The lovely Loren Olmstead and Aria (2). Loren and her husband were able to conceive within 3 or 4 months of first trying. Both so excited they began telling family and friends right away and looking forward to becoming parents. At 8 weeks, Loren started bleeding and went into the doctor learn that she was having a spontaneous abortion and had lost her baby. She went through a very trying time emotionally in the wake of her loss and wasn't ready to try again for another year.
Loren was able to conceive Aria without complication but found herself very sick all day through her first trimester. Her second trimester was going really well until she found herself getting really dizzy. She went into her doctor for testing and learned at 26 weeks pregnant that she had Gestational Diabetes. They tried to see if she could regulate her blood sugars through diet and exercise, it wasn't enough however, and by the end of her pregnancy she was having to check her blood sugars four times a day and have insulin injections three times per day.
Following her loss, and managing her gestational diabetes, Loren found her whole pregnancy filled with fear. She was terrified she wouldn't be able to breastfeed or that her baby had died and she went from wanting to have a home birth to having to have a hospital birth. At 39 weeks she felt forced into an induction because her placenta was hardening and the whole experience was very sad for her. She had hoped to avoid additional drugs after they started Pitocin but by time she was 6 or 7cms she was in a lot of pain and tiring out so she got an epidural. She mourns the birth that she had but was able to deliver Aria within an hour after 45 minutes of pushing. She was still able to feel her contractions and pushing and is grateful she was able to have a vaginal delivery.
Aria latching just after birth which was further reassurance for Loren. That evening however, Aria started throwing up green and had to be taken to NICU. Loren felt like the nurses weren't listening and everything she had feared about being in a hospital was happening to her. They were able to go home after three days and Loren has been able to continue nursing without any difficulties.
Loren has always been a body positivity advocate but has found it's been more difficult to extend the support she has for others, inward towards herself. Her body has changed drastically through pregnancy, birth and a 80 lb weight loss and she's just now come to the realization that her "body is strong, my body is fierce, my body has carried me through so many things and I have all these lumps and rolls and things I don't necessarily love about it but I do love my body and I love myself. It's important for me to say that this is what your body looks like after a miscarriage, after childbirth, and after and 80 lb weight loss. This is normal. This is beautiful".