This Beckley, WV newborn photography session with baby Wrenlee was extra special from the start. When baby Wrenlee’s grandmother reached out to book a Year in the Life Experience for her daughter and their sweet family, I was so excited. I knew instantly after hearing a little about them that they would be the perfect fit! These kinds of stories are the ones I love to tell! The ones that naturally echo strength, love, and God’s faithfulness! I could go on and on about how God is worked in this little family’s life, but instead, Wrenlee’s mother was kind enough to share their family’s journey. It is a story of love, loss, infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy complications, and a miracle that only God could orchestrate. Buckle up and grab your tissues!!
****This birth story includes sensitive topics such as infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy complications, and medical trauma. Please take care while reading, especially if you are navigating similar experiences. My hope in sharing this is to offer connection, comfort, and testimony—but your well-being always comes first.****
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A beautiful Beckley, West Virginia birth story
“So we began trying to get pregnant in 2023 and had no luck. After several doctor’s appointments and being told I was a hypochondriac, we found Dr. Siegel, who confirmed I wasn’t ovulating, I wasn’t having a period, and I had PCOS.
In February of 2023, we found out we were pregnant at 5 weeks but lost the baby at 6. It was probably the hardest thing we’ve ever been through. Our marriage really struggled after that because, as a momma, I had to process it very differently than my husband.
In April, we decided to continue trying. When our pastor’s wife received a cancer diagnosis, she began writing scriptures on sticky notes and placing them around her home. I followed suit and filled our house with verses. I was on fertility medications that were helping but not enough. My body struggled and swelled from the side effects.
By August, we still hadn’t gotten pregnant again. My faith was really struggling. I couldn’t understand why—why I was doing all the “right” things like singing on the praise team and serving the Lord, and yet the one thing that meant the most to me was the thing I couldn’t have. I wondered why the Lord wouldn’t help me out, at least a little.
Then my dad preached a sermon about trusting God when you can’t see and having faith. So I told God, “You know my heart, but I trust that my baby will come in Your timing.” Dr. Siegel then offered to try IUI that month. IUI is typically a $5,000 procedure, which we definitely couldn’t afford. But it worked out that I received my mom’s benefits through Access Health, and they also helped my husband with insurance. In total, we paid about $700. Dr. Siegel opened the clinic for us on a Sunday evening. We were even allowed in the lab to watch the sperm washing process—it was so surreal.
On September 8, we found out we were pregnant with Miss Wrenlee. By the end of September, I was terribly sick. I was throwing up every 30 minutes. Everyone made morning sickness sound like a rite of passage, but I was absolutely miserable. Around week 12, I was diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG). I lost 20 pounds. No one except my husband really understood how sick I was. God bless him—he spent every evening holding my hair, bringing me cold rags, changing out my puke bags—all while gagging himself. He never once complained. I truly wouldn’t have made it without him.
I used nearly all my sick time at work until I learned how to time my trips to the bathroom between seeing patients. Thank God I didn’t lose my job. Scopolamine patches helped a lot. I tried going off them at 22 weeks and ended up in the ER for the third time from vomiting and dehydration. So we went back on the patches until about week 23, when I started choking in my sleep to the point I would sit up gasping for air.
At week 27, I was still wearing the patches, but the HG worsened. I would be mid-conversation with coworkers and suddenly get sick.
Then came week 29—a Friday, March 21. Ronnie had just left for Fort Pickett for the week. I had a routine check-up with my OB, but I was swamped at work, it was raining, and I didn’t want to lose my hospital parking spot. I told my mom I wanted to cancel, but she convinced me to go, saying it’d only take 30 minutes.
I’m glad I went, at first. They got me in quickly. But then I found out I had gained 7 pounds in a week, which they weren’t happy about—even though I had lost 20 earlier and had just gotten a little bump. The nurse took my BP—it was 148/93. I’d had perfect readings at every visit until then. I had no symptoms: no headaches, no upper abdominal pain, no blurred vision. Dr. Siegel came in and diagnosed me with asymptomatic preeclampsia. He said I needed to be sent to RGH for monitoring.
I called Ronnie, panicked, unsure how to get him home. He spoke to several people, and eventually, they stopped his training route, got him to an Enterprise, and sent him back to WV in a minivan. While updating my dad and brother and trying to get Ronnie home, my BP kept climbing.
An ER doctor from my hospital FaceTimed me, urging me to request magnesium to prevent a stroke or seizure. I asked the RGH doctors about it, but they brushed me off and told me to stop Googling. Around 6 p.m., Dr. Siegel came to check on me. He explained that if things worsened, I’d need to go to Huntington for NICU and ICU care. Right then, my BP shot to 179/90-something. He said, “I’m not risking anything. We’re transferring you by helicopter.” By 7:30 p.m., HealthNet was there.
I was terrified to go alone. Ronnie promised he’d be there within an hour, even though I knew that wasn’t possible. My mom and dad were coming too. The flight nurses were amazing—wrapped me in blankets, tucked my feet in, let me call Ronnie, and eased my anxiety every step of the way. When I got nauseous mid-flight, they held alcohol swabs under my nose because my arms were tucked. Kayla, one of the nurses, was a godsend.
Once I arrived at L&D, my parents and Ronnie joined me within an hour. The details blur after that. I was put on magnesium, given steroid shots for Wrenlee’s lungs, and needed an IV. Every vein blew due to high BP. The anesthesiologist couldn’t get one. Another ICU anesthesiologist finally succeeded after 15+ attempts. I may have slept for a couple of hours.
By Saturday, March 22, I had to be catheterized—no urine output. What little there was looked bad. An ultrasound revealed Wrenlee had intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). She was severely underweight, and the medications were affecting her heart rate. They induced me with Pitocin and manually dilated me to 1 cm—excruciating pain. I tried to go without an epidural, but Ronnie and my mom insisted, and thank God they did.
Six hours later, around 6 a.m., they said I wasn’t progressing and scheduled an emergency C-section for 8 a.m. That’s when it hit me—I might not make it. I stared at the whiteboard with my name and Wrenlee’s, dissociating. I prayed. I told God if I didn’t make it, please protect her. I told Ronnie, my parents, and the nurses that if it came down to it, the baby was the priority. For the first time, I felt peace.
Everything went fine. Wrenlee was born March 23 at 8:43 a.m., weighing 2 lbs 10 oz. She needed a CPAP, then SIPAP, then bubble CPAP. She spent time under jaundice lights, had an NG tube for 33 days, needed a PICC line, and spent days in an incubator. I couldn’t hold her at first. Being told “no” when I asked to hold her was heartbreaking. I felt like my body had failed to protect and nourish her.
Even though I never doubted God’s plan, I did ask why my baby had to suffer. But God used this to reveal Himself in the biggest way. Wrenlee exceeded every expectation. Doctors said she’d be in the hospital until her due date—June 3. She came home April 30. They said she’d need CPAP until late May—she was on room air by 3 weeks. They said she’d struggle to gain weight—she didn’t. Everyone was shocked by her progress, but I wasn’t. I knew why. God showed up and showed out.”
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Wrenlee’s Story Can Teach Us Something
Wrenlee’s story is a powerful reminder that even when life feels overwhelming and unfair, God’s love and timing are always at work—whether we see it right away or not. I’m amazed by the strength and faith it takes to keep going through loss, pain, and uncertainty.
If you’re facing your own battles or feeling discouraged, I hope this story encourages you to keep trusting God. He hears your prayers, even when answers don’t come on your timeline. Sometimes the hardest seasons are where the biggest miracles start. You’re not alone, and God is faithful—always.
Thank you for reading. Wrenlee’s sweet mama, thank you for sharing.
Oh and, a big WELCOME HOME to sweet baby Wrenlee!!
Now enjoy some of the gorgeous images from this sweet and special Beckley, WV Newborn Photography Session!
Cara, Wrenlee’s mother, recieved this as a gift from her own mama who was given it when she also had a loss. Cara keeps it as a reminder.
With love,
~ Melena
Beautiful story of faith and family!