MÈRE Stories: Mallory Ryan
I became a mother for the first time in May of 2023 when I gave birth to my son at the Atlanta Birth Center.
I have always been deeply interested in holistic health and hold a nutritionist certification, so approaching pregnancy and birth through a whole-body, natural lens has long been a passion of mine.
I am also a firm believer in the possibility and power of physiological birth, and having an unmedicated, natural birth was very important to me for both of my children.
My first birth experience was beautiful, empowering, and deeply transformative.
However, shortly after birth, my son experienced low oxygen levels and was transferred to the NICU at a nearby hospital.
Beginning my postpartum journey there was not something I had ever envisioned for myself, and it was incredibly jarring to move from such an intentional, grounded birth experience into a medical environment that felt overwhelming and disconnected.
In the months that followed, my son developed severe eczema.
His skin was red, inflamed, and clearly uncomfortable, and it was heartbreaking to watch him struggle while feeling unsure how to help him. Later, we discovered mold in our home and had to undergo an extensive and costly remediation process. While incredibly stressful, the silver lining was undeniable—once the mold was addressed, my son’s eczema significantly improved.
Through working with a naturopath, we also came to understand that mold exposure may have been impacting my own health as well, contributing to imbalances and nutrient deficiencies reflected in my lab work during that postpartum season.
Not long after, I became pregnant again. Sadly, we lost that baby at around 11 weeks—on my first Mother’s Day as a mom.
The loss was devastating.
Leading up to that pregnancy, I had already begun therapy because I was deeply doubting myself as a mother and knew I needed additional support.
After the miscarriage, therapy became an essential lifeline. It gave me a safe place to process grief, work through mental blockages, and untangle the anxiety and fear that had taken hold.
In the months that followed, I developed anxiety and insomnia. I went days without sleeping, felt intense anxiety being home alone with my son, and carried a constant belief that I wasn’t a good enough mother.
Alongside therapy, I reached a point where I knew I needed deeper physiological support.
I began working with a functional medicine doctor who ran comprehensive lab work to identify nutrient deficiencies and underlying imbalances that could be contributing to my symptoms.
Seeing tangible data helped validate what I was experiencing and gave us a clear path forward.
Addressing those deficiencies—while also removing environmental stressors like mold exposure—played a meaningful role in restoring my energy, stabilizing my mood, and improving my sleep.
Through this integrative approach—combining holistic care, nutritional support, environmental awareness, and therapy—I was able to fully turn my mental and physical health around.
A few months later, we became pregnant with our daughter.
This pregnancy felt entirely different—lighter, more joyful, and far healthier for my body.
I felt stronger, clearer, and more supported overall.
In May of 2025, just days before our son’s second birthday, we welcomed our daughter into the world in the comfort of our home.
Now, eight months postpartum, this season has felt nothing short of redemptive.
From the birth experience, to the support I received, to my energy, clarity, and mental health, this postpartum journey has shown me what motherhood can feel like.
It is still hard. It is still stretching and challenging.
But it is also joyful, grounded, and deeply fulfilling—and for the first time, I feel like I am truly able to experience motherhood with humility, honesty, and joy.
— Mallory Ryan
I recently had the opportunity to share more about my journey, my beliefs around birth, pregnancy, and postpartum health, and the importance of holistic support on a podcast, and I look forward to continuing these conversations with other women navigating motherhood. Click the button to listen below:
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