Eat Heal Move

11.23.2020

This was our last chance to have a baby.

Going into our second IVF transfer we had already made the painful decision that this would be our last. Together we had reached the end of the road in our fertility journey.

Not because we had given up hope but because we were broken.

Together we had endured multiple losses, two rounds of IVF, one failed transfer, four surgeries and four years of heartache.

I had watched due dates come and go, mourned what would’ve been 1st and 2nd birthdays, and couldn’t see a life beyond infertility.

The quest to have a baby had become more than I could withstand and I had nothing left to give…

—

I hesitated when posting this because our last chance gave us our baby, but then I remembered just how alone I felt when I couldn’t see a life beyond infertility.

I remember the darkness. The overwhelming sadness. The not knowing.

Mine are the stories that brought me hope.

When I couldn’t breathe, mine are the stories that I sought out.

When I couldn’t get out of bed, I went in search of other people’s ‘happily ever after’.

I wanted to know that I wasn’t alone. I wanted to believe that if it had worked for someone, it could work for me.

I wanted to believe that my ‘happily ever after’ was possible too.

—

If you’re currently navigating infertility and feeling alone, join me in January for an intimate 12-week virtual group where you’ll have the opportunity to learn from leading experts in fertility, and pregnancy loss.

You’ll find community and have a safe space to talk about the challenges of infertility and loss.

Click the link in my bio or follow for details and to register. Spaces are limited.

I could not have said this better! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Repost ——>>

I am proud and humbled to introduce a new coalition focused on mothers’ rights: the Chamber of Mothers.

Our first urgent mission: secure federal paid leave.

Because did you know that in the world, the average maternity leave is 29 weeks and that the U.S. has 0 weeks of federal paid leave?

❗️Did you know that 25 percent of moms go back to work after 10 days?

‼️Did you know that after you deliver a baby, healthcare professionals tell you not to drive or lift weight?

⁉️Did you know that if you had a C section, you may not be able to walk stairs?

❗️Did you know that right know, advocates are fighting to keep 4 weeks of federal paid leave in the Build Back Better Bill?

‼️Did you know that moms tend to bleed anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks postpartum?

If you work for a private company that gives you paid leave, you’re lucky. And you know the benefits of that leave.

And you know that moms in this country cannot .

❗️❗️❗️That’s why I’m asking you to:

🤍 Join me in reposting this image (screenshot it!) and urge Congress to keep paid federal leave in the current Build Back Better Bill.

Use the caption:

Dear Congress, We can’t We need federally protected paid family and medical leave.

🤍Tag three accounts to share the image and caption.

🤍Sign up to join the Chamber of Mothers at chamberofmothers.com

🤍Contact your senator at paidleave.us/email-your-moc

This matters. Moms’ health and sanity matters. Lives depend on it.

The first forty days is an almost six-week period, a critical time for rest and recovery, and for a new mother to bond with her baby.

This tradition, honored by many eastern cultures, allows for a period of healing and adjustment and is centered around caring for and nourishing the new mother.

This transition from maiden to mother, known as matrescence, is a time of major physical, psychological, emotional, social, and spiritual change.

To honor the end of the I am sharing forty things that I learned in my first forty days as a new mother.

Here are the first ten -

1. You can and will survive on much less sleep than you ever thought possible.
2. A consistent meditation practice will make surviving on much less sleep possible.
3. Postpartum can be both hard AND beautiful, it need not be exclusive.
4. Pushing away your anxiety will only make it more powerful. Instead, name it, acknowledge the feeling and allow it to pass.
5. Feeling anxious does not make you a bad mother, it simply means you feel anxious.
6. For the first time in your life you’ll wonder why you didn’t watch more TV before having a baby.
7. Getting outside daily will do wonders for your mindset.
8. Give yourself permission to ask for help.
9. Do not compare your progress day by day, instead, look at how far you’ve come week-on-week.
10. Do not compare yourself (or your baby) to people on social media.

To read the full list of forty things that I learned in forty days head to my blog via the link in bio. https://www.eathealmove.com/blog/thefirstfortydays

This pic was taken in my first forty hours as a new mama. I remember looking at myself in all my swollen diaper glory and thinking "I've never looked so beautiful"

I will cherish this picture always.