In this episode of Pursuit of Wellness, Mari and Greg share their personal journey with IVF treatment, discussing the physical and emotional challenges they faced along the way. They talk about their experience with egg retrieval, managing an early pregnancy HCG scare, and their approach to supporting the pregnancy through various methods.
The couple also explores how they've navigated pregnancy while maintaining boundaries on social media, including Mari's decision to take a break from online platforms. They discuss their preparations for parenthood, addressing topics like body image during pregnancy, creating a natural nursery environment, and their philosophy on raising a child in the age of social media.
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Mari and Greg share their personal experience with infertility and IVF treatment, offering insights into both the challenges and triumphs of their path to parenthood. Mari describes her egg retrieval process as particularly difficult, leading to her decision not to repeat it. Despite the challenges, both Mari and Greg express gratitude for their access to IVF treatment, while acknowledging its significant cost. Their journey was marked by an early pregnancy HCG scare, which Mari describes as "the worst thing ever," though the couple supported the pregnancy through various methods including acupuncture and red light therapy.
During her pregnancy, Mari took a break from social media, finding comfort in fantasy novels, particularly the Queen of Shadows series. Upon her return to social media, she adopted a more cautious approach to sharing. Greg reflects on their decision to maintain privacy during significant moments, such as their engagement. Mari emphasizes her commitment to sharing their fertility journey authentically, without commercializing it, even declining press opportunities for exclusive pregnancy announcements.
Mari openly discusses her evolving relationship with body image during pregnancy, experiencing both excitement about her growing baby bump and emotional challenges with physical changes. The couple is actively preparing for their child's arrival, focusing on creating a natural, toxin-free nursery environment. They express clear views on their child's future, valuing international experiences while being mindful of privacy concerns in the social media age. Mari and Greg state they won't use their child for content creation but remain open to supporting their child's own interests in content creation when older.
1-Page Summary
Mari and Greg have shared their personal journey through infertility and IVF, providing first-hand insight into the emotional toll it takes, as well as their path to becoming parents.
Mari’s experience with egg retrieval was notably painful, and she determined to never undergo it again. Despite this, both Mari and Greg are grateful for IVF, recognizing it as a privilege given its high cost and speaking highly of their clinic and Dr. Mogadon. Greg notes that Mari enjoyed a level of control in the process and suggests that in hindsight, starting IVF sooner might have been beneficial.
Mari's pregnancy was met with challenges from the start, including an HCG scare during the early stages that caused immense stress. Mari describes the scare as "the worst thing ever." The couple waited anxiously through various stages of the IVF process and employed a slew of holistic and scientific methods to support the pregnancy, such as acupuncture and red light therapy. Fortunately, Mari's efforts were fruitful, and she describes herself and Greg becoming a tight-knit team through this experience.
During her social media hiatus, Mari immersed herself in the Queen of Shadows book series, finding solace from her pregnancy-related anxiety in a world of fantasy. She describes her mind as quiet during this time and, upon returning to social media, is more cautious about what she shares.
Greg reflects on the balance between sharing and privacy, specifically during significant life events like their engagement. Deciding not to record these moments allowed for more privacy and an undisturbed personal experience. Mari emphasizes her desire to control her narrative and to share her fertility journey without commercializing it, highlighting her decision to decline an exclusive pregnancy announcement with the press.
Mari candidly discusses the adjustments to ...
Mari's Pregnancy Journey, Including Ivf and Early Stages
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