Infertility Awareness...Supporting One Another

As we close this project and Infertility Awareness week comes to an end I want to say Thank you. Thank you to the ladies who have shared their stories with us for this project. Thank you to the ladies who supported them on this project. We could not have made an impact without each of you.

I wanted to let each women who came to have a chance to share and get a moment to shine as well. We are all in this journey together and it is a beautiful thing when we can all come together to support one another. Many of these ladies never even met until the day of the shoot. But they all had a bond. They were all women with the same desires, to be the best moms. They all wanted the best for their babies. They all had struggles of their own and they were all there to support each other and to make this vision a reality. For that I am so grateful.

 Meet Kristen and Daisy....

Kristen and sweet Daisy came out to support others in our project. Kristen had no issues getting pregnant and her pregnancy was smooth. In fact Daisy came on her due date. Just like when I started this project and it was first just infertility awareness then spread to loss and struggles, I also wanted to let these ladies share struggles beyond delivery. And for Kristen she had her own struggles once sweet Daisy was born. Today we hear all the positive benefits behind breastfeeding and so many women have beautiful stories of bonding with their baby. For Kristen, that wasn't the case.
The hardest part of my journey was the first three months. I desperately wanted to breastfeed Daisy. Unfortunately, she would not take to it. I tried very hard. I saw two lactation consultants multiple times, tried many different positions many times during the day and night, joined support groups online and in person and had her lip and tongue tied corrected. Nothing seemed to work. It was very emotional for me. Finally, I decided to exclusively pump. I was happy to give her mama’s milk and I learned to bond with her other ways. My husband Keith has been my support through all of it. I would be lost without him.
I would like other women who are struggling to breastfeed to know that it’s not your fault. Know that there is support out there. Know that it happens because babies are all different and have different personalities. Know you can bond with your baby just as much in other ways. Know you can still give them breastmilk! Know that it can work with other children you may have. Mostly, I want anyone struggling to breastfeed to know that you are not alone.

 Meet Samantha and Vela

Samantha and Vela also came out to support other women for this shoot. Samantha recently wed in March 2018 and were pleasantly shocked when she found out she was expecting. They had not really began trying but also didn't prevent. She had a smooth "uneventful" pregnancy and sweet Vela has been nothing but pure joy. The hardest part for them was having to return to work. I know many other moms face this same struggle too. I am not sure it ever gets easy you just get stronger as a mom. I loved what Samantha said at the end: You’re not alone and don’t ever ever ever give up

Meet Jessica and Elijah

Elijah was the only boy at our special project and he sure is a cutie. Stealing all their hearts. Jessica didn't struggle with conception despite doctors concerns with her weight.  In fact at 14 weeks they made her do the glucose test early because they said she was "obesse". She passed her test and her would go on to have a smooth pregnancy until a car accident at 33 weeks. This sent her into labor but a few weeks on bed rest and she was golden. Both her pregnancies were beautiful. Just like Kristen she would experience her struggles post pregnancy:
Surprisingly, my hardest part of my journey is the post pregnancy hair loss and weight gain. My hair used to be long, thick, and curly. Now it is thin, wavy, and my bold spots and receiving hairline were of an elderly person. I know it’s just “hair” and it will grow back, but being over weight and bald, it really is depressing. My hair is drastically grown back (even though people always tell me how bad it looks) I feel better knowing how far it’s come to grow in. My biggest support person has to be my cousins. They always make me feel so beautiful and give me so much confidence in myself.
She is also dealing with the stress that comes with her daughter having some health issues and being diagnose with Epilepsy. Hopefully, like doctors predict she will grow out of it.  Jessica's final thoughts Pregnancy is a journey and like finger prints, none are ever the same. Best advice to new mothers, don’t listen to advice. Every family and child are different. I pray to those who try and struggle to conceive are able to have a miracle. Doctors aren’t god. No matter your situation, don’t let their thoughts affect your journey.

Meet Brianne

Brianne was glowing during our shoot. She is currently 24 weeks with her 3rd baby. Overal conceiving was easy for her. She was anovulatory for 23 months postpartum due to breastfeeding after her first two births. Between her first and second, not yet knowing this about her body, she struggled with accepting how long she would have to wait before her fertility returned. However, once it did, they were able to conceive that first month. Her pregnancies have all been smooth. She did share with us about her postpartum experience: I had postpartum anxiety after the birth of my first son. I sought therapy after 8 months of struggling. My husband, best friend, and therapist were my support people during that time of healing and moving through the emotional difficulties connected with my birth. Brianne was so sweet and supportive the moment I made this event known. I am so glad she was apart of this project and her closing words are so sweet:
You are brave, courageous, and incredibly selfless to continually give of yourself. You are loved. In your journey, wherever you are, my hope for you is that you allow yourself the space and time to experience everything you need in order to live most fully.


 

 Meet Kate

Kate the mom of two is patiently waiting for baby number three. Her support through this project has been wonderful but she too has her own story to share. Kate didn't struggle to conceive but all of her pregnancies have left her with morning sickness 24/7 the entire pregnancy. During her second pregnancy she was a victim of domestic violence leaving her on bed rest. Kate also shared that the hardest part for her was being single during her first two pregnancies. I was alone, scared, and hurt. Kate is strong and beautiful and I am so grateful for her coming, sharing her story and being brave. Her final words give us hope.  Even though for me getting pregnant is very easy, but does not mean that the Pregnancy was easy or that my life is easy. I could not imagine not being able to have children and I truly pray that every woman who wants a child, gets to have one.

Meet Michelle

Michelle is looking radiant as she awaits her first baby. She had no issues trying to conceive and so far her pregnancy has been beautiful. Michelle wanted to be involved with this shoot to shot support to her friend and other women. As Michelle anticipates the arrival of her sweet baby and the excitement that comes with that, she also faces fears and anxiety as her husband is being deployed a month before her baby is born. So he will not only miss the birth of his child but she will miss her support system. Her final words are perfect:We are stronger than we think!
We definitely pray for an amazing delivery and that daddy is reunited soon. And just like she shared with us, she is stronger than she thinks!









This project came together perfect. The vision in my heart to share and bring awareness to this sensitive topic was better than I could have imagined. As a women who struggles, I felt the best way to deal with my struggles was to help others deal with theirs. I hope this project has blessed those who participated with me, those who are reading and those who know someone else going through something hard. At the end of the day supporting one another is the greatest act of love we can do for one another.  Thank you all!!

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Infertility Awareness.....Silent and Unknown Struggles

It has been so wonderful to see these blog posts helping other ladies in their journey. So many people are sharing these blogs and their friends are commenting on them with their own stories. It has truly been a rewarding project knowing we have spread awareness and shed light.

A lot of times women suffer in silent. Their struggles are not known to us or anyone else. They struggle in silent and sometimes they appear to be the strongest people we know.We all deal differently and we all approach out journey differently. The key part is that there is no correct way to deal with these topics. There is no right way to grieve. There is no right way to deal with floods of emotions when someone else shares pregnancy joys and you are struggling.

Always know you do not have to do it alone.

 Meet Hadley and Ivy

Hadley and her husband began trying for a child. After about eight months they would learn that she was pregnant but lost the baby at the same time. She never knew she was pregnant since it was around 6 weeks gestation. In fact many miscarriages early on like this are not even known and are extremely common. In addition to learning this news, Hadley was also told that she probably couldn't conceive easily or carry a baby naturally due to a blood clotting disorder. Six months later she became pregnant again. She had a smooth pregnancy and her sweet little girl Ivy. Despite the ease of getting pregnant again and having a smooth pregnancy she still faces challenges in her journey. The hardest part has been learning it doesn’t always go as planned. Since having Ivy I’ve struggled with being disconnected from her, my husband, and even myself. Sometimes my thoughts get the best of me. And I struggle with thinking am I doing this right, or what can I do to be better. I have become more self conscious. My sense of confidence has become very blurred and I have often found my self over thinking little things. My biggest support has been AJ. He has kept me on track and taken initiative to step up and be my biggest fan when I need it most.
In fact in a world where mom guilt is so thick I love what she says: We should all be there for each other, because everyone is struggling with their own things. It can be the smallest thing or the biggest thing but everyone has a thing.

Meet Shannon

Shannon came out to the shoot after her friend shared the project with her. Shannon is waiting for the arrival of her second baby. When talking with Shannon it was neat to see her view of her journey. Shannon's first daughter is 5 years old. She had no issue conceiving her. When it came time for number too it took longer than expected which was hard some days for Shannon. I asked her if she struggled with infertility to which she replied: We weren’t preventing it if we did get pregnant but we also weren’t hard core trying to conceive. I’ve never knew my ovulation schedule until recently I really started tracking it before getting pregnant this second time. I never thought of it as infertility. I honestly thought that God didn’t think I was good enough to raise a second child as much as I wanted another one I was just in a dark place.  Yet despite her struggle in silent she shared this touching thought: God’s plan is so much better than what we think our life should look like. I’m extremely blessed for this new baby. My daughter being older is able to experience this whole pregnancy with me. She’s super excited for her brothers arrival and will be the best big sister. I would never have had any of this if my kids were closer in age so I’m grateful for the age gap.

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National Infertility Week...Special Project {Brevard County Photographer}

If you've followed me for a few years you know that I am very passionate about infertility and the struggle women face to get pregnant AND the struggle women face to stay pregnant and raise their babies. Having struggled myself with infertility for years, I know the emotions, the pain, the unanswered questions and more that surround these women.

I know that despite the fear and the shame you tell yourself, that there are other women going through the same journey you are. That you are not alone and that there is hope and support for you.

This special project came to me in the midst of my own struggle. As I sit in the middle of my second season of infertility with so many questions and heartache, I wanted to be a light to others in the same boat. I wanted to reach out to these women and just remind them that this does not define them. As this idea played in my head for weeks, I decided if I was going to talk about infertility, I was going to talk about loss, and the other struggles that come with this journey of motherhood.

So I went to facebook and put out a very sensitive post asking for women to help me. Asking women to be a part of an even that would tell others their story. I wanted the world to see the faces behind these statistics. We hear all the time that 1 in 8 couples struggle with infertility. But sometimes we don't even know what that means until we ourselves become the statistic. And for some that may never happen. For others, they might know someone and sadly for many they are that statistic. Yet many people don't even know. They hide their feelings, the smile through the endless questions about expanding their family, and they keep their struggle to themselves.

We need to change this. While there are so many advances in the medical world to help women conceive, we are still not there are a society to openly talk about it without making people uncomfortable. We don't just tell the ones who are struggling we are there for them any way we can be.

So as I share this week with you, please take heart that these women have opened their hearts and shared their story. We will be highlighting those who struggle with infertility, loss and more.

I cannot thank the brave women who showed up and made this possible. We had such an amazing support from those walking the same path as us and those who never experienced any of it but wanted to see this vision come to life and support the women who were brave enough to open up. SO THANK YOU!

If you are struggling and you want to talk, please reach out to me. I am very open about my own struggle with infertility and want to be there for you in this journey.

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