The dashing Heather Dietz with her daughter Mia (4.5) and her son Mason (15 months). Heather's first pregnancy, in 2009, was lost to miscarriage on Thanksgiving Day. She had her daughter almost exactly a year later. She did have gestational diabetes which was controlled by diet but was otherwise healthy throughout her pregnancy. Labor began naturally and labored at home for quite some time before heading to the hospital when she arrived she was already 9 cms and Mia was born very quickly there after. She was unmedicated throughout and found the entire experience to be amazing. They decided to wait awhile before having another child and once they were ready were able to conceive Mason fairly quickly. She had gestational diabetes again this pregnancy and was again able to control it with diet. She had a tougher go of it this time and Mason arrived three weeks early. Her water broke and she arrived at the hospital with erratic contractions and only 3cms. Her labor stalled so they eventually started pitcoin and Mason was born about an hour later. She didn't have pain medication and says the pitocin rocked her but she had the support of her husband to get through.
Heather has been able to breastfeed for 4.5 years and in addition to feeding her own children she has been able to help other moms via donating to a milk bank and direct donation to 5 other moms as well. She plans on letting Mason self wean and will continue to pump for other children as well.
Heather things moms are to hard on themselves and often forget that it takes a village. She says, "We need to be more kind to ourselves, and much kinder to one another". That starts with community and joining this movement is her step in reflecting that for herself and others.