My name is Martha. I am 41 yrs old and I am the mother to two beautiful girls. My oldest is 19 and my youngest, and I had my rainbow 🌈 baby Skylar Grace Russell in September 2022 after doing IVF. I am a stay-at-home mom. I spend most of my day caring for my baby and our 4 dogs.
I met my husband in 2016 through some mutual friends and we got married in 2021. We always knew we wanted to expand our little family, since he didn’t have any previous kids and I had one. I have a 19 year old daughter, who for so many years I thought would be my one and child. However, after meeting my husband and finding out how much he desired to have kids we decided to try and get pregnant. I had 2 failed pregnancies back to back in 2020 and 2021 so my husband and I decided to try IVF.
After my 2 miscarriages, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to go through another loss. It not only affected me but it also took a toll on my family. I was diagnosed with HG, which caused me to be extremely sick. Most days, I was bedridden and I lost a lot of weight due to the inability to eat anything.
Luckily, after my first round of IVF, I became pregnant with my baby girl. Although we were extremely grateful and overjoyed to be pregnant, the process was not easy.
Aside from the IVF process, I still had HG, Hyperemesis Gravidarum, which caused nausea and vomiting throughout the whole pregnancy. A few months after getting pregnant, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and cholestasis.
My husband was my biggest supporter throughout my pregnancy. He administered all my shots and was present at all my appointments. He also made sure I ate, slept and was comfortable at all times. Throughout this journey, I learned that I am stronger than I feel at times. Even thought I might feel defeated at times, I was always able to pull through, with the support of my family.
I think being apart of this project is such a wonderful experience to not only showcase our new babies but to remember the ones we’ve lost. It proves that rainbows come after every storm. 🌈
Without the love and support from my husband and daughter this process would have been 100 times harder. After all the pain and sadness we now have our rainbow baby girl, she has brought so much joy and happiness to our family.
My advice to someone on a similar path is to surround yourself with a good support system, whether it is from people who went through the same things or family members.
Photographers note: The last minute injury to another mom meant shifting around the colors that everyone would be in for the photoshoot. Martha originally would have been in another color but she absolutely ROCKED this yellow dress. I don't feel like it was any coincidence and she was meant to wear this color. She looked absolutely stunning and Skylar is absolutely adorable. It was such a joy having them both be a part of this project.