The stunning Jackie Schulz, Hayden (8) and William (2). Jackie and her husband spent many years trying to conceive a child before their lives were graced with their two. Due to male factor infertility they spent 7 years undergoing treatments, two surgeries, three unsuccessful Intrauterine Inseminations (IUI) and two miscarriages. During this time Jackie and her husband had been spending a lot of time caring for her biological niece Hayden. From the time Hayden was about 6 months old, it was clear that her parents were not capable of taking care of her and Jackie and her husband stepped in. Hayden went back and forth over the years and finally they decided to file for custody and then adopt her. Just after they finalized Hayden's addition to their home and family permanently, Jackie learned she was pregnant. They had stopped trying some time before and she was amazed that it had finally just happened.
Jackie's pregnancy went well and she was healthy throughout. Will was measuring quite large, however, and she felt pressured to induce at 39 weeks due to his projected size. The induction did not go well and he was ultimately delivered via cesarean. She physically healed very well afterwards but developed a postpartum mood disorder with anxiety and detachment. She didn't remember why she had wanted a baby and didn't feel like he was hers. Jackie says that the best and the worst thing happened to her all at the same time. After about three months Jackie went to the hospital and had to start medication. She had to abruptly stop breastfeeding but Will did wonderfully through the transition. Jackie was able to wean off medication fully about a year ago and says that in the past few months she feels like her normal self again. They had so quickly went from no children to two and Jackie says that all the years of heartache and disappointment now seem like a blip in time that has disappeared.
Prior to children Jackie would never be in a picture and was very self conscious. She would have pictures of her kids and husband around their house but was never in them herself. One day, her daughter mentioned that mom was never in the picture and it changed everything for her. Jackie wants her daughter to see that every body is beautiful and that she has to love herself, she's hoping to teach that by visibly loving herself.