As I clutched the positive pregnancy test, I had a flashback of memories. My mind went straight back to 2014 when I was diagnosed with PCOS. That’s short for Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome. Without getting overly technical, it is a syndrome where the ovaries develop follicles (fluid) and fail to regularly release eggs which in turn, throws your hormones completely out of whack. When I say out of whack, I mean cystic acne, crazy mood swings, facial hair, irregular periods, and infertility . . . just to name a few.
When I was diagnosed, I was mortified.
My first thought? Find a fix. I knew there had to be a quick fix, and I headed to my doctor to start birth control, hoping this would regulate some of the crazy hormonal irregularities. I was on birth control for two years. No problems arose, until year two. I had started to feel extremely dizzy at times, and I knew it was from the birth control. When I was on a vacation with my friends, I felt really light-headed and collapsed. That’s when I decided to go off of birth control.
Natural Solutions
Then I started researching. I wasn’t much of a “natural” person at the time, but I knew there had to be some sort of natural cure. That’s when I found my local naturopathic doctor. I made my first appointment with her and after a very long discussion and learning about my history (she asked in-depth questions even all the way back to my childhood), she made a plan. This was the first time in my life that I felt heard. Someone understood. Someone wanted to meet me where I was at and really, truly help tackle this lifelong issue once and for all.
We started with a whole bunch of specific things to get my digestion on track. Next came the food sensitivity test. I took the test and found out that I had a whole LOT of sensitivities (not allergies). This can be a big indication that your insides have been “damaged” and need to be repaired; also known as leaky gut. So, I decided to cut out all of the foods that my body was sensitive to. Dairy, eggs, yeast, gluten, pineapple, and the extensive list goes on. I spent two years on this diet. It was hard at first, especially when trying to eat out. However, after a while, it truly became my new normal.
Man, did I see results!
My digestion was on track! I didn’t have bloating or breakouts, and for the first time in my life, I had a regular, consistent cycle, completely unmedicated. Shortly thereafter, we decided to try to have children. I was scared. I committed to staying on this diet, refraining from all the foods that my body reacted with, and we decided to start trying. One month later, I was pregnant, and there I was clutching on to that positive pregnancy test.
The feeling of gratefulness instantly rushed over me. I was thankful for the local naturopathic doctor that truly cared about me, heard me, and actually understood me. Additionally, I was thankful for all of the hard years (even prior to 2014) that I was trying to desperately find answers. I was thankful for this diet, for the blood, sweat, and tears that went into figuring out why my insides were damaged, and what I could actually do to help that. It all led me to here, and the thought of holding a sweet newborn in my arms, 9 months from that specific moment, was a memory I will never quite forget.
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