Mandy had just graduated from college, was in a long distance relationship, and was teaching math at a Title I middle school in Idaho through Teach For America when she shockingly found out she was pregnant—despite having an IUD.
The following months leading up to the birth of her son were a whirlwind of major life changes. She had a pretty standard hospital induction and healthy birth with an epidural and just 30 minutes of pushing. Mandy dealt with an oversupply and became a breastmilk donor. Under the guidance of her doctor, Mandy decided to give an IUD another try and this time, the IUD perforated her uterus leading to surgery at 10 weeks postpartum.
Especially living in Chicago, a city where a lot of people don’t become parents until their mid-or-late thirties, Mandy often finds it isolating to be a young mom. Mandy hopes her story will reach other young moms or moms with unplanned pregnancies who need to hear a story similar to their own. She also hopes to start a conversation about how we talk about birth control and birth control efficacy statistics.
Mandy Davis Bio
Mandy lives in Chicago with her partner and their now 16 month old son. For her day job, she does digital consulting to help make federal government websites and services easier to use. Mandy loves being outside, running, and discovered the joy of rock climbing after becoming a mom. Mandy is abundantly grateful for the green spaces throughout the city and the Chicago Public Library. Mandy recently won a Moth StorySLAM and is excited to grow as a storyteller and writer. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at mandydavi3 [at] gmail [dot] com.
Resources
- Hunt, Gather, Parent (book)
- There’s No Such Thing As Bad Weather (book)
- Lucie Fink’s Breast Milk Donation Youtube video
- Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes
- Empowering Mothers with Access to Maternity Care Records through Public-Private Partnerships:
- Solid Starts
- Kids clothes consignment stores in your local area
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