Mindy Keller (42), Rosie (9), Finnegan "Finn" (6). Mindy has also lot two babies to miscarriage. Mindy is a previous project participant. You can view her original photo and story here.
St. Louis
Mindy shares -
"After having my two healthy, normal pregnancies, we experienced infertility. Lost two babies within 8 months. The first loss being very traumatic which has caused undiagnosed PTSD. We then sought fertility treatment, had IUI done, but still didn't get pregnant. Ultimately, due to endometriosis & adenomyosis, I had a full hysterectomy in December of 2016. I grieve my fertility to this day and am not sure I made the best decision. I wonder if we should have tried fertility treatments longer.
After my live births, I don’t think I was too surprised with how my body looked. It was doing what it was supposed to for my children. After my losses, however, I could barely look at myself naked or shower. My body failed me and I was mad, sad, and too emotional to care about my self worth, all because my body failed me and couldn’t carry children again like it previously had!
So much has changed since my first photo shoot! This is partly healing for me, to have my heavenly children represented in a photo for the first time by their siblings who wanted them as badly as I did. Plus the movement is just a perfect idea and I have to participate and be part of it.
{My advice to other parents} It all goes so quickly. Allow yourself and your baby to get in sync the first 2 months at least. Stay home, bond, walk around naked/topless so you can nurse at a moments notice! Don’t stress yourself to be perfect!"