When you look at Christine Bullock—fitness expert and influencer, founder and all-around beauty—on Instagram, it’s hard to imagine her life every being anything but completely rosy.

But as we know, one scroll through an IG account doesn’t even approximate the real story.

As I found out during our IG Live chat this past week, Christine has experienced the gamut of challenges and joys with motherhood—years of struggling with infertility; both the challenges and the joys of adoption; and the highs and lows of having her own biological baby.

This girl has been through it all, and I’m so glad she took a little time to share her story with me and our IG friends. I encourage you to tune in to hear her say it in her own words, but here are some takeaways from our conversation that I wanted to share.

Interview with Kayo Bodycare Founder Christine Bullock on Infertility, Motherhood and Adoption

Infertility

Christine talked very openly about trying to conceive for a period of nearly ten years. (She got pregnant after eight years of trying—and right after adopting her first baby—only to miscarry, and experience several other miscarriages, afterward.)

While I haven’t experienced prolonged infertility, I related in a small way to this. It took us over nine months to get pregnant with our first—a length of time I know is miniscule in comparison with others—but one that nevertheless felt intensely difficult. I remember, during this period, a friend telling me she was expecting at work, and going into my car and literally screaming, pounding my steering wheel, and crying.

To hear how Christine persevered, got herself and her body ready through therapies like acupuncture and more, and continue to pursue her dream of motherhood through adoption, was incredibly inspiring.

Seeing her come through this struggle with two beautiful girls—one adopted and one biological—is so incredibly inspiring, and a testament to the power of faith.

Adoption: Christine’s Story

I won’t do justice to the amazing way that Christine told this during our interview, but you have to check out her YouTube videos on their adoption process. For anyone interested in adoption, or just curious about how it really looks from the adoptive parents’ side of things, I highly encourage you to check them out.

One thing I did specifically ask Christine is why she chose open adoption, and her explanation is so beautiful, you have to hear it for yourself. (Head over to the 24:55 mark in our interview to hear it. Grab a tissue.)

Motherhood x 2: Getting Pregnant and Talking Postpartum and Hormones

Christine and I really dove into postpartum routines, because I love finding out how women cope with the early months of motherhood. After giving birth to her baby last year, Christine says she didn’t experience postpartum anxiety or depression, but did prioritize her self-care. Supplements (her curcumin supplement, in particular… Use code WEGOTTATALK for 20% off!) and exercise, she says, factor heavily into keeping her sanity as a mom. I love when she shared that her husband knows she needs to get out and sweat a little when she’s getting a little cranky.

She also discusses the challenge of balancing your hormones after giving birth, a topic with which I’m intimately familiar! I’m still on my journey to balance my hormones after years of shift work and three pregnancies, and having an honest discussion about how we have to pay attention to this aspect of our health as women was a good reminder.

Motherhood and Entrepreneurship

One final thing we covered was the challenges and joys of getting your own business going when you’re a mom.

Christine founded and launched Kayo Bodycare since becoming a mom, and not only do they make amazing face-grade body care (check out my review and favorites, as well as a discount code, here!), but they also just launched some amazing supplements that I’m also adding into my routine.

The Vital Greens, one of their new launches, is insanely delicious for essentially being a garden in a pouch. There are so many good greens inside—like wheat grass, spirulina, kale, chlorella and more—and yet somehow it tastes like a not-too-sweet berry drink. Christine and I dive into how and why they made this product, as well as some of her other favorites from the line, including the aforementioned curcumin supplements that got her through her first postpartum months.

Check out our interview if you can; you’ll end up falling in love with Christine’s vibe just as much as I did! And if you want more of her (fitness, motherhood, beauty and more), follow her on IG.

And don’t forget—you get 20% on KayoBodycare.com with the code:

WEGOTTATALK

Thanks for coming on to talk with me, Christine! xo