My Hypothalamic Amenorrhea Story, Part 3: Motherhood, Postpartum Anxiety & Letting Go of Control

<p>This is Part 3 of my personal hypothalamic amenorrhea recovery story.</p><p>If you haven't listened to <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/06B9icDzXCZXlBGrJKmIeA" target="_blank">Part 1</a> and <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/1YyNiCiTWWhteyDGOGHGew" target="_blank">Part 2</a> yet, go back and start there. In those episodes, I share how I lost my period, struggled with infertility, was diagnosed with hypothalamic amenorrhea, and eventually found my way through recovery.</p><p>In Part 3, I continue the story into motherhood.</p><p>After years of infertility, I eventually got my period back, became pregnant, and later unexpectedly conceived my second son naturally.</p><p>But getting my period back wasn't the end of my healing.</p><p>I talk about postpartum anxiety, breastfeeding, sleep deprivation, motherhood, and the unexpected realization that my relationship with control had simply changed forms.</p><p>I had healed so much of my rigidity around food, exercise, and my body, but I still had a deep need for predictability and control. In motherhood, that showed up through feeding schedules, sleep schedules, routines, and struggling with the uncertainty that comes with having young children.</p><p>I also share my experience of asking for help, leaning on friends and family, going to therapy, and eventually using medication to support my mental health.</p><p>Most importantly, this episode explores the deeper lesson I took from both period recovery and motherhood:</p><p>Maybe safety doesn't come from controlling everything.</p><p>Maybe it comes from knowing that whatever happens, you can handle it.</p><p></p><p>Listen to <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/06B9icDzXCZXlBGrJKmIeA" target="_blank">Part 1</a> and <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/1YyNiCiTWWhteyDGOGHGew" target="_blank">Part 2</a> first, then join me for this next chapter of my story—and stay tuned for Part 4, where I share what happened in 2020 when life changed in a way I never could have anticipated.</p><p>If you're navigating hypothalamic amenorrhea, missing periods, infertility, body image struggles, food and exercise rigidity, postpartum anxiety, or the deeper layers of recovery, I hope this episode helps you see that recovery can give you so much more than a period.</p><p>It can give you your life back.</p><p><br /><br /><