Ashley Mays has been married for 8 years and she and her husband have two boys. When her youngest was 9 weeks old, their lives were turned upside down when she was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer.
I really appreciated my candid conversation with Ashley about her cancer journey, especially as she was diagnosed in May of 2020, right in the intensity of the pandemic.
We talked about what helped her get through this time, what she struggled with emotionally, and how she found connection with other women, as well as post-partum depression, mom guilt, therapy, medication, and how social media can make you feel so alone as a mom. (If this last topic resonates with you, check out episode 5, Sara Springer's interview!)
Quotable Quotes:
“With Luke, I did Mommy and Me swim lessons with him and you have to be in the pool, obviously and I hated it. Like, hated it. I would joke with my husband, “I hate getting in a swimsuit postpartum, being around all these other moms and dads. And with Ford, it just changed how I looked at that time—wow I GET to do this with him. I get to have this one on one time with him. I could very well not be alive.”
“Mom guilt is real for everyone, you know? And so I just try to control what I can and then tell myself that I can’t control certain situations. It’s easier said that done!”
Follow Ashley on social media here:
Instagram: @babiesandbreastcancer
Facebook: Babies and Breast Cancer
Resources mentioned: Parents as Teachers