I have always dreamed of becoming a mom. Since I was little, it felt like the most important role I could ever take on. Now that I am one, I truly love every second of it-but, honestly it’s been a lot different than I expected it.
When I had my daughter, Magnolia, my family was going through a tough time. She was our little sun in the darkness, bringing light and hope when we needed it most. As moms, we all know that our babies mean the absolute world to us. We want nothing more than to care for them, protect them, and make them as happy as they can possibly be.
Motherhood is a learning curve, and in those first few days, I quickly realized that something wasn’t quite right. Magnolia started showing signs of acid reflux and became fussier than I expected for a newborn. I know babies take time to adjust to the world around them, but something in my gut told me this wasn’t just the typical newborn adjustment phase.
At one of her early pediatrician appointments, I brought up my concerns. The doctor suggested that it could be reflux or something in my diet- or maybe even both. So, I began researching foods that might be affecting her and started cutting things out of my diet.
First, I eliminated caffeine. Then, I said goodbye to acidic foods like tomatoes and onions. When those didn’t seem to help, I moved on to dairy. That’s when a lightbulb went off: my husband is lactose intolerant- could Magnolia have inherited it?
The change was incredible within a few days of cutting out dairy, I noticed a difference. A week later, the improvement was dramatic, and after a month, I felt like I had a completely different baby. No more constant crying. No more screaming when she had to go to the bathroom. And no more tears from me. I was so relieved that we had finally found the cause of her discomfort.
However, just as I thought we’d turned a corner, another challenge arose. When Magnolia was around 4 months old, she developed a yeast overload. This time, the culprit turned out to be gluten-a food sensitivity linked to my own diet. The moment we received the diagnosis, I cut gluten out entirely.
Now, I know what you might be thinking: What’s left to eat? Just fruits and veggies? That sounds impossible. But let me tell you, it’s not as bad as it sounds. In fact, this journey has been life-changing. I’ve never felt so energized, and my stomach has never been happier. It was tough at first to find meals that fit my restrictions and tasted good, but once I got the hang of it, I discovered tons of delicious recipes- many of which also boosted my milk supply!
This experience has been one of the hardest yet most rewarding things I’ve ever done. Motherhood has taught me so much about resilience, creativity, and trust-especially trusting that little “mom voice” inside me. That voice helped me advocate for my daughter, make changes when they were needed, and keep going even when I felt overwhelmed.
To all the moms out there, I just want to say this: You’ve got this. Motherhood isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. Once you embrace the fact that you can do it, you’ll discover a version of yourself you never knew existed- stronger, braver, and more capable then you imagined.
As moms, we need each other. We’re each other’s biggest cheerleaders, and by encouraging and uplifting one another, we can move mountains.
If you’re interested in seeing some of the recipes I’ve found or want more tips on navigating food sensitivities while breastfeeding, follow me on Instagram. I’d love to share more of my journey with you.
Let’s support one another, moms-because together, we can do anything.
My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewiththebirds
