Parents Siobhan and Jamie Winch and baby Fleur.,,,
Miracle baby Fleur Winch is proof prayer can succeed where six years of cutting-edge infertility treatment failed.
Siobhan and Jamie Winch’s daughter is now 10 months old, born after years of miscarriage heartache and months of prayer.
Their fertility journey began in the summer of 2016. Having married the previous spring, Jamie and Siobhan – then assistant pastor at Salisbury Elim – were delighted to discover in summer 2017 that Siobhan was pregnant. A few weeks later, they were shattered when she miscarried.
A year later, Siobhan was pregnant for a second time, but miscarried again. They were referred to Birmingham Women’s Hospital for tests, and received devastating news.
“They diagnosed us with unexplained infertility and told us our chances of conceiving naturally were minimal. If I did get pregnant, the chances of me carrying a baby to term were extremely small too.”
They began gruelling IVF treatment in February 2020.
“I had 14 days of injections up to three times a day, then scans, blood tests and egg collection under general anaesthetic,” Siobhan says.
The couple decided to have only two eggs fertilised. Sadly, one embryo died before transfer day, but the other was implanted and Jamie and Siobhan were ecstatic.
“We thought this would result in us bringing a baby home but I had a bleed a couple of weeks later and we lost the second embryo too. We were completely broken,” she says.
PRAYER
Again, the couple considered their options and asked for prayer. A turning point came in September 2020 when Siobhan prayed with her grandad, Dave.
“He was a really strong man of God. He promised to pray every day – morning and night.”
Three months later, Siobhan was feeling sick, but with the chances of being pregnant minimal, she dismissed it as a bug. When her symptoms persisted, however, a test and a scan on Christmas Eve revealed the news everyone had been praying for.
“We rang friends and family, including my grandad, who shouted ‘Hallelujah! This is what I’ve been waiting to hear.’”
Sadly, Dave passed away in January 2021, but regularly reiterated how their baby was his biggest prayer in those final few months.
Fleur was born on 5 August, 2021, and Siobhan was stunned to finally be holding her baby in her arms.
“The pregnancy was far from straightforward. Suffering severe hyperemesis, each day we were reliant on God to look after us and keep us both safe. So when she was born it took a good few minutes to realise this was our baby.”
Now Siobhan and Jamie are revelling in parenthood.
“Fleur is the loveliest, most smiley little character. She’s such a beautiful soul and brings us and everyone who prayed for her so much joy.”
