The mother went from despair due to infertility to boundless happiness when God blessed her with three adorable triplets.

A mother of triplets who struggled for years with infertility is now learning to appreciate her body, stretch marks and all. Desiree Fortin, 30, who lives in San Diego with her husband Ryan, 31, has always felt proud of her body after giving birth to one-year-old Charlize, Jax, and Sawyer following difficulties with infertility. But recently, she was prompted to reassess her feelings about her post-pregnancy stomach after two people mistakenly thought she was pregnant. The photographer and stay-at-home mother, who suffered from postpartum depression and anxiety after her children’s birth, said she was congratulated on her “baby bump” twice in one week.

 

She said, “I am not pregnant. However, I do have a little leftover postpartum pooch, but I have always felt amazing and proud of my body after having my triplets. What I went through to bring them into this world, and the scars that represent my story,” she wrote on her blog. Initially, she brushed it off but when it happened a second time, she started questioning her relationship with her body.

Desiree said, “I was challenged to really think about my body. Was I really proud of the wounds left behind on my stomach after carrying and delivering my triplets? Was I really beautiful? Did I really appreciate the fact that these scars represent the miracle of life? Did I truly understand the value of my hope wounds?” She said her stretch marks are a reminder of the change her body never saw coming during her struggle to get pregnant but that they also represent extreme joy in having children.

 

She added, “Every little wrinkle, every scar, and the saggy skin that rolls over my jeans show how great God is in impossible situations.” She calls them hope wounds and her miracle hope babies because of the long journey she went on to become pregnant.

The Fortin triplets entered the world on August 17th via C-section. Desiree delivered them at 34 weeks and one day, which was quite astonishing because some doctors had doubted she would make it that far. However, she believes it was a miraculous pregnancy, and today they proudly introduce their identical twin boys, Sawyer Reed and Jax Ryan, along with their little girl, Charlize Hope. These precious angels are the most priceless gift, and her heart overflows with gratitude as they now embrace their family of five.

 

Life since the babies were born has been busy, crazy, and full of adventure. Desiree said, “I still cannot believe that God has given me not one, but three tiny humans that I get to share my life with day in and day out. I love getting smiles from my babies and watching them grow. I get lost in love staring at them—my heart overflows with thanksgiving because they are here. Being their mom is undoubtedly the greatest job in the world, but my journey was not easy. There were countless days where I laid sobbing on my bathroom floor because of a negative pregnancy test or a failed fertility treatment. But it was worth every salty tear to finally become a parent.”

As well as positive emotions, Desiree said the scars also symbolize her ‘dark days’ as a new mother when she suffered from sleep deprivation, anxiety, and depression. She wrote: “I felt ashamed of myself and incredibly lonely. I see that when I look at my scars.”

 

She responded to the misguided pregnancy comments by posing for a series of photographs in a bath. She said, “I felt so empowered and inspired to continually embrace my body for the beauty it is and truly represents.” She said numerous mothers have contacted her about their scars since speaking publicly about the subject. She added, “Behind every scar and tiger stripe is a beautiful strong woman who brought life into this world, and she has a story and that is something to be proud of.”