The Womb Room

🪷 Late nights. Early mornings.

Cluster feeding on demand.

Breast pumping.

Massaging and moisturizing dry, cracked ni***es.

Measuring.

Storing.

Pouring liquid gold into sterilized bottles.

Exhausted.

Drained.

Sleep deprived.

Everyone celebrates the baby being fed…

But who’s feeding you?

August is National Breastfeeding Month.

While we honor the incredible journey of nourishing our babies, I also want to honor the woman behind the milk.

The woman whose body is producing.

Whose heart is giving.

Whose cup is quietly running empty.

This month, let’s have honest conversations about feeding…

Not just the baby.

But the woman.

Who’s feeding…

* her dreams?
* her mental health?
* her marriage?
* her identity?
* her confidence?
* her spirituality?

🪷 Pull up a chair.

How are you being nourished?

💛 There’s always a seat for you here.

🖤 Content Note: This post discusses depression, suicidal thoughts, and betrayal. If you’re in a tender place today, please read with care. 🖤

I took a pregnancy test right before my husband, children, and I moved into our newly constructed home. The boys were 9 months when I learned I was pregnant with our 3rd baby.

Everything seemed perfect until I found a letter addressed to my husband’s lover. I was well aware of who she was— the same woman whom he had left me for and impregnated shortly after we married.

I forgave him and moved on but clearly he hadn’t. They rekindled and made plans to build a life together as a family, leaving our family desolate.

During this time I was a stay-at-home mom to our 2.5 yr old twins, and 5 month old daughter. I had no formal education, no money, no job. No plan.

All I had was abandonment, a foreclosed home, 3 babies, a co-signed minivan, and what was left of my sanity.

I went days without bathing and eating which resulted in weight loss, suffered severe depression, heartbreak, post-traumatic stress, and compounded grief. I not only lost a husband, I lost a family of in-laws as well.

Me and my babies lost our home and sense of security. I lost myself. I thought I could only find peace by silencing the noise.

The pain of betrayal was exhausting and unbearable; and I didn’t want to hurt anymore. I made a plan to end my life with a single edged razor to my wrists.

I would leave peacefully— drifting into unconsciousness into a tub full of hot bloody water…

but not before I wrote my babies a letter letting them know that I will always love them and that my choice was never their fault.

After crying my eyes dry— so much that my tears had tears, the twins called out to me, “mommy, mommy, mommy!”

I drug myself from bed to feed my children breakfast. My babies saved my life.

For a long time, I carried shame about this chapter of my life.

Today, I carry gratitude.

Not because it happened…

But because I survived it.

If you’re reading this and you’ve ever believed the world would be better without you…

I want you to know something I couldn’t see then:

There is another chapter waiting for you.

Please don’t close the book before you get to read it.

🪷 Pull up a chair.

If no one has told you today…

I’m glad you’re here.

💛 There’s always a seat for you here.

🪷 What has been the hardest part of motherhood that you didn’t expect to be hard?

I’ll go first.

🪷 Parenting my inner child while raising my youngest.

She needed me.

And…

I needed me.

Learning to nurture the little girl within while simultaneously raising the little girl beside me was a challenge I never saw coming.

I thought motherhood had taught me how to raise children.

I never imagined it would teach me how to re-parent myself.

Some days I was comforting her.

Some days I was comforting me.

And on the hardest days, when my emotional bandwidth was running low…

So was my patience.

I struggled.

She suffered.

We were both learning together.

Motherhood has a way of revealing not only who our children are…

But who we are.

🪷 Pull up a chair…

What’s been the hardest part of motherhood that no one prepared you for?

No judgment.

No right or wrong answers.

Just women telling the truth.

💛 There’s always a seat for you here.

🪷 Whether it’s a woman living with fibroids, someone grieving a pregnancy loss, a mother overwhelmed by caregiving, or a person struggling with depression, the first step is often the same:

Someone willing to listen.

Often times, women are thought to carry the burden of caregiving and nurturing without extending that same grace to themselves.

Women want to be heard.

Not judged.

Not minimized.

Heard.

July is recognized as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month (often shortened to National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month). It was established to raise awareness about the unique mental health challenges faced by racial and ethnic minority communities in the U.S.

What made her remarkable wasn’t just that she wrote books— it was that she openly challenged the stigma surrounding mental illness at a time when many families, especially within communities of color, didn’t talk about it.

Why is a mental health month named after her?

Bebe Moore Campbell believed that many Black families faced barriers to mental healthcare, including:

* Stigma and shame
* Lack of culturally competent providers
* Limited access to care
* Misunderstanding of mental illness
* Fear of judgment

She wanted to normalize conversations about depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other mental health conditions.

She helped co-found National Alliance on Mental Illness Urban Los Angeles to improve awareness and support for underserved communities.

After her death, Congress designated July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in recognition of her work.

’sHealth

🪷 Fibroid Awareness Month | Day 20

She canceled dinner…again.

Not because she didn’t want to go.

Not because she wasn’t excited.

But because she couldn’t predict whether she’d bleed through her clothes before the appetizers arrived.

She sat on the edge of her bed…

Frustrated. Embarrassed.

Wondering how many more invitations she’d decline before people stopped asking.

That’s the part of fibroids we don’t talk about enough.

The physical symptoms are only half the story.

The emotional weight can be just as heavy.

🩷 The anxiety of planning your life around your cycle.

🩷 The fear of leaking in public.

🩷 The frustration of chronic pain.

🩷 The exhaustion of explaining why you canceled…again.

🩷 The grief of fertility struggles.

🩷 The loneliness of feeling like no one understands.

Fibroids don’t just affect the uterus.

They can affect confidence.

Relationships. Intimacy. Careers.
Mental health.

If this is your story…

Know this:

You are not weak.

You are carrying more than most people can see.

🪷 Pull up a chair…

What’s something you wish people understood about living with fibroids?

💛 There’s always a seat for you here.

’sHealth

Because if this season were a birth…

I’d choose a cesarean section.

As a former Labor & Delivery nurse and birth doula, I often compare life’s journey to labor and physiological birth.

Much like pregnancy, life starts off with excitement and great anticipation.

The cascade of excitement begins to wear off.

It plateaus.

You grow tired.

Weary.

The excitement becomes anxiety.

The gestational bo***ge of carrying this load becomes more than one can bear.

Every thought becomes centered around one thing…

Deliverance!

The journey hasn’t gone according to the birth plan.

The labor is longer than expected.

Nothing seems to be progressing.

And suddenly…

You’re begging for a cesarean section.

“Just cut it out already.”

Not because you or your baby are in danger.

You’re just…

Tired.

Exhausted.

Ready for what’s next.

C-section me.

Truth be told…

This isn’t for the people in the back.

I’m talking to myself.

But if my words somehow found you…

Pull up a chair.

Let’s talk about our birth plans.

Because maybe…

Just maybe…

You’re carrying something that feels heavier than it was ever meant to.

And maybe you’re not asking life to be easier.

You’re simply asking…

To be delivered.

🪷 There’s always a seat for you here.

🪷 Fibroid Awareness Month | Day 15

Living Naturally with Fibroids

Supporting your body from the inside out.

A fibroid diagnosis doesn’t mean your only options are medications or surgery.

Many women choose to complement their medical care with lifestyle changes and holistic practices that support hormone balance, reduce inflammation, and promote overall wellness.

🌿 Some women explore:

🥬 Anti-inflammatory nutrition

Think colorful vegetables, berries, leafy greens, legumes, healthy fats, and fiber while limiting ultra-processed foods and excessive alcohol.

⸻

☀️ Vitamin D

Talk with your provider about checking your vitamin D level if appropriate.

⸻

🌱 Cruciferous vegetables

Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale…

These vegetables contain compounds involved in estrogen metabolism.

⸻

🌾 Fiber

Helps support healthy digestion and the body’s natural hormone elimination pathways.

⸻

🌿 Herbal teas & botanicals

Many women incorporate herbs into their wellness routines such as:

🌿 Green tea

🌿 Ginger

🌿 Turmeric

🌿 Chamomile

🌿 Nettle leaf

🌿 Red raspberry leaf (commonly used for reproductive wellness, though not specifically proven to treat fibroids)

⸻

🧘🏾 Stress reduction

Yoga.

Meditation.

Prayer.

Breathwork.

Journaling.

Nature walks.

Massage.

Sleep.

Healing isn’t only physical.

⸻

🚶🏾 Movement

Regular exercise supports circulation, hormone regulation, and overall health.

⸻

🧴 Reduce unnecessary endocrine disruptors

Some women choose to be more mindful of products they use every day:

• Plastics

• Food storage containers

• Fragranced products

• Personal care products

• Household cleaners

Small changes made consistently can add up.

⸻

🌸 Remember…

Holistic care isn’t about choosing between medicine and nature.

For many women…

It’s about creating a lifestyle that supports healing from every direction.

🪷 Pull up a chair…

What’s one wellness habit that’s made you feel more connected to your body?

💛 There’s always a seat for you here.

🪷 Fibroid Awareness Month | Day 10

Once You’re Diagnosed… Then What?

A fibroid diagnosis doesn’t automatically mean surgery.

Treatment depends on:

🩷 Your symptoms

👶 Your desire for future pregnancy

📍 The size, number, and location of your fibroids

🩺 Your overall health

Together with your healthcare provider, you’ll decide which option best fits your goals.

🌿 Treatment Options

🪷 1. Watchful Waiting (Observation)

Best for women with:
* No symptoms
* Mild symptoms
* Small fibroids

🩸 2. Medications

Used to help manage symptoms—not necessarily eliminate fibroids…

* NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen) for pain
* Hormonal birth control to reduce heavy bleeding
* Hormonal medications (such as GnRH agonists or antagonists) that can temporarily shrink fibroids or reduce bleeding
* Tranexamic acid to reduce menstrual bleeding

🍎 3. Lifestyle & Supportive Care

While not a cure, healthy habits may help support overall wellness…

* Iron-rich nutrition if you’re anemic
* Vitamin D if you’re deficient (as recommended by your provider)
* Regular physical activity
* Stress management
* Working with a registered dietitian if appropriate

🔥 4. Minimally Invasive Procedures

✨ Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE/UAE)
Blocks blood flow to fibroids, causing them to shrink.

✨ Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
Uses heat to destroy fibroid tissue while preserving the uterus.

✨ MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound
Uses focused ultrasound waves to destroy fibroid tissue without surgery. Not everyone is a candidate.

🤰 5. Myomectomy

Surgical removal of fibroids while leaving the uterus intact.

Often considered for women who want to preserve fertility, although not every woman with fibroids needs one.

Can be performed:

* Hysteroscopically
* Laparoscopically/robotically
* Through an abdominal incision

🌸 6. Hysterectomy

Removal of the uterus.

This is the only definitive treatment that eliminates fibroids because new fibroids cannot develop after the uterus is removed.

For some women, it’s life-changing.

For others, it’s not the right choice.

Every woman’s decision deserves respect.

💛 Remember…

There is no one-size-fits-all treatment.

The best treatment is the one that aligns with your symptoms, your goals, your body, and your life.

🪷 Pull up a chair…

💛 There’s always a seat for you here.

If you were given a fibroid diagnosis today, what would you want to know before making a treatment decision?

🪷 Fibroid Awareness Month | Day 8

“How do I know if I have fibroids?”

It starts with listening…

Not just to your body.

But to you.

A diagnosis doesn’t begin with an ultrasound.

It begins the moment you say,

“Something doesn’t feel right.”

If your healthcare provider suspects fibroids, they may recommend:

🩺 1. A Medical History
Let’s talk about your periods, pain, bleeding, pelvic pressure, urinary symptoms, fertility goals, and family history.

🖐🏽 2. A Pelvic Exam
Your provider may feel for an enlarged or irregular uterus during a physical examination.

🖥 3. Pelvic Ultrasound (the most common first test)
A painless imaging study that uses sound waves to look for fibroids and determine their size and location.

🩻 4. MRI (when needed)
Provides more detailed images, especially when planning treatment or surgery.

🩸 5. Blood Work
Heavy bleeding can lead to anemia. Your provider may check your hemoglobin and iron levels, and in some cases evaluate other causes of abnormal bleeding.

✨ Remember…

The ultrasound may confirm the diagnosis, but your story starts the investigation.

And every treatment plan should be as unique as the woman receiving it.

🪷 Pull up a chair…

Have you ever delayed seeing a healthcare provider because you thought your symptoms were “normal” or you were afraid of what they might find?

💛 There’s always a seat for you here.

’sHealth

🪷 Fibroid Awareness Month | Day 6

If no one knows exactly what causes fibroids… why do they happen?

That’s one of the biggest questions in women’s health.

The truth is, there isn’t one single cause. Researchers “believe” fibroids develop from a combination of factors that influence how cells grow.

Current research points to possible contributors such as:

🧬 Inherited biology – A family history may increase your risk.

🩷 Hormones – Estrogen and progesterone can stimulate fibroid growth during the reproductive years.

🌱 Lifestyle & Environment – Diet, vitamin D levels (deficient), body weight, chronic stress, and exposure to certain environmental chemicals are all being studied for the role they may play.

🌍 Environmental Exposures – Scientists continue to investigate how endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in some plastics, pesticides, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products may affect reproductive health.

While science continues searching for answers, one thing is certain…

Your symptoms are real.

Your pain is real.

And your questions deserve more than “That’s just part of being a woman.”

The more we learn about our bodies, the better we can advocate for ourselves—and for the generations of women coming behind us.

🪷 Pull up a chair…

What health habit have you changed that made the biggest difference in how you feel?

Let’s learn from one another.

💛 There’s always a seat for you here.