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Tia Mowry recently reflected about being able to welcome two beautiful children into the world despite being diagnosed with endometriosis, a condition that causes tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus. In a sweet Instagram post, she posted a slideshow of photos from her pregnancies and spoke about regaining hope after her diagnosis.
“I’m so thankful everyday that Cree and Cairo came into our lives,” she wrote. “Having endometriosis meant pregnancy wasn’t easy for me. I wasn’t even sure I would get there – I was so scared when I first heard my diagnosis, thinking I might not be able to have kids. And I know that I’m not the only one who has been on that same journey. But I learned that having endo doesn’t necessarily mean that a person’s dream of having a child won’t come true.”
Mowry added that she made dietary changes that also helped her manage the symptoms of the pelvic disorder, which include, heavy periods and bleeding between periods, pelvic pain, cramping, pain during intercourse, bloating and more. According to Healthline, women with endometriosis should avoid red meat, foods that are high in transfat and gluten.
“And after making dietary changes, focusing on my health, and a lot of prayer came my beautiful children,” she continued. “So for others out there with endometriosis, I see you – and send you love, strength, encouragement and healing.”
Endometriosis affects roughly 11 percent of American women but it is difficult to diagnose in Black women due to racism and implicit bias in the medical field.
“It goes back to the medical fields’ misperception of pain tolerance in Black women,” Dr. Nyia Noel, assistant professor of medicine in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Boston University School of Medicine, told Shape. “[Pain] is something that’s often mismanaged and misdiagnosed in Black communities.”
See Mowry’s post below.
