Q: Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How many kids do you have?

A: Natalie B - I am from and reside in Cleveland, Ohio with a little baby boy who is 15 months old 😊

Q: How was your pregnancy? The good? The bad?

A: Just a rough pregnancy all around. Nauseas for 9 months and lost my dog in month 1 and lost my mom at month 7 (Brain Tumor – Diagnosed to death was 1 month) so I overall was not in the best headspace. The worst time of my life.

Q: Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How many kids do you have?

A: Hi my name is Natalie Chung. I am 28 years old. I’m from Alton, Illinois born and raised and currently live in Godfrey, Illinois. My husband and I have been together for 12 years and we have a 6 month old son Parker. I am a licensed Esthetician in St. Louis Missouri

Q: How was your pregnancy? The good? The bad?

A: Honestly my pregnancy was amazing I got very lucky! In the first trimester I was just very tired and mild headaches. The rest of the time I had extremely bad heartburn other than that it was amazing and went by pretty fast. In third trimester we had a scare on one of his ultrasounds that his femur was measuring less than 1% my doctor mentioned dwarfism (which he shouldn’t have without being completely sure) that worried us but it ended up being fine. Sometimes 3rd trimester scans can be really off.

Q: Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How many kids do you have?

A: My name is Celine. I’m married, I’m 34 years old. I’m from Wisconsin but live in Virginia now. I have two boys, five and three years old.

Q: How was your pregnancy? The good? The bad?

A: Both pregnancy’s were normal for the most part with a few small bumps along the way, but nothing major. The good was that I went full term with both. With my first I was very careful about what I ate, any activity I did. I gained way too much weight and it wasn’t necessary. With the second I gained less weight and it helped me a lot after the delivery. With second he had a cist on his brain during a scan. This caused a lot of stress but on the next scan it had cleared. With the first pregnancy my husband came with me to every single appointment I had. With the second he wasn’t able to do that so he only was there for the delivery. For the first pregnancy I documented every step along the way in a calendar. I was way more aware of the changes my body was making. I will say with the second child you’re way calmer in general.

Q: Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How many kids do you have?

A: My name is Madison - I am originally from Dekalb, IL (Go Huskies!) but have lived a little bit of everywhere: Orlando, Milwaukee, and currently San Diego, California. I have been married to my husband for almost 4 years and we have a spunky, fun, and strong willed three year old daughter named Vivienne. I recently graduated with my MBA and work for a resort wear designer managing all of our major accounts, it is truly my dream job as my undergraduate degree is in fashion merchandising. We love to spend time as a family exploring Southern California and all it has to offer!

Q: How was your pregnancy? The good? The bad?

A: My pregnancy was a surprise to both my husband and I, we have St Patrick's day in Chicago to thank for that (TMI?) But truly the best surprise we could have ever asked for. My pregnancy in pretty much every stage was so smooth and I am so beyond grateful for that. I did have a few food aversions early on, I had previously suffered from an eating disorder so gaining weight was really hard for me mentally and I think that was the hardest part overall. I am so grateful for the entire pregnancy though, because I know how many things could have gone wrong and we are just so fortunate that it went as well as it did. 

I feel like my birth stories deserve a little bit of a preface because I don’t want to be another one of those horror stories you hear or read while pregnant. I hope my story reassures others that science and the medical field is a crazy cool thing and has given me the opportunity to birth two amazing baby girls. I want to share my story because after my first I felt so alone, I didn’t have anyone that I could connect with. Fortunately, after some time & therapy, I have been able to step back and look at the beauty in my experience. If it wasn’t for an amazing medical team things could have gone very differently. My experiences were both very beautiful and natural in their own ways. My deliveries were what my body needed to deliver two healthy babies and for that, I will forever be grateful & proud.

Q: Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How many kids do you have?

A: My name is Shauna, and I live in Aurora, IL. I have one child: a 4 month old baby girl named Lilian. 

Q: How was your pregnancy? The good? The bad? 

A: For me, pregnancy was filled with anxiety. Our baby girl was the culmination of many years of different fertility treatments, and she was our third pregnancy after two miscarriages in 2021. After our 2nd miscarriage, we had made a decision to take a break because I needed to - my mental health was the worst it had ever been and I needed some time to heal. Shortly after making the decision to take a break, we found out we were pregnant without fertility treatments. I was equal parts excited and terrified - I truly didn't know how I would survive if I lost another pregnancy. I scrutinized and agonized over every symptom (or lack of symptom) for weeks, and every week leading up to a doctor's appointment was very challenging mentally for me - I was afraid the upcoming appointment would be the one where I found out I was losing the pregnancy. Ultrasound scans were the hardest for me. It took me until we crossed the halfway point and completed the anatomy scan that I finally started to relax and enjoy certain aspects of pregnancy. I loved feeling the baby move inside me. 

Q: Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How many kids do you have?

A: Hi, I am Madison - I am 27 years old from St. Charles/St. Louis, MO born and raised. I have been married to my amazing husband for 2 years now, and we have two incredible children. One is my step son who is 10 and I met him and his dad when he was 3 years old, and then we have a 1 year old little boy who was born in October. I am a business owner of a bridal boutique in St. Louis, MO. 

Q: How was your pregnancy? The good? The bad?

A: My pregnancy was amazing, we were trying to get pregnant and we were so blessed after a few months of trying with our sweet boy. The hardest part of my pregnancy was my round ligament pain. Otherwise, I did not have any nausea and truly enjoyed my pregnancy. I ended up losing weight at the beginning of my pregnancy because I was craving water 24/7, and then only gaining back to my pre-pregnancy weight by the end. No swelling which was a blessing! 

Q: Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How many kids do you have?

A: Hi I’m Lindsey, from St. Louis- Born, Raised, never leaving. 2 sons. 

Q: How was your pregnancy? The good? The bad?

A: Pregnancy was incredible for me both times. 

Q: Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How many kids do you have?

A: My name is Gina. I am originally from Fond du Lac, WI. Moved to Chicago for one year and then Las Vegas for 6 years. Now I am currently in Sheboygan, WI. I have one son who was born December 7th, 2021. I work from home in abortion care/OBGYN. I have 2 cats. I like to spend my money on good food, vacations and experiences. 

Q: How was your pregnancy? The good? The bad?

A: My pregnancy was wonderful. I was very lucky to have a smooth and uneventful pregnancy. My mom was the same way with all of hers. No nausea, fatigue or anything. A little constipation towards the end but that was it. 

Q: Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How many kids do you have?

A: Hi, I’m Genevieve, I live in St. Louis, and have 2 Boys, Noah 6 and Gabriel 4. 

Q: How was your pregnancy? The good? The bad?

A: Both of my pregnancies were different. I had horrible morning sickness through out both pregnancies. Both pregnancies put me in the hospital for IV fluids. During my pregnancy with Noah I had gestational diabetes. I didn’t have to take insulin, but I did have to check my blood sugar level 3 times a day following every meal and first thing in the morning. I loved being pregnant though even with all of the sickness. 

Q: Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How many kids to do you have?

A: Hello! I’m Emma. I live in the country on a small lake outside my hometown of Fond du Lac, WI. My husband and I tried for a few years to get pregnant then to our complete surprise we got pregnant with twin boys naturally.

Q: How was your pregnancy? The good? The bad?

A: My pregnancy was overall very boring and uneventful. I never really got sick other than maybe a little nausea in the beginning few weeks. Two pregnancy symptoms I wasn’t expecting to get because I hadn’t heard of other women having them before were RLS and extreme stuffiness in my nose. I also had placenta previa which requires pelvic rest.

Q: Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How many kids to do you have?

A: I’m Cassidy - I’m 32 and I live in Fond du Lac with my husband Rayce and our 4 kids Cecilia (13), Teddy (9), Brooks (3), and Rose (5 months). 

Q: How was your pregnancy? The good? The bad? 

A: All four of my pregnancies went very well as far as my health and the health of the babies. I loved being pregnant with Cecilia. Teddy was also easy. Also, I loved being pampered. Rayce used to buy me cake and apple cider and rub my feet. It was the life! Brooks and Rose’s pregnancies were tougher but I blame that on age. With both I was so nauseous and terribly tired and also going through some personal emotional stuff. Delivery with my kids is a whole different story. I have a blood disease called Avon Willebrands disease which is a Factor 8 protein deficiency. Basically, I bleed out when I deliver. When I had Cecilia, I retained one lobe of my placenta which I eventually delivered at home. I was 19 and so scared! I thought I was losing my vagina, to be frank. Because of that, there was scar tissue left inside my uterus. During delivery I was treated for my blood disease, though, so the bleeding was minimal. 

Q: Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How many kids do you have?

A: My name is Ashley and I am a Licensed Medical Aesthetician, CEO, health and wellness expert, and momma to my lovely daughter named Everlee! I am from the small town of Oregon, Illinois and currently reside outside of St. Louis, Missouri in the town of O'Fallon! My daughter just turned one year old in October, and my husband (Coleman) and I got married last year! We also have two fur babies, Remi and Summer.

Q: How was your pregnancy? The good? The bad?

A: My pregnancy was honestly amazing. I am the woman that everyone hated because I didn't even seem like I was pregnant. My body simply loved it and I had hardly any issues besides the lovely low back pain! The worst part was probably the back pain and my baby girl sitting on my sciatic nerve. 

Q: Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How many kids do you have?

A: My name is Val and I am from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and I have 3 children (now ages 12, 11, and 8).

Q: How was your pregnancy? The good? The bad?

A: I saw a nurse midwife in a hospital for all 3 pregnancies. My first pregnancy was picture perfect. No issues at all and had him exactly on my due date. My second pregnancy I started bleeding at 19 weeks and thought I was having a miscarriage. When we went to the clinic, they could not find a heartbeat with the heart monitor, so I was sent to ultrasound. At the ultrasound, they were able to see that she was actually doing great. However, at this time, they diagnosed me with placenta previa and was told I could no longer see the midwives since this was now a more complicated pregnancy. I made an appointment to see a Gynecologist in 4 weeks. The bleeding continued for a few days but then stopped. At 23 weeks, I started having contractions. I called the midwife on call since I hadn’t actually seen a gynecologist yet, and she told me it was probably Braxton Hicks and I should drink lots of water and take a bath. I did both and the contractions stopped. The next day, things were fine until around 8:00 pm. I started having stronger contractions and bleeding. This time I called the gynecologist on call and he told me to get to the hospital. At this point I had a 17 month old at home so my husband stayed with him while I drove myself to the hospital 30 minutes away. When I got there, they never checked me but gave me a little white pill and told me that was going to stop the contractions but said I was being transferred to a hospital an hour away that had a NICU just in case she came early. I was taken by ambulance and my husband met us there. The contractions never stopped. They performed a bedside ultrasound when I arrived and told me my placenta had abrupted and it was detached from the uterine wall and that I was going to be giving birth that night. 

My third pregnancy went well but given my history of having a premature baby, I had to get progesterone injections every week from 16 weeks to 36 weeks to keep my uterus calm. I was able to see my midwife again but also had to see a perinatologist and have an ultrasound every other week. Even with the extra appointments and precautions, this pregnancy was very similar to my first and was relatively easy. 

Q: Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How many kids do you have?

A: My name is Elizabeth S. I am 30 years old, originally from Fond du Lac, WI but now in Sun Prairie, WI. My husband, Joe, and I have been married for 4 years and have 2 kids together, our son, Burke (2), and our daughter, Caroline (2 months).

Q: How was your pregnancy? The good? The bad?

A: I am thankful that both of my pregnancies were very healthy and normal. I found out I was pregnant with my son the week that the world essentially shut down due to COVID-19, which made my first pregnancy... interesting. I wasn't even seen by my doctor or given an ultrasound until I was 12 weeks along, which, of course made me anxious and nervous; the not knowing if everything was okay (and everything was, thankfully). Meanwhile, my first trimester was largely filled with morning sickness and overall shitty feeling... like I was hungover. After that first trimester things were very smooth sailing. I remember feeling some anxiousness and paranoia at the end of my pregnancy; wondering if I was keeping up on my kick counts and making sure everything was okay. I started measuring ahead around 37 weeks and had a growth ultrasound that suggested my son was over 8 pounds and in the 90th percentile for body and head size which led to an elective induction at 39 weeks. My pregnancy with my daughter was very healthy. I did not experience morning sickness with my daughter and was ecstatic about that because that was miserable. I became a stay at home mom around 18-20 weeks pregnant and so my son kept me very busy and active. I was hoping for a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean section) with her and so I was very determined to go into labor on my own in order to increase the likelihood of that happening. Towards the end of my pregnancy with her I started to become very anxious about going into labor and it was difficult. Mentally and physically, the last 1-2 weeks of my pregnancy with her was difficult, mostly because I wanted so deeply to be able to experience a vaginal birth.

Q: Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How many kids do you have?

A: My name is Brynn H - I’m from Alton, Illinois and currently reside in O’fallon, Missouri with my boyfriend Josh, and my daughter Zaviah. I currently am into all things pilates, organizing, interior design and basically anything that has to do with spending time with my family. I’m a coffee and animal lover!

Q: How was your pregnancy? The good? The bad?

A: My pregnancy was truly an amazing experience for me. Most of that had to do with having a very supportive and encouraging partner that was there with me every step of the way. My pregnancy had its challenges, when I got pregnant, I was living with my 2 best friends Alyssa and Kelsey. I had actually just moved in with them to have the best senior year ever and finish college with a bang. As I was finishing college, I was super stressed about where Josh and I were going to live, and how we were going to juggle everything with a baby. He played college football, had his own place on campus and we didn’t know where to go from there. So, we started looking at houses, finally found and bought a house after 7 offers. I graduated college, we both got amazing jobs, and then I had my daughter. God works in the best ways. 

Q: Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How many kids do you have?

A: I’m Sara and I’m originally from Wisconsin, but have been living in England since 2018. I have 2 kiddos, my son is going to be 3 in January and my daughter is almost 1 month old!

Q: If you could give a new mom some advice what would it be?

A: My first pregnancy was a breeze, only symptom was tiredness! My second I was more nauseous and more hormonal. Both were active pregnancies though and I worked out/got my body moving most days to maintain a healthy-ish pregnancy!

Q: Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How many kids do you have?

A: My husband and I live in Chicago (Logan Square neighborhood) and had our first baby in October.

Q: How was your pregnancy? The good? The bad?

A: My pregnancy was much different than I expected! Nothing like how it is portrayed in the media or like what I had heard about from others. It was overall good. I didn’t have any nausea or morning sickness which I didn’t know was possible.  I was able to be active throughout, with the only thing holding me back being hot weather during my third trimester. No crazy cravings, no stretch marks, no crazy mood swings, all things that are emphasized when pregnancy comes up in movies. I experienced fatigue throughout, mostly in the first trimester. I also experienced a strain socially. I was the first of my close friends to get pregnant, so it was difficult to keep up with the usual social activities, most of which still heavily revolved around drinking. I still attended everything (weekends at bars, friends weddings) but I didn’t feel 100% like myself socially for most of my pregnancy. 

Q: Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How many kids do you have?

A: My name is Marisela, born and raised in WI. Currently living in MI. I have two children, ages 6 and 9.

Q: How was your pregnancy? The good? The bad?

A: With both of my pregnancies, I was diagnosed with Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). and quite honestly it was the worst thing to go through. Because of this, I was required to see a fetal specialist once a week to ensure the baby was growing, despite continuously losing weight throughout the pregnancy. Ultimately not enjoying my pregnancies, I knew I was not going to have another child and opted for a tubal ligation. The best part of my pregnancy was when it was over! 

Q: Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How many kids do you have?

A: My name is Kimberly C. and my darling husband is Supreet C..  We are parents to our 17 month old son, Tika.  We live in Dallas, Texas, with our two pups, Kona and Savi.  We moved houses in June and are working on sprucing up our new place.  Prior to Dallas, I lived in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  My husband is from Canada.  We met in Mexico City over New Years 2018.