Back in the day I used to think a woman would get pregnant if she forgot to take her birth control pill or had unprotected sex. Then bam! A month later she finds out she’s pregnant. 8 months later she’s a mom. That was before infertility introduced itself into my life. Now I realize that there’s a process behind it all. There’s a little bit of science and then a whole lot of miracle involved.

In a nutshell, intimacy is only the first step. After that, the swimmers have to travel to the egg through the cervix, the uterus, and then to the Fallopian tubes. Then actual fertilization has to occur, creating an embryo. The embryo then travels to the uterus where it snuggles in and attaches, or implants. Only then will a woman finally be preggers, and a few days later she will test positive for pregnancy.

I’m in the implantation stage right now where we want a fertilized embryo to “stick” to my uterus. So 1) we’re hoping and praying that fertilization occurred, and 2) we’re praying for sticky baby dust so the embryo will implant.

I’ve been a little crampy since yesterday. It may be the progesterone or it may be implantation. It’s a weird kind of crampy in my abdomen, and it’s been pretty persistent. I’m really hoping it’s a good sign, but you can never get too excited with all the side effects from the meds.

In addition to the science, which I hope I described correctly above, there’s the miracle part to consider. I truly believe after living this process that miracles and divine intervention are a big part of this. Doctors can look at blood work and ultrasounds and use their knowledge to make decisions. Everything can look perfect on paper and it still may not result in pregnancy. That’s where prayers and hope come in. I am constantly asking God to bless my womb. If I’m meant to carry a child, I ask Him to allow my womb to house a baby until it’s ready to be born.

I have to trust in the science and in my faith. And in trusting in both, I am confident that what is meant to be will be.