Through the Hard and the Beautiful

When my husband and I first decided we wanted to have a family, we knew it wouldn’t be an easy road. At 21 years old I was diagnosed as high risk for cervical cancer, and in 2016 I had indeed developed cervical cancer (thanks to close monitoring I was stage zero).

After surgery removing part of my cervix, a diagnosis of endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and a uterine septum, fertility wasn’t promised.

It took us 6 months to get pregnant and we heard our baby's heartbeat at 7 weeks. By week 9, the baby was gone. The next pregnancy was a chemical pregnancy, followed by an ectopic pregnancy.

Six months after our first pregnancy, I was pregnant again for the fourth time, which was our oldest daughter.

Then, there was another ectopic pregnancy before I was pregnant with our second daughter— and lots of anxiety, fear, and doubt in between.

My story is full of tragedy and love. We have two rambunctious toddlers now and have solidly decided that two children is perfect for our family. My journey of motherhood is what led me to focus on mothers.

I’ve experienced the loss, negative feelings, fear, and doubt that come with trying to conceive and postpartum. It’s not easy, but there are tools to help us navigate these experiences and care for ourselves through them.

Through my own lived experiences with self-care and motherhood, and my education as a therapist, I’ve developed a Self-Care Guide for Moms.

If you are finding it hard to have more than microwaved moments or taking your self-care beyond a glass of wine at night, I encourage you to download the free Self-Care Guide here.

Finding little ways to take time for yourself will lead to the practice of self-care more regularly, which in turn will create peace and joy in your life in new ways that serve both you and your family.

Cheering for you, mama. Through the hard and the beautiful.