I Got Pregnant At An Unexpected Time: At 38, And Amid A Pandemic

Last May 2023, we asked our readers to submit photos capturing the raw and unfiltered moments of motherhood. Out of thousands of entries, we carefully selected the top 100, and then handpicked the top 10. This article is part of a series that delves into the stories behind the 10 winning photos of the Smart Parenting Motherhood 100 photo contest.

For most married couples, starting a family is a life stage that comes easily. Like the rhyme your childhood friends used to chant and tease you with, “First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Ronie with a baby carriage.” Ronie and her husband had already been married 8 years before she got pregnant and in the case of the couple, it was the long wait that made their tiny miracle all worth it.

“All those years, we were praying to have a baby to have even a small family we could call our own. During our first few years as a couple, I would always get frustrated every time I’d get my period. Month after month, my husband would witness how I cried from deep sadness and disappointment from not being able to conceive. Finally, in my late 30s, a miracle happened! I got pregnant at an unexpected time,” Ronnie shares with Smart Parenting.

An Unexpected Turn

In March 2020, the global pandemic hit and brought along collective feelings of fear and uncertainty. The fear that many expectant mothers had was real, and although Ronie was overjoyed that her prayers were answered, she was not spared from the anxiety that came with the COVID-19 virus. 

“Everything got so cloudy, worry really struck us, especially me. We had all the beautiful plans for our baby but we were also worried about the current global situation. To make matters worse, I was 38 years old then and my pregnancy was considered high-risk,” Ronie says.

"Every time he'd [my husband] catch me staring blankly, all he needed to do was hug me, tell me that it was okay not to be okay, and I knew that everything would be okay." -- Ronie Lyn Marin

Woody Allen once said, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.” While it wasn’t a laughing matter that things didn’t go as planned for Ronnie and her husband, they did the best with the hand they were dealt and remained grateful every step of the way.

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Finding Strength In Each Other

“Since day one, my husband was always there for me, making sure I was okay. He was a hands-on dad even before the baby was born. Every time he’d catch me staring blankly, all he needed to do was hug me, tell me that it was okay not to be okay, and I knew that everything would be okay,” Ronie says as she looks back and remembers the tough times they went through.

In the end, it all worked out for the better. Initially, Ronie wanted to have a maternity photoshoot in a studio. With the help of her sister, they ended up with a photo that was without all the bells and whistles of props, but was raw, natural, and captured the beauty, strength, and joy from a miracle that came at an unexpected time.

“We just wanted to make my pregnancy memorable and find a way to make the current situation an inspiration for the shoot. Even without any props, we wanted a meaningful and memorable shoot and that’s exactly what we got,” Ronnie says.