Stitched by Grace: My 7-Year Journey to Motherhood

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My name is Pamela Altema and this is my Testimony.

“As long as the pot is still intact, water can be poured into it.” — Nigerian Proverb

Holding Onto Hope

I was asked why I didn’t lose hope in becoming a mother.

My reply, “It wasn’t easy, and I had doubts from time to time—but I know who I serve. As long as I’m still alive, I can keep going and trying.”

The Joy of New Beginnings

I thank God that my husband and I have now been together for 15 years. We were overjoyed in August 2017 when we got married. Almost a year later, we found out we were expecting our first child.

The First Pregnancy Loss: A Silent Tragedy

At the time, I was away attending grad school and managing the pregnancy on my own. Everything seemed to be going smoothly—until one day in 2018, during a clinical rotation, I began experiencing sharp pain. It didn’t feel normal. I told my manager, and she immediately called an ambulance.

Unfortunately, I was taken to a hospital that didn’t have an OBGYN on-site. I waited for hours, confused and scared. When an OBGYN finally arrived and examined me, he informed me that my cervix was open. He showed no empathy, didn’t even determine how dilated I was, and instead of admitting me, he sent me home so that the process could “happen naturally.” I was 20 weeks pregnant.

After being discharged, I called my husband and family. My husband took the first flight he could, then drove an hour from Austin to San Antonio. When he arrived, my water broke. We rushed to another nearby hospital. The nurse was shocked when we explained what had happened. The doctor asked why an emergency cerclage hadn’t been done—a simple procedure that might have saved our baby.

What I didn’t know at the time was that even after my water broke, I could have been monitored to try and save the pregnancy. But that option was never given to me.

We lost our baby boy that day.

A Series of Losses and

Lessons

We tried to move forward. In 2019, we became pregnant again—but it ended in an early miscarriage.

In 2022, we finally found an amazing OBGYN. This time, we had a preventative cerclage placed at 14 weeks. I was on bed rest and took all precautions to ensure a healthy pregnancy. But at 23 weeks, my water broke again.

We did everything we could to prolong the pregnancy to reach viability. I was even scheduled to transfer to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital—but that very day, I went into labor and lost our baby. Yet again.

God Blocked It: A Near-Death Encounter

As heartbreaking as it was, I later learned that my white blood cell count was dangerously high. If the pregnancy had continued, it could have led to sepsis. God spared my life that day.

I held onto that old Nigerian proverb:

“As long as the pot is still intact, water can be poured into it.”

I wasn’t broken. I still believed.

A New Path: Considering IVF and Surgery

We began to consider IVF. But I was told I wasn’t a candidate. The IVF doctor explained that my previous pregnancies had failed because the wrong type of cerclage had been used. I needed a transabdominal cerclage (TAC)—a permanent stitch placed higher up that doesn’t need to be removed.

We began praying and preparing for the surgery. We were advised not to get pregnant beforehand, to allow time for the best doctor to perform the TAC. But eight months after our last loss—we found out I was pregnant again.

A Race Against Time and a Divine Intervention

Now we had to find a skilled doctor in Florida who could perform the TAC while I was pregnant, which came with increased risk. I prayed and searched everywhere. Through a Facebook group, I was referred to a doctor who, miraculously, was able to see me within three days—despite usually having a long waitlist.

I had no idea whether insurance would cover the surgery, and it had to be done before 14 weeks. I was already approaching 13 weeks. I showed up at the clinic days before the procedure, honest and unsure. By God’s grace, I was told insurance would cover it, and I had the surgery.

There were risks to having the TAC placed while pregnant—but the benefit was that I’d finally be able to carry a pregnancy to term without major complications.

The Miracle: A Full-Term Pregnancy

Recovery was difficult—but I got to carry my son to 37 weeks, without complications.

And on September 9, 2024, my beautiful son was born.

Seven Years to a Promise Fulfilled

It was a journey.

Pregnancy is not linear.

It took my husband and me seven years.

I thank God for a supportive husband who spoke life into me.

I had moments where I considered surrogacy—but God’s plan was better.

In 2023, I watched seven friends give birth while I mourned yet another loss—and yet, I still praised God for them. I felt worry and anxiety. But I didn't worship it as my idol and didn't let it rob my peace.

Because the God who went before me was with me.

When sepsis tried to strike—God blocked it.

When postpartum preeclampsia crept in—God sustained me.

When pain tried to cripple me—God healed me.

When they said “cervical incompetence” defined me—God reconstructed my womb.

I am standing today not by my own strength,

but because of a Mighty God who still works miracles.

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