Listen above to hear Katie's story. Interested in hearing more stories from parents about how parenting affected their physical symptoms? Read on below for Diana's Story.
While Diana dealt with minor pain for a few years before she became pregnant with her first child, her hip/ SI joint pain intensified as she dealt with the stress and anxiety of becoming a first-time parent.
“My daughter was not a calm baby at all,” Diana said. “I fought sleep, and I felt like I wasn’t a good mom for her because she cried all the time. This brought up a lot more symptoms for me.”
In addition to her pain, Diana developed severe insomnia and postpartum anxiety. She was soon diagnosed with CIRS, Lyme disease, and mold illness.
When all medical options failed her, she decided to turn inward. “It wasn’t until the past year (she’s 5) that I began to see the connection as it relates to my own upbringing and parents.”
As Diana began to explore the triggers for the stress of being a mom, she came to a realization.
“My body began ‘crying out.’ I think at the root of it, I was grieving that my parents weren’t nurturing in the ways I longed for a child/adolescent. I was also probably subconsciously not ready to care for another human when I hadn’t yet felt cared for in the ways I wanted to as a child.”
Diana’s embarked on a new period of her life full of healing.
“Now I’ve begun the process the process of dealing with my heart,” she said. “I’m already seeing some major improvements. I’ve sought out healing through all the Curable methods and techniques, multiple books, and therapy through the Pain and Psychology Center in LA.”
Diana’s now meditating often in the mornings and filling the time her young children are in school with activities that bring her life and energy - like hiking, reading, and writing .
“What really motivates me is that I know that continued healing will make me a better mom,” Diana said. “I can only parent as well as I am healed from my own story. If I feel shame, I will shame my kids. If I’m angry, it’ll come out in my parenting. I long for more healing for my own sake and also for the sake of my whole family, especially my amazing kids. They are worth it, and we are worth it!”
Read more stories like Katie's and Diana's here
