Welcome back friends. Today I have the pleasure of introducing my long time friend Mandy. She is a beautiful mother of two spunky daughters. Mandy has had to overcome so much on her motherhood journey. All of her struggles have lead her to become the amazing woman she is today.
Do you ever think about that moment when life took a turn. I don’t want to say a turn for the worse, but just an unexpected turn. The moment you realize life really doesn’t go according to a “plan” or stay on those typical timelines people come to expect. You know what I mean, you’re young, in love, newly married, what’s next….kids right?! Well, not always….
Mike and I had been together for 4 years when we got married, so we were definitely having conversations about starting a family! No rush to get there, but maybe we’d be less “careful” in prevention. All of our friends were starting to have babies, it was the typical next phase. A year went by and no pregnancy, but we didn’t think much of it. Before we knew it though, almost 3 years had passed. No pregnancy. Not one. Not a miscarriage. Not a missed period. Nothing. I was crushed.
I don’t know if anything ever prepares you for the word infertility. And there’s definitely no warning to the emotional and mental process of it all. So many questions. So many thoughts. So many tests. So many appointments. So many family and friends with their opinions and “fixes.” So many varying emotions. Sadness, anger, grief, frustration. On top of all that, it can be a huge financial burden too. All for one chance at it every month. One. We were overwhelmed.
I think what made it harder was not knowing why. Why me? Why us? Why was it so damn hard to have a baby? All the tests came back “normal.” Nothing stood out saying “here’s the problem.” So why…
After months of fertility treatments, which by the way is an embarrassing process for both parties in the couple, he goes into a room to “deposit” his specimen while she is in another room filled with a few doctors and nurses and her legs in stirrups, yeah real romantic….. we kind of gave up. We could have done one more round of intrauterine insemination, but my heart couldn’t handle the disappointment anymore. The next step to try was harvesting my eggs for in-vitro, but we couldn’t afford that. We were done. We decided maybe kids weren’t in the cards for us, and maybe God just had another plan.
A few months went by and we found our stride as a couple again. Being intimate wasn’t a “job” anymore, it became fun again! Maybe a little too fun! After 4 years of praying for a baby, God popped in and said, “Ok, NOW is your time!” I was pregnant. Out of the blue and unexpectedly! Like what?! We weren’t even sure how to feel! We questioned how and why, but quickly soaked in the moment and just felt all the joy! Pure joy! I won’t lie, we felt some definite anxiety of what would go wrong or if we’d miscarry, but we had to get past that and just be grateful for this gift! 9 months later Ms. Ellie Jean was born.
All 9lbs 2oz of her! She was the cutest chunk of a baby. We felt so blessed. And wait for it, 5 months after our first daughter was born, I got pregnant AGAIN! Grayson Lynn came into our lives just 13 ½ months after Ellie. Two under 2 and not a clue what we were doing! Let’s just say we were very careful after our second daughter was born! Haha!
As my girls got older, I never forgot my struggles. I knew I didn’t want that for them someday, so kept learning about reasons our bodies and hormones are affected. I learned that a lot of things we use daily have hormone disruptors in them. Body wash, soaps, shampoo, skin care, make-up, bubble bath, laundry soap, tampons, pads. Our bodies absorb chemicals and toxins from all these products. But we don’t always “see” the effects . We don’t even know these products are harming us. It all adds up quickly and can lead to things like infertility or even cancer. Scary right?! In 2018, I had such severe issues with my menstrual cycles that I ended up having a hysterectomy at age 36. That just shouldn’t be. But the damage had already been done.
There ARE better ways. Better products. Cleaner products that don’t have those side effects. It’s become my mission, my passion, to continue to know better, do better. For my girls. For myself. And for others! We have to help others understand that just because they can sell it in a store, doesn’t mean it’s safe to use.
I’m so lucky I was blessed with two healthy pregnancies, two healthy girls! I know many people aren’t quite as lucky. I’ll never tell them to “hang in there” or “relax,” I’ll tell them I’m praying for them, lifting them in love, and sending positive vibes their way.
If you are curious or have questions about how products you use daily can affect your body, I’m here! Just reach out! I’m happy to share more of our journey to cleaner products or help you research the impacts it can have on your overall wellness. You can find me on Facebook or Instagram!
And PS- we have some cute farm animals we share in between all the plant based stuff! I’d love to connect with you!
XOXO~ Mandy
Check out the other posts in our Motherhood Health Series.
Motherhood: Not Where I Want to Be, Yet Exactly Where I Need to Be.
