The lovely Lory Cosner with her sons Logan Thomas (4) and Owen Christopher (10 months). Lory was always quite ambivalent about having children and didn't really think she wanted to have one at all. Her husband very much wanted to grow their family, however, and after about two years of discussions she was ready to give it a go. Women in Lory's family had always conceived fairly easily so she never even entertained the idea of having complications. Lory had been on birth control for many years due to excruciatingly painful periods and when she went off of birth control the pain came back quite fiercely. One month turned into two and before she knew it a year had passed without a baby. Lory says that she didn't at all like the person she was while battling infertility. She was angry and sad and got to the point where she would cry if someone else announced they were pregnant. She and her husband's relationship became strained and they ultimately sought answers. Lory learned that her fallopian tubes were blocked, one completely and the other partially. She had an operation to clear her blocked tube and was told that she had about 4 months to conceive before it began to close again. They were thrilled to have conceived at the very end of that window and things went well from there throughout her pregnancy. Labor and delivery was uncomplicated lasting over 70 hours and ending in a third degree tear and a very big baby after an hour of pushing.
Lory was so traumatized from Logan's arrival that she says it was at least 9 months before she would even talk about having another child. She was happy to be one and done but knew her husband wanted to have two. Ultimately Lory agreed to have another and expected to again have trouble with infertility. She was amazed to learn her tubes were still clear and they conceived without intervention or complication. While Lory was thrilled to be pregnant without treatment she also struggled with feeling like she had somehow betrayed her friends in the infertility community. Her pregnancy progressed without complication and her labor and delivery this time was night and day from her first. She had a planned induction due to the babies size and though her body didn't take to the drugs right away once they did, she flew. Her son was born within hours, only 15 minutes of pushing and minimal tearing. Lory says that she is so happy she had another as Owen's addition has truly completed her family.
Lory's first breastfeeding experience was more out of obligation than desire and says she planned to go 3 months, then 6 then 12 months. She was very much in the camp that once they're old enough to ask for it, they're too old. That changed when her son was 11 months old and they received new orders to move and she knew it was on piece of consistence she could provide him. They went on to nurse for 25 months and she hopes to feed Owen until he's ready to be done.
Lory has faced presumptive criticisms in her daily life and in her medical care for being plus sized and wants others to know that being plus sized doesn't mean that she's unhealthy, unfit, or unworthy of the same opportunities and care that others deserve. She is healthy, she is happy and she is so grateful that her body at any size has grown, birthed and nourished her amazing boys.