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While you might recognise her from the Victoria's Secret runway [3] or photo campaigns from the last few years, model Romee Strijd is sharing a different side of her life with her followers: her road to conceiving. In an exciting pregnancy announcement this week [4], the 24-year-old Dutch model opened up about the polycystic ovarian syndrome [5] (PCOS) diagnosis she got two years ago, which had her thinking it'd be difficult to conceive naturally, as her "body was under constant stress."
PCOS is a chronic illness common in women that causes enlarged ovaries [6] and irregular periods due to hormonal imbalances. Every case is different, but it can cause severe pelvic pain [7] and even result in infertility. For Romee, she didn't get her period for seven years until last November. She detailed the major changes she made to her busy lifestyle and restrictive eating habits to get to the place she's in now. "I think I pressured my body too much, and honestly every body is different but I think my weight was not good for my body to function properly and couldn't handle the constant travelling," she wrote on Instagram.
"I started to research natural healing for PCOS and came to the conclusion that I should do way less high intensity training, don't restrict foods, be nice to myself, and take breaks when needed," Romee wrote, adding that she also took natural supplements, did acupuncture, and spent more time with her and husband Laurens van Leeuwen's family. "I'm so happy and grateful to say that I got my period back last November AND that WE'RE SOON A FAMILY OF THREE. & to the women trying to conceive, believe in yourself and be nice for yourself and your body and don't let those thoughts get to you too much 😚."
Stress can absolutely take its toll on our bodies [9], and being able to take a step back and regain control of what was adding to her stress levels [10] helped Romee get to the place she's in today. Congratulations to Romee and Laurens on their beautiful expanding family!