While I was gathering posts together to celebrate my "Baby Shower" the Lord pressed my heart on an issue I have no experience with.
Many readers have asked me questions on how I can have so many c-sections almost in a state of confusion and disbelief. Some women have had two or three C-Sections and at the advice of their doctors had their "tubes tied" or their husband had vasectomies. I am not their doctor and will not state they should or should not have listened. I don't know their personal history and have no authority to make any judgment.
What I hear through these questions to me is, "Could I have had more children?" I'm not writing to answer that question either.
I do want to share with you testimonies of families who have had a reversal.
I know there is someone reading this who may have questions.
If this testimony gives you any hope, then pray and seek Him and His wisdom.
We are Jonathan and Jessica P. We met at church in July 2003, married in December 2003 and welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Julianna, into our family in January 2005. We loved being parents so much that we decided we would try for #2 when she was only 6 months old. We got pregnant the first month trying and we were so excited! When I was 11 ½ weeks pregnant I went in for my first prenatal appointment but Jonathan wasn’t able to come with me. The midwife came in and felt around and checked for the heartbeat, but there was none. I didn’t know what was going on but they said we were going to do an ultrasound. At that point I was excited that I was going to see our precious baby! When the ultrasound started I saw our sweet baby…but there was no flicker. Our baby had went to be with the Lord. We were so heartbroken.
After we lost our little baby, we decided we would try again and thankfully we were blessed. This baby grew healthy and strong and our first son, Justen, was born in August 2006. We were pretty sure we wanted to have four children total, but we were thinking we wanted a break between after having our son. When he was 5 months old, we found out we were expecting again. We were surprised because we were taking precautions, but the Lord had a plan that was much greater than ours! In September 2007, our second daughter, Jillian, was born.
A few days after Jillian was born, I started to have what is referred to as ocular migraines. I saw flashing, jagged lights that weren’t really there. After a couple weeks I went to see my doctor. They did MRI's and CT scans and they found I had a small brain hemorrhage. Their best guess was that it happened during labor with Jillian. I met with a neurologist and they said that my body would absorb the blood and that I should be fine. He said I could have more children, possibly even vaginally with no complications. We weren't sure we wanted to chance it. We decided that we were going to be content with the children we had and that Jonathan would get a vasectomy. In June 2008, he did just that. We didn’t second guess our decision or feel like we made the wrong choice. We just felt like that chapter of our lives was over.
In January 2010, God started to work on my heart. I began to have dreams of being pregnant again with our older three children kissing and rubbing my belly, dreams of nursing a new baby with the older children sitting on my lap or next to me. I thought I was complete. I was sure that we were done having children. However, the Lord had shown me that He wasn't done yet. He put a desire in me for more children that was stronger than before if not stronger! I knew in my heart what the Lord wanted but I was very nervous to talk to Jonathan about it. I sat Jonathan down and told him about my dreams. He listened patiently, but when I was finished he told me that he really felt like we were complete. we agreed to pray about it. A couple days later he came home and said, “I think there may be more than one missing! I think we might end up with two or three more!” We discussed adoption and we also looked into reversals. I felt in my heart that the Lord wanted me to be pregnant again because most of the dreams revolved around either me being pregnant or nursing.
When we started checking into everything, we got major sticker shock. We didn't know what to do or what direction the Lord wanted us to take. We checked more into reversals that next week and in one of our searches an organization named Blessed Arrows popped up. I clicked on it and I couldn't believe my eyes when I read what they are all about. They fund reversals!
We applied in April 2010, we were approved and put on the funding list in July 2010. In August 2010 our fund was complete! Jonathan had his reversal with Dr. David Wilson on October 19, 2010 however, things didn't look very optimistic. Dr. Wilson gave us a 70% chance of ever conceiving. We knew that we had to keep our eyes on the Lord because He was the one that had brought us to this point. If He desired us to have more children, it wouldn't matter what odds were stacked against us...
On September 7, 2011, Jackson Randall was born weighing in at 5lb 10oz and 17 ½ inches long. We are so in awe of what the Lord has done! We are more excited than ever to see what else He has in store for us. We will gladly welcome with open arms and hearts more blessings if the Lord desires. ~Thank you for reading and God’s blessings to you all!
After we lost our little baby, we decided we would try again and thankfully we were blessed. This baby grew healthy and strong and our first son, Justen, was born in August 2006. We were pretty sure we wanted to have four children total, but we were thinking we wanted a break between after having our son. When he was 5 months old, we found out we were expecting again. We were surprised because we were taking precautions, but the Lord had a plan that was much greater than ours! In September 2007, our second daughter, Jillian, was born.
A few days after Jillian was born, I started to have what is referred to as ocular migraines. I saw flashing, jagged lights that weren’t really there. After a couple weeks I went to see my doctor. They did MRI's and CT scans and they found I had a small brain hemorrhage. Their best guess was that it happened during labor with Jillian. I met with a neurologist and they said that my body would absorb the blood and that I should be fine. He said I could have more children, possibly even vaginally with no complications. We weren't sure we wanted to chance it. We decided that we were going to be content with the children we had and that Jonathan would get a vasectomy. In June 2008, he did just that. We didn’t second guess our decision or feel like we made the wrong choice. We just felt like that chapter of our lives was over.
In January 2010, God started to work on my heart. I began to have dreams of being pregnant again with our older three children kissing and rubbing my belly, dreams of nursing a new baby with the older children sitting on my lap or next to me. I thought I was complete. I was sure that we were done having children. However, the Lord had shown me that He wasn't done yet. He put a desire in me for more children that was stronger than before if not stronger! I knew in my heart what the Lord wanted but I was very nervous to talk to Jonathan about it. I sat Jonathan down and told him about my dreams. He listened patiently, but when I was finished he told me that he really felt like we were complete. we agreed to pray about it. A couple days later he came home and said, “I think there may be more than one missing! I think we might end up with two or three more!” We discussed adoption and we also looked into reversals. I felt in my heart that the Lord wanted me to be pregnant again because most of the dreams revolved around either me being pregnant or nursing.
When we started checking into everything, we got major sticker shock. We didn't know what to do or what direction the Lord wanted us to take. We checked more into reversals that next week and in one of our searches an organization named Blessed Arrows popped up. I clicked on it and I couldn't believe my eyes when I read what they are all about. They fund reversals!
We applied in April 2010, we were approved and put on the funding list in July 2010. In August 2010 our fund was complete! Jonathan had his reversal with Dr. David Wilson on October 19, 2010 however, things didn't look very optimistic. Dr. Wilson gave us a 70% chance of ever conceiving. We knew that we had to keep our eyes on the Lord because He was the one that had brought us to this point. If He desired us to have more children, it wouldn't matter what odds were stacked against us...
On September 7, 2011, Jackson Randall was born weighing in at 5lb 10oz and 17 ½ inches long. We are so in awe of what the Lord has done! We are more excited than ever to see what else He has in store for us. We will gladly welcome with open arms and hearts more blessings if the Lord desires. ~Thank you for reading and God’s blessings to you all!
As well as another reversal testimony from a dear reader Amy, here!
8 Modest Musings:
We just found out that we are expecting our second "reversal baby" (our sixth child). It is very humbling that God would be so merciful to us, when we threw the gift of children back at him with a vasectomy after our 4th child was born.
Oh the tears we both shed over that decision. Sterilization is easy and "free", but difficult and expensive to reverse. We were 100%guilty of neglecting to search the scriptures for what God says about children. However, pastors do preach on the other commands of God but are shockingly silent on this one. I remember feeling betrayed, "why didn't any pastor, elder or older woman teach this to us?" It is so clear now, yet we just didn't see it then.
The advice I listened to when making the decision to sterilize was from a pastor in Oregon our women's bible study was using to study Genesis. He said,"by the way, God could have gone on creating forever but He didn't. After six days it was 'good enough' and my wife and I are 'good enough' after two children'." Now I am shocked at such an irreverant and flippant way to explain away the submission to God's will for your life. Then, it was the ONLY voice I heard addressing family planning from the church.
As my queasy stomach can attest, pregnancy is not easy for me. I have suffered from severe morning sickness through all five pregnancies. The last one had serious complications that required nearly 2 months of bedrest. Still, I know that God is sovereign over all of life, including life in the womb. I am so grateful to have access to the internet where there are like minded believers so I don't feel so alone in my convictions.
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
We have had 4 reversal babies! You can read my full tubal reversal testimony on my web site. We went to Dr Rath in San Antonio, TX for our reversal. Great man!
Beautiful post. Thanks for the link :) Praise the Lord that He continues to bless many with children even after sterilizations!
I find it interesting how many people (like the 2nd anonymous) assume that b/c we have more than 2 children we MUST be on some type of welfare. We are not, nor are we wealthy. We work very hard to live on what we make.
Regarding the 'why don't you adopt' question, I am far from convinced that because one person already exists in one place, another person shouldn't be allowed to exist in a different place. Also, why would we who are able to have children adopt a child when there is a waiting list of people who are unable to have children and wish to adopt. Wouldn't that be truly selfish? Plus, anyone who researches the accepted-without-question idea of a supposedly exploding population will see that the true demographic danger is the population implosion that is occuring around the world.
I was hoping to leave comment moderation off and trust that there would be civil comments posted. However, I have had to turn moderation back on due to some unnecessary speech taking place. It is never my intention to create strife between readers, however I am confused on why the blessing of children would cause such negativity. Please consider the words you type before you do so.
"Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything.~Proverbs 13:3
"A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit."
~Proverbs 15:4
Just shared about this great giveaway on my facebook fan page! :0)
Much Love & Blessings,
ESTHER
www.oursimplecountrylife.com
Oh how I wish I could share this with a friend who's husband is being sterilized today. :(
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