We Were Scheduled for IVF Then This Happened

When one of our favorite couples shared in an interview that they had a natural conception after a failed IVF “baka naman plano ni Lord natural so that the glory will be His and not science’s”, I couldn’t help but relate. My husband and I were in a similar season last year.

We had already scheduled our IVF procedure for October 2025. While waiting for it, we planned what we thought would be a meaningful season: birthdays in Japan, tickets to Les Misérables World Tour, hotel bookings and time with friends and family. We also started looking into condo units near the IVF center to reduce the stress of traveling back and forth to the center.

Everything felt set. But none of it materialized. Because God said, “I am finally answering your prayer.”

My prayer was simple: that we wouldn’t have to go through IVF anymore and that we would be given the chance to conceive naturally.

‘Kasi kaya Ninyo naman pong ibigay yun samin, Lord. Anything is possible with You.’

I didn’t want the stress of going through a series of injections and procedures while trying to keep up with everything else on my plate. I kept asking God to touch my husband’s heart because at that time, he was fully committed to IVF as he was sort of pressured by our age and I wanted us to be on the same page.

Until the day came that I was able to convince my husband that it is God who’s giving us the child, not IVF. We prayed together in a parked van in the middle of a quiet farm area. That was the moment my husband surrendered. “God’s will be done.”

The following month, two months before our scheduled IVF, I saw two lines on two pregnancy test kits in our bathroom. After five years of waiting, it finally happened. God didn’t just answer with a child; He answered with a completely different journey.

He said, “I will give you a child without IVF but you will carry this pregnancy in a way you never expected. Pero Ako ang bahala sa inyo.”

We said yes then we had the most peaceful pregnancy ever. 🍃

And in that season, He said:

1️⃣ “I’m gonna connect you to the OB/Perinat/High-risk pregnancy specialist who’s going to be the best for you.” 👩‍⚕️

We initially planned to go with an OB from the south but her schedule was full for months. Shortly after, we learned she passed away. It felt like a quiet redirection.

We were finally handed to the OB who I truly believe was the best OB for us. She even shared the same high school as I did which made our connection feel natural and familiar. She was dismissive of anything stressful or anything that would induce stress for us. I could see a huge amount of myself in her. She instantly became a friend.

She was the epitome of strength. Her mom died and a month after, her dad was hospitalized while I was her patient. After taking leave when her mom passed away, she immediately looked for us. She said our baby was precious and she couldn’t bear the thought of anything bad happening to us. We both knew each other’s shared stories. She knew about the significance of the numbers 218 in our marriage; hence, she gave us a discount of 2,180 for the CS bill just to reassure us that “Hey, this timing is supposed to happen. We’re good that we have gone this far.” It reminded me how God places people in our lives who truly see our story.

2️⃣ “Your husband will step up in ways you didn’t expect.” ❤️

Four months into pregnancy, I needed a cerclage procedure to support my cervix and carry the baby safely.

After that, my movement became extremely limited and I had to remain on strict bedrest without bathroom privileges. Those months changed our marriage in a positive way.

My husband even took a rest from farming to personally take care of me. He became my steady support in every possible way: physically, emotionally and spiritually. We had to rebuild our rhythm around this new reality and in that space, I saw a different side of him. He stayed present, patient and consistent throughout everything. We celebrated Christmas, New Year and our 8th wedding anniversary all in our bed. It was such an unbelievably enjoyable time that it flew by so quickly and voila, the baby was born.

3️⃣ “I’m gonna have to ask you to step back from a major client. But I will take care of your work while you rest.” 💻

During my cerclage recovery, God told me to step back from a major client I handled closely. It wasn’t easy but I said yes.

Unexpectedly, that client gave me a separation pay that I didn’t even ask for. There was no conflict, just closure and provision.

At the same time, my other clients and VAs remained stable and all the work was quietly carried by people I trusted. I literally didn’t have to work at all.

It became clear to me that provision doesn’t always come in the way we expect but it always comes in time. God knows the kind of situations He’s going to bring you into hence He will prepare you beforehand.

He also reminded me that He owns everything and made me realize that what He has continuously provided us was way more than what we currently need and what we need in the chapters ahead. He has prepared us many years ago for this part of the future He alone saw and allowed to happen. He has His ways, indeed.

4️⃣ “I will give you a strong support system.”

So strong that many things have been taken off my plate and I couldn’t be more grateful. These people have shown only genuine love and care for us since day one both in words and in actions. Literal na mga heaven-sent. 🙏 I often think that if they weren’t sent to me by God as we went through this chapter, how else could we have gone through it so gracefully? He also allowed me to see my mom friends in a way I had never seen them before where I could only see their enormous strength as mothers which has greatly inspired me.

God will not leave you unsupported in situations He Himself has brought you into for a purpose. He will equip you in ways far beyond what you can imagine.

5️⃣ “I will teach you to trust Me with your body and your baby.” 🤰

Because of the high-risk pregnancy, every check-up mattered. Every week felt significant. But instead of fear taking over, there was peace. Even when I had to deliver at 34 weeks, there was no panic, only surrender.

On our way to the hospital one night to visit our baby in the NICU, my husband asked me during one of our conversations:

“Nahirapan ka ba, hon? Nung cerclage? The whole pregnancy? Nung na-CS ka, naging mabigat ba?”

I answered him, “No. Not at all. Ang gaan lang ng lahat.” Everything was laid out well from one step to another.

Even our time in the hospital felt so peaceful that leaving felt unexpectedly emotional hence we extended our hospital stay since baby was still in the NICU.

The very thing I attribute to why everything was gracefully bearable? When we let God decide every decision for us.

6️⃣ “I will show you that My plans are better than yours.” 🌾

None of our original plans happened: IVF schedule, Japan, condo living, concerts, theatrical plays, reunion with friends and family etc.

And yet, what replaced them was far better.

💯We experienced intimacy with God.

💯We experienced a deeper kind of marriage.

💯We experienced provision in ways we didn’t expect.

💯We experienced peace in uncertainty.

💯We conceived in God’s perfect timing.

What we thought we needed, we didn’t.

What God gave, we wouldn’t trade for anything.

7️⃣ “Ako ang bahala sa iyo, sa inyo.” ☝️

Looking back, every step had His hand in it: the delay, the surrender, the natural conception, the OB, the cerclage, the provision, the safe delivery at 34 weeks, the NICU stay, the hospital readmission.

Nothing was random. Everything was aligned in ways we only understood after.

8️⃣ “Anak, lahat naipagdarasal.” 🙏

My husband and I would pray and declare specific things re: the pregnancy and the baby: “Lord, in Your name and in Your power, my cervical length is now at least 3 cm or longer.”

My OB would then be surprised whenever we had scheduled check-ups and she would say, “Ang ganda ng cervix mo. Humaba pa. This is magic. This is a miracle. Anong ginawa nyo?”

We prayed for some specific features of the baby and He has given almost all the exact features we prayed for.

And now, as we hold our miraculous answered prayer at his first month, we are reminded that this story was never about us figuring things out. It was about TRUSTING THE ONE WHO ALREADY HAD EVERYTHING PLANNED: down to the 34 weeks I carried our baby, the exact number of days our baby stayed in the NICU and even the day I was readmitted for hypertension 8 days post-CS.

Had we not initially extended our baby’s stay in the NICU for another day because our bedroom wasn’t yet fully organized for his coming, he would have gone home but his mother would have been readmitted to the hospital for a few more days when he needed me the most. We then extended his NICU stay for a few more days so we could both go home on the same day. It was one of the smoothest transitions. ⏳

God didn’t just answer our prayer. He wrote a story that only He could take full credit for.

Lessons?

💯Anything is possible with God. Name it. List it down. Journal it. Be specific about it.

💯It is possible to go through something that seems difficult with grace when there is full trust and surrender.

💯Obedience begets blessing. Our job is to obey even if we do not understand. The outcome is His.

💯Prayer is our best weapon.

💯God’s timing is always perfect. Never late. Never early. And never to be questioned. He always has reasons for the delay. He will let you understand in time.

💯Not our plans. Not society’s timeline. Only His will, His way and His purpose will prevail.

Below are photos of our baby, Lucas Joaquin Sebastian, in one of his chill sunbathing sessions. 😊☀️🕶️