My husband and I got married seven years ago and I miscarried our first two babies early in the pregnancy. After the second loss they discovered that I have two genetic mutations: one that causes my progesterone not to reach the levels necessary to sustain pregnancy, and another that causes my body to form blood clots and this also causes miscarriages.
For my third pregnancy in 2019, I worked with a high-risk pregnancy doctor who gave me progesterone supplements and daily anticoagulant injections and finally had a complete pregnancy, and gave birth to a baby boy. In 2022 I had another miscarriage, and they told me that I should be grateful because my son in 2019 was a miracle, since with my genetic mutation, miscarriages could likely happen again.
In March 2023 I found out I was pregnant again. During the first weeks, progesterone levels were within the expected ranges. My husband injected me with the anticoagulant every night, I was taking extra progesterone supplements and had weekly blood tests to check that the progesterone levels were in the correct zone for the weeks of pregnancy I was in.
But from the seventh to the ninth week of pregnancy, progesterone began to drop, even with extra supplements of progesterone, and we began to lose hope.
Three days before my tenth week appointment with the doctor, my mother told me that, in her Circle, she had heard the story of Pedro Ballester, and that they had given her a prayer card since “Pedro was working a lot in the Heaven: if someone had something big to ask for, they should ask Pedro.” We agreed to pray it several times a day, and that the specific intention would be “for progesterone to be at the optimal level.”
We also watched the documentary that is on the Opus Dei website and listened to the audiobook with Pedro's life. So many things about the Ballester family were so similar to mine (I have a Numerary brother) that I began to be fond of Pedro.
Three days after having “met” Pedro in prayer, I went to have the blood test and in the afternoon, the doctor wrote to me saying that the progesterone levels had not continued to drop, on the contrary they rose and that they were at the optimum level!
We are sure it was Pedrito's intercession! From that day on, Pedro became “Pedrito” for us!
We continued praying the prayer card every day of my pregnancy, and we repeated the same intention. We named Pedrito the person in charge of progesterone. On 30 October 2023, our daughter was born and we are very grateful to Pedrito for his intercession.
We know that it was he who made sure that progesterone was always at the optimal level so that the pregnancy could be successful.
We will always be grateful to Pedrito for this great gift he gave us. Now we continue to ask him to intercede for our two children, so that they know how to be good friends, good children and so that they love the Work and the Church like Pedrito.
God bless you!
XX (Orange County, California, USA)
12 June 2024

AND THIS FAVOUR REPORTED EXACTLY A YEAR AGO…..

I am 18 weeks pregnant. My pregnancy is considered high-risk as I have had three previous miscarriages. The problem with the losses I had is due to two things: my body doesn't produce enough progesterone (which is the hormone in charge of "sustaining" the pregnancy), and I also have two genetic mutations (MTHFR and Factor V Leiden) that cause blood clots.
At the beginning of March this year, when I found out I was pregnant, I started a course of progesterone and anticoagulants to prevent any miscarriage. Every week, the doctor sent me for labs to check my progesterone levels, but even with the high doses, we noticed that the levels were dropping every week.
On 28th April  I received the audio book of Pedro Ballester's life by text message. I was so moved by his story and his life testimony that my husband and I decided to ask Pedro to help us solve the problem we were having with our progesterone levels.
We started praying the prayer card of Pedro specifically asking for the progesterone levels to go up. And on 2 May, we received the news that my progesterone levels not only went up, but they are at an optimal level.
Since May 2nd, the levels have been going up consistently.
I am very grateful for Pedro's intercession and we will continue to ask him daily to take care of my progesterone levels throughout my pregnancy. And following his example, each time I have to get my blood drawn, I offer it for the Pope, the Church and the Work.
XX (California, USA)
13 June 2023

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