“I’d walk my dog and people would scream things out of their car windows. I even lost out on job opportunities because I did not ‘look’ the part. It was time to do something.”

‘At 11, I already had a gym membership and a trainer. I had 5 medications by age 13.’: Woman on weight loss journey says ‘I need to be the healthiest me’

‘I was life-flighted. I had a tube down my throat I didn’t want, so I took it out.’: Woman shares trauma after weight-loss surgery
“I woke up in a white room by myself. ‘A few minutes later, you’d be dead.’ I looked down at my stomach and was very confused about the ladder-like line of staples holding my entire abdomen together.”

‘Maybe this isn’t going to happen for us.’ We prepared for bad news. Then the doctor yelled, ‘There’s two!’: Couple welcomes rainbow twins after infertility journey, ‘I’m still in awe’
“We went through one more round, knowing this would be it. The doctor came out to the waiting room and our hearts dropped. Instead, she said, ‘I hope you’re ready for twins.’”

‘We’ll need swings for two babies.’ I told my daughter, ‘Not this time.’ Then my doctor whispered, ‘You won’t believe this.’: Woman gives birth to preemie rainbow twins
“My doctor scanned back and forth. ’There’s two.’ I looked at my daughter, who had her arms folded. She said, very matter-of-factly, ‘I told you.’”

‘Newborn strapped to my chest, I said, ‘I think we should foster.’ We knew it would take a village.’: Couple is ‘changed’ by foster care, ‘Our love grows each day’
“There have been some really hard days of tantrums, yelling, and crying. ‘Are we crazy? What are we doing?’ We wouldn’t be here without our village.”

‘I’ll have you pregnant in no time!’ I held my breath at the ultrasound. I’ll never forget the panic in their eyes.’: Mom births rainbow baby after losing son in utero, ‘Never stop fighting’
“The name of the contest was ‘Mojo Gives You a Baby.’ You won a free round of IVF. We decided to go for it. It was our miracle! We decided to try for a sibling.”

‘There’s nothing you could have done. It wasn’t your fault,’ my nurse said. I started sobbing on the phone.’: Woman’s finds healing after ‘agonizing’ miscarriage, ‘I promise you, there is LIFE after loss’
“I remember sitting in the doctor’s office at age 17, wondering if having my own kids was ever a possibility for me. I’d been diagnosed with PCOS at a young age. He put me on birth control and it hardly affected my life. Until I started seriously dating. I felt like dating me came with a warning label – a precursor: ‘Watch out, no guarantee I can have kids.’ And what if someone didn’t want to marry me because of it?”

‘THERE’S A HEARTBEAT!’ she screamed. Next, we found ‘the bump.’ All I could feel was shock.’: Baby survives twice despite all odds, ‘he was worth every step of the way’
“My doctor saw blood and wouldn’t even attempt to check if my baby was alive. ‘WHAT?! You’re not doing an ultrasound? Blood work? Doppler?’ He shook his head no. ‘There is no use. You’re losing your baby.’ He dismissed us without emotion and left. The next day, we went to the OB to confirm the miscarriage. WHOMP WHOMP WHOMP. The nurse burst in, full-on sobbing. We were urged to terminate the pregnancy.”

‘MOMMA?’ Wait WHAT?! I’d never been called that. ‘Sweetheart, he’s calling YOU.’ I turned around.’: Couple adopt son from foster care after grueling, 4-year infertility battle
“My phone rang. I could hear excitement in the social worker’s voice. I waited anxiously. ‘Sydney, we have a match. 18 months. Biracial. He’s perfect!’ He walked in. Little snowsuit on. Shy, but curious. He didn’t make a peep, but he took my hand. I cried the whole way home. 4 years. Thousands of tears. Millions of prayers. One phone call later. This was it.”

‘How is this real?!’ A baby fell into the toilet. I heard a loud, ‘Whaaa!’ I was 37, ‘infertile,’ and absolutely terrified.’: Mom unexpectedly births baby in toilet after battling PCOS, infertility for 13 years
“My partner and I had been together 13 years. No matter how badly I wanted it, I couldn’t get pregnant. I kept thinking when the time is right, my body would let me know. One day, I started bleeding and assumed I got my period. I went to the bathroom. This time, I felt pressure. I put my hand down and felt a head! ‘Call 911!’ Everything was a blur. I pushed again and a placenta fell into my hand. I was absolutely in shock.”