MY WELLNESS JOURNEY AFTER LABOR
By Alicia Troy
The Chaos and Beauty of New Life
They say childbirth is both the most painful and the most beautiful experience a woman can go through. Before I became a mother, I nodded politely when I heard that—like I understood. But I didn’t. Not really. Not until I gave birth to my daughter, Emma Rose, three months ago on a gray Wednesday morning that split my life into before and after.
The moment she was placed on my chest, slick and squirming and crying, I wept uncontrollably. Not because I was in pain—though, oh yes, there was pain—but because I had never felt anything so raw, so vulnerable, so holy. Her little fingers curled instinctively around mine, and I thought: This is it. This is the moment my life begins again.
But the days and weeks that followed weren’t filled with the blissful, glowy moments I had seen on social media or in parenting magazines. My body felt foreign, as though someone had swapped it out while I was asleep. My breasts were swollen and tender, my belly hung soft and sore, my lower back throbbed endlessly, and sleep was a fantasy. Emotionally, I was wading through a thick fog. I cried easily and often—sometimes out of love, sometimes out of despair, and sometimes because I couldn’t find the right size diaper.
Let me be clear: I adore my baby girl. I wouldn’t trade her for anything in this world. But I also felt like a ghost of myself—hovering just outside my body, watching this exhausted woman stumble through motherhood in a haze of feedings, swaddles, and self-doubt.
I wasn’t just tired. I was depleted. And I didn’t want to just “power through.” I knew I needed something—or someone—to help me come back to myself.
Discovering Juvemed: A Chance to Reset
I first heard about Juvemed during a blurry coffee date with my friend Marissa. She has two toddlers and somehow still managed to look rested, radiant, and—what’s the word?—alive. I remember staring at her over my lukewarm oat milk latte, wondering if she was some kind of sorceress.
“I swear by Juvemed,” she said casually, like she was recommending a nail salon. “It’s not just a wellness center. It’s the reason I still feel human.”
I laughed. Or tried to. I was skeptical. A wellness center was going to fix this mess? This hormonal, saggy, tear-stained, milk-leaking version of myself?
But later that night, as I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror—dark circles under my eyes, hair in a lopsided bun, skin dull and patchy—I typed their name into Google.
The next morning, I called. My voice cracked as I left a message. “Hi, uh, I just had a baby and… I don’t feel like myself. I heard you could help.”
Within the hour, someone called me back. Her voice was warm and patient, and she didn’t rush me. She asked me about my delivery, my sleep patterns, my mood, and whether I’d been eating. She listened. And not in that polite, scripted way. She really listened.
It was the first time in weeks I didn’t feel invisible.
Personalized Care That Felt Like a Hug
Walking into Juvemed for the first time felt like being wrapped in a cashmere blanket after a storm. The air was soft and lightly scented with eucalyptus. Gentle music played overhead. Everything was designed to soothe without overwhelming.
But the real magic was the people.
From the start, I could tell this wasn’t a one-size-fits-all kind of place. I met with a nurse practitioner and a wellness consultant who asked me everything—from how often I was crying to whether I was able to digest food properly. We talked about my C-section recovery, my breastfeeding struggles, and the intense brain fog that made it hard to remember where I left my keys—or my mind.
They ran comprehensive labs—bloodwork, hormone panels, micronutrient tests, gut health assessments. And the results didn’t surprise me: My cortisol levels were off the charts. My estrogen was tanking. I was severely deficient in magnesium, vitamin D, and B12. My gut microbiome was a battlefield. And to top it off, I was dehydrated despite chugging water like it was my job.
My team at Juvemed created a postpartum recovery plan tailored to my body and my lifestyle. It included weekly IV nutrient therapy, lymphatic drainage massages to support detoxification, targeted supplementation, gentle hormone support, and skin rejuvenation treatments to bring back some glow to my tired face.
But more than that, they gave me space—to feel, to rest, to heal.
The Transformation: Mind, Body, Soul
The first few days after my treatments, I noticed small shifts. I didn’t feel amazing, but I didn’t feel awful. My energy didn’t spike overnight, but the mornings started to feel less brutal. I could get out of bed without wincing. My digestion stopped being unpredictable. I laughed—genuinely—for the first time in weeks. My husband noticed I was more “me.” My baby noticed too. I was more present, more grounded.
By the second week, I was hooked—not just because of the changes I was seeing, but because of how it made me feel. Every session felt like someone was putting me back together, piece by piece. The IV therapies gave me a physical boost, but the emotional support—the validation, the compassion—was equally healing.
By the end of my first month, I was sleeping better. My skin looked healthier. I was less anxious. My hair wasn’t falling out as much. I had the strength to start doing short walks with Emma in the stroller, and even resumed light yoga. But more than anything, I felt empowered. Like I was no longer surviving—I was thriving.
Reclaiming My Identity
Motherhood changes you. That much is inevitable. But what I didn’t expect was how easy it would be to lose myself in the process. At Juvemed, I learned that self-care isn’t indulgent—it’s essential. That asking for help is not a sign of weakness but a declaration of worth.
There, I wasn’t just a mom or a patient. I was Alicia. A woman who had gone through a seismic shift—physically, emotionally, spiritually—and was finding her way back to herself.
Every bi-weekly visit was a sacred pause. A moment where I could exhale, reset, and be cared for in a way I didn’t even realize I needed.
A Message to Fellow Moms
To the moms reading this who are deep in the trenches—sleepless, aching, overwhelmed—I see you. I am you. And I want you to know: you are not alone.
Postpartum recovery is not just about bouncing back. It’s about rebuilding—slowly, intentionally, and with support. Juvemed in Newport Beach didn’t just help me heal—they helped me reclaim my joy. My radiance. My strength. They reminded me that taking care of myself isn’t separate from being a good mom—it’s a critical part of it.
I still go. Not because I need to be “fixed,” but because I choose to be well. For myself. For my daughter. For the woman I’m still becoming.
I’m Alicia Troy, and my wellness journey after labor isn’t over—but it’s beautiful, empowered, and finally, finally mine.
