Believer
Wife
Mom of Two
Finding myself on a journey of ups and downs, determined to keep moving forward
We made this more official in 2009 by consulting with my doctor after a year of no success. After many blood tests, physical tests, ultrasounds, procedures and tracking I was diagnosed with anovulation, meaning I do not ovulate and my body does not release eggs like most women do. My doctor recommended Chlomid to jumpstart my ovaries and help it create eggs.
I became a bit of an expert of infertility during our struggles. A book that really helped me learn about my body and track my monthly stats was Taking Charge of Your Fertility and you can purchase it here.
I used the graphs in this book and the tools that I learned to track my ovulation for 29 months before we became pregnant with our son. These were LONG months that were not easy on my heart, my body or my marriage.
This was the first battle in which I felt like my body was betraying me.
The second battle with this feeling came after Nate was born and I couldn't lose the 55 pounds I gained while pregnant. 55 pounds. That is not a typo.
I tried cleanses (not a good solution for a teaching with limited planning periods)
I was placed on a low calorie diet. By low calorie I mean 900 per day. I was told to have sugar free gum if I felt hungry.
I tried going to the gym but bringing a baby was difficult. Each time I actually made it to class, I was called out shortly after because my baby wouldn't last in his carseat.
Nothing worked.
As if feeling uncomfortable in my own skin, nursing a baby, working full time as a teacher and being a new mom in general weren't enough, when Nate was six months old I knew I needed to talk to my doctor about postpartum depression. I was a hormonal mess. My emotions were a roller coaster and I could not find balance. I needed prescription medication to help my emotional self find equilibrium that I couldn't on my own.
Fast forward 23 months when I gave birth to Payton in September 2013. My weight gain during this pregnancy was substantially less than my first, only 30 pounds.
But once again my body failed me and I wasn't giving Payton the utero support she needed. My amniotic fluid was substantially low and I was medically induced at 37 weeks.
While in my third trimester I found an inspiring friend on Instagram and followed her journey. She motivated me to make myself more of a priority the second time around and I had a plan for post delivery.
I knew that I wanted things to be different this time around. I had two main goals; to not require medication for postpartum depression and to be healthy.
I wanted to battle postpartum as naturally as I could. I did research and learned that the likelihood of experiencing PPD a second time was high so I wanted to prepare myself. My first defense was to encapsulate my placenta. Placenta encapsulation was totally new to me and you can read about my experience with it here.
My diet and fitness also helped balance my hormones. This is when I tried Shakeology for the first time. There were many reasons why I wanted to try Shakeology but I wanted a natural product that would serve as a supplement and not simply a protein shake or meal replacement since I was breast feeding.
After I was medically cleared to work out I started my fitness routine with the 21 Day Fix. Not only did the natural flow of endorphins help me ward of PPD, I was also able to lose the 30 pounds I still hadn't lost since Nate's birth. My stomach was tight, my muscles toned and I felt great. There were definitely days when having two kids less than two years apart were difficult and I leaned on my husband, family and friends for support. But my emotional and physical well being were in such a more positive place than I had been.
The 21 Day Fix program helped me learn to appreciate my body again and not constantly feel as though it was my enemy.
And that's why I pay it forward. My goal as a coach and blogger is to help other women and to inspire them along their daily journey.
