My journey into motherhood came with an unexpected companion: Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease (YOPD). This part of my story weaves through the ups and downs of pregnancy while managing a condition that was as new to me as the life I was about to bring into the world.

The first sign of Parkinson’s, a tremor in my hand, showed up when I was 31. For a long time, I looked for other explanations, not ready to face the possibility of Parkinson’s head-on. This search for answers continued even as I stepped into one of the most transformative roles of my life: becoming a mom.

Deciding against starting Parkinson’s medication during pregnancy meant I faced everything head-on. In the first trimester, my tremors didn’t just increase; they became a defining part of my day-to-day life. It was hard not to notice the looks or the comments, especially from kids who didn’t understand why I was shaking. It made me worry about what my daughter’s experience would be like, growing up with a mom who was different in this way.

As my pregnancy went on, my symptoms intensified. Energy and strength gave way to tiredness and pain, especially by the third trimester, when moving around became more difficult. There were moments I wondered how I’d manage once my daughter arrived. The basics of caring for a newborn felt daunting.

This was a lonely time for me. It seemed like those around me couldn’t really grasp what I was going through. Despite being surrounded by a huge support network of friends and family, the dysfunctions in my body that no one else around me were dealing with, it was hard to feel like anyone really understood how helpless and lost I was feeling. The image of pregnancy being this glowing, magical time just didn’t match up with my reality.

But I made it to 39 weeks and welcomed a healthy baby girl. She changed everything. Facing the challenges of Parkinson’s while caring for her taught me a lot about my own strength and what I could handle.

After giving birth, I started treatment for my Parkinson’s. The difference it made was night and day. I could move more freely, even dance around my office just from the sheer joy of feeling more like myself again.

I’m sharing this because I know I’m not the only one out there going through this. Pregnancy with Parkinson’s is tough, but it’s not impossible. It’s important for me to challenge the typical image of Parkinson’s and show that, yes, young women like me live with this condition too. And we can still become moms.

There’s a need for more awareness about the unique challenges women face with Parkinson’s, especially when it comes to pregnancy and motherhood. We need more research, more understanding, and more conversations about this.

To anyone out there dealing with YOPD and thinking about starting a family: You’re not alone. There’s a whole community here to support you. Let’s keep talking, sharing our stories, and pushing for the support we need. Life with Parkinson’s is full of challenges, but it’s also full of moments worth celebrating.

My journey underscored a glaring gap in our collective understanding and resources available for women with Parkinson’s navigating pregnancy. That’s why I want to emphasize the importance of the PregSpark initiative. PregSpark is an invaluable resource aiming to build an International Pregnancy and Parkinson’s Registry. Their mission is to collect data on the course and outcome of pregnancies in women with Parkinson’s disease from all over the world, offering future women with PD the relevant information they need to make informed choices about pregnancy and better prepare themselves.

If you are planning a pregnancy or are currently pregnant and living with Parkinson’s, I urge you to register with PregSpark. By contributing to a global understanding of Parkinson’s and pregnancy, we can pave the way for better support, information, and outcomes for women like us.