The dashing Cara DeArmand and her daughter Helene (9.5 months).
Cara's cycles were never regular and she was having a difficult time conceiving. She was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) due to her irregularity and symptoms though she never had any actual cysts. She and her husband were able to conceive but she had an early miscarriage at about 8 weeks and her husband was deployed before they were able to try again. Cara had started Metformin to regulate her cycles and when her husband came home after 5 months they were able to conceive Helene. Her pregnancy was easy and fun other than headaches early on. She had wanted to attempt a natural, medication free delivery so they prepared with the Bradley method. At 40 weeks, 2 days her water broke with meconium present but contractions didn't start. She was given some time to see if contractions started. She wasn't dialed so they began pitcocin and threatened a cesarean. Helene's heart rate was not tolerating the pitocin well so they gave her a break and then put it back on. She labored for 18 hours and pushed for 2.5 before Helene was born. She had shoulder dystocia and wasn't breathing well upon delivery due meconium so she was transferred to another hospital in town. Cara had to stay in hospital for about 12 hours while her daughter was transferred. Helene spent two days in NICU before coming home. Cara found nursing to be very difficult and gave her formula to get her home. Three weeks after Helene was born, Cara graduated from university with her degree in Speech Pathology. Cara had a lot of support from her husband and mother in the postpartum period. She also participated in a placenta encapsulation study and while she found that she actually got a placebo pill did not experience any postpartum depression which she thinks speaks to the support she had in her 4th Trimester. Cara hopes that her daughter can grow up with posutive body image and that she can be a good example for her.