy test, she was still testing positive. It is possible to still test positive after a miscarriage, so it was unclear if this was the case. We proceeded with another ultrasound, and it revealed that she was still actually pregnant—she hadn’t miscarried! We gave her the ultrasound photos, and she left our clinic ecstatic, saying how happy her partner
“The Lord had worked in their hearts to start imagining a beautiful life with their child.”
would be with this news!
Often, the first step in creating space for a patient to think about their next pregnancy steps is providing them with a free ultrasound. The image of their baby is compelling —causing them to think twice about their situation. The second part of the process that is crucial, is prayer. The Lord knows these women’s hearts and their minds. Only HE can change a heart and allow men and women to start dreaming of what their life could be like with a child.
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