Mommy Motivational Monday: Camie

I'm so excited Camie decided to share her postpartum story with us this week! Postpartum depression is real and a lot more common than people ever let on to.  I believe people don't admit postpartum depression because they feel guilty, as if people are going to think the mom doesn't appreciate their new bundle of joy. It's nothing to feel guilty about and is a hormonal imbalance-- if you have postpartum depression you aren't doing anything wrong! Stop blaming yourself! It is not your fault you have postpartum depression, but it is your responsibility to take actions to bring yourself back up. I cannot stress enough the benefits of healthy eating and exercise. Get to the gym. Get those serotonin hormones running! Fuel your body with clean, whole foods. You can't help but feel good when you're treating your body right!

I love Camie's story because she didn't let any of her postpartum obstacles keep her from living a healthy lifestyle. We all have things going on in our life, we all have obstacles, we all have excuses. You can either let them hold you back like a brick wall, or you can jump over them like hurdles and become the best YOU that you can be.

Enter Camie!

 

Pregnancy weight gain: 35 pounds

Postpartum weight loss: 30 pounds

I delivered my second little boy almost 14 months ago. I began experiencing baby blues the day I came home from the hospital (up to 80% of women experience this). I had little to no appetite, ached all over and felt awful. I tried to start exercising but would just get light headed and dizzy and I felt awful for a day or two afterward. I also discovered that my pelvic floor was having difficulty healing, resulting in a prolapse which made me feel like I was going to leak whenever I did any kind of cardio.  I visited with my OBGYN several times but they said it was just part of having a baby and some women take a longer time to heal. I knew in my heart that this wasn't a normal recovery, but I felt lost and discouraged and alone. My husband suggest several times that I should pursue further medical treatment, but I just kept hoping it would go away. I didn't want to accept the fact that I might have more serious issues going on.

After several months I finally decided to have some extensive blood work done by a hormone specialist and follow up with a family physician. I was diagnosed with poor adrenal function (which causes fatigue, body aches, and lightheadedness), vitamin deficiencies, MONO, and postpartum depression which affects around 15% of new mothers. My doctor thinks that I may always suffer from chronic fatigue, but is hopeful that I will start feeling better with time and treatment. I am now taking vitamins and an antidepressant to treat my symptoms. It was difficult to accept that I had depression, but now I wish I would have sought help sooner.

The reason why I share my story is because during this time I was trying to lose the baby weight  with very slow success. I felt really discouraged. I enlisted the help of a health coach who created a balanced meal plan including proteins, carbs, healthy fats and TONS of fibrous veggies. She also introduced me to lifting weights which I now really enjoy. It's nice feeling more in control of my diet rather than just living on carrot sticks and rice cakes. I also began implementing pilates, yoga, and barre workouts which are low impact but still provide great results. I have learned how to appreciate the small victories.

For me it isn't about reaching a number on the scale anymore; it is about finding health. I am hoping that my efforts to strengthen my body will allow me to begin jogging and doing Zumba again soon. I have really had to learn to let go of previous expectations and accept and appreciate myself for what I CAN do. Even with all of these obstacles I am slowly but surely taking baby steps toward losing the baby weight (I am almost there!) and feeling better physically and mentally. I really hope this can give other mothers who are experiencing postpartum obstacles of any kind the reassurance that they are not alone and that every small effort and step in the right direction is a success. 

 Thanks for sharing your story Cammie! 
I want to feature YOUR mommy weight loss story! Tell me about it here so I can share it with the other mommy's that are trying to lose weight! Power to the mommy's!