The amazing Krysta Owens, Gavin (4), and Griffin (13 months)

Krysta's first birth and postpartum experience were very traumatic for her. She experienced hyperemesis gravidarium (HG) throughout pregnancy but was otherwise healthy. Gavin aspirated meconium during delivery and had to spend some time in the NICU, she struggled with breast feeding and then at 2 weeks postpartum experienced severe postpartum depression and psychosis. "I was hospitalized for 32 days and was at a point I didn't realize I was married or even had a baby". There was a period of 4 days in the hospital where she was catatonic and couldn't speak or eat. "They told my husband there was nothing else they could do for me and that our last option was ECT or shock treatments in hopes that I would "snap back into" reality. He signed the consent but the next day I was completely myself and no one could explain why".

This was truly a very hard time in their lives and they struggled with whether or not to have more children and risk having a similar experience. They decided to go for it and while she experienced HG again, she had an unmedicated water birth and didn't experience any postpartum depression.

"I want women to not be ashamed to get help if they are experiencing postpartum depression and know that it is ok to talk about it. I have lost friends because of what I went through. It was a very low point in our lives but I believe I went through it so I would be able to share my story and help other women who have gone through the same thing".

The amazing Meghan Crosier with her boys Sevrin (7) and Zod (25 months). Meghan was raped at 17, stealing her virginity. She contracted HPV from her rapist which quickly led to cervical cancer. By time they found the cancer she was Stage III and a good portion of her cervix had to be removed. Doctors told her that there was no way she'd be able to carry children. About a month after she met her now husband she found out she was pregnant and was floored. She found an incredible doctor who was on her wavelength. She was about 5 months along when she found him and he couldn't believe she'd sustained the pregnancy without having a cervix to hold the baby in. Through a combination of traditional and holistic medicine he was able to help her reach full term. She carried him to 37 weeks when the decision was made to deliver Sevrin via cesarean due to his size. She began to hemorhage during pregnancy and had to have even more of her reproductive organs removed. Meghan slept for the first day of her son's life due to all the medicine she'd been given. The nurses didn't respect her wishes to breastfeed so they just gave him formula and she could never get him to latch. She decided to pump exclusively and was able to do so for 9 months. Her right breast never produced much and her supply began to dwindle but she had enough milk to get him to 14 months. When she stopped she says her right breast felt like a bag of peas and was very painful. She went to the doctor and told him about her pain. He found a lot of lumps and she learned that she had breast cancer. She had a full mastectomy with immediate reconstruction, 3 rounds of chemo, 1 round of radiation and 3 rounds of oral chemo. The following year she was back to life, still getting check ups every 6 months to ensure she was in full remission. She was doing well but continued to have very high levels of the chemotherapy drugs in her system. In 2012 she learned she was pregnant again and the doctors urged to her terminate because it was unsafe. However, by time they found out she was too far along to terminate. She had to see a perinatologist and undergo regular testing to ensure Zod was developing as he should be and to monitor the levels of drugs in her system. At about 7.5 months, her levels dropped so low it was like she had never had chemo. She was hospitalized for a week to ensure she wasn't going to go into cardiac arrest and she was perfectly fine. She feels that her pregnancy cured her. Meghan delivered Zod via cesarean as well and things went well this time. Both she and baby were beautifully healthy and she had a great experience. Breastfeeding went well, the nurses in hospital were supportive, she was able to go to a lactation support group while on maternity leave and she breastfed until her son self weaned at 14 months. Zod's health has been perfect so far and Meghan is still in remission.

Meghan suffered through severe postpartum psychosis after Sevrin was born and while she was able to get through it herself she knows that other's aren't often able. She went through a very dark time and though things were better in her postpartum period with Zod she had difficult days. She's constantly reminding herself that she can overcome this and she wants to remind other women that they can as well. Meghan says that nothing and no one can fully prepare you for the realities of becoming a mother, but we have to continue to draw on one another and share our stories.