Picture this: You manage to get everyone fed and the dinner aftermath cleaned up. Then starts the bedtime rodeo that includes 4 meltdowns, 3 sips of water, 2 more hugs, and 1 last trip to the bathroom before everyone is finally settled. For the moment.
You look around and realize there is so much to do but you’re absolutely exhausted. You sit down for a quick minute and wonder if the way you feel is just the definition of being a mom or if there’s something else going on. You pull up Google and type “I’m exhausted but my labs are normal.” You don’t really get much in the way of helpful information so you try this: “Why can’t I focus anymore?” That’s a dead end so you type: “Weight gain that won’t go away after having kids.” That leaves you completely overwhelmed so you close the Internet and open social media instead. You ask for recommendations: “Best products for hair loss that won’t break the bank.” You get all kinds of suggestions for shampoos, hair treatments, and vitamins – but who do you trust? The last thing you want is to sink money into a bunch of products only to find out that they don’t work. You think to yourself “There’s got to be a better way. There has to be an explanation for all of this.”
If you can relate to this scenario, your intuition is spot on. You’re searching for answers that you aren’t able to find at your primary care office or even with specialists. What if those symptoms – exhaustion, brain fog, weight gain, weight loss resistance, and hair loss are all connected? And what if there was a way to address all of it so that you actually feel better long term? That almost seems impossible, doesn’t it? I mean, we still have kids after all; is it actually possible to feel better? If I could say one encouraging thing to you it would be this: You do not have to feel the way you feel right now.
Functional medicine approaches symptoms differently. Instead of giving a diagnosis and a prescription, functional medicine keeps asking “why” until the root cause is uncovered. For example: labs come back “normal” but you still don’t feel like yourself. Why? Your child has eczema. But why? You have IBS. Why? Your baby has a high palate. Ok, but why? Just because you have a diagnosis doesn’t mean you have an answer. And just because you were given a medication doesn’t mean you actually feel better.
A functional medicine practitioner can do bloodwork and other testing to look for the root cause. What is it that’s causing the diagnosis that you received? Bloodwork is looked at from a functional perspective instead of using the standard ranges. A result that would be considered “normal” in your primary care office might not actually be optimal. Different kinds of testing can give you valuable information about what’s happening beneath the surface. Is there something in your gut that’s causing your fatigue, your child’s behavior struggles, or the symptoms no one can explain? Is your cortisol low or high or not broken down appropriately causing your anxiety, exhaustion, trouble sleeping, or inability to handle stress? The bottom line is this: a functional medicine practitioner keeps asking questions until there’s an answer that makes sense. And then they help you address what’s happening beneath the diagnosis so you can actually feel better long term. It is possible!
You don’t need another product recommendation, another “normal” lab result, or another person telling you it’s just part of being a mom. What you need is someone who will listen, look deeper, and walk with you to find real answers. Because the way you feel right now doesn’t have to be permanent. And I’m sure there are more enjoyable things you could find to do after the kids go to bed than Google your symptoms, right?
Becky is a wife, mom of four boys, nurse, and Functional Health Practitioner who’s passionate about helping women feel like themselves again. After spending over a decade in women’s health, it was her own journey through motherhood that highlighted the gaps in our healthcare system. Now, she applies her medical knowledge through a functional medicine lens to uncover the root causes of symptoms and help women move from surviving to thriving. Becky is the founder of Rooted and Restored Functional Health, where she walks with moms looking for real answers and lasting wellness. Learn more a www.rootedandrestoredhealth.com