This Marine Corps spouse turned her challenging pregnancies into a thriving company that supports women.
See inside the May issue of Military Spouse Magazine!
In 2009, Amy Upchurch learned that she was expecting her first baby. She and her Marine were excited, but the pregnancy quickly became a nightmare. Upchurch says, “I started experiencing severe morning sickness, vomiting 20 to 30 times per day, unable to eat or function, and suffered from severe weight loss and dehydration. Six weeks into my pregnancy, I was finally diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG).” HG is an uncommon disorder in which extreme, persistent nausea and vomiting can lead to dehydration.
Because her husband Thomas, a Naval Academy graduate, was deployed to Iraq during most of her pregnancy, Upchurch spent much of her time alone in the hospital. She describes her loneliness during this time. “I could barely talk to my husband. My mom would fly out for holidays and decorate the room to lift my spirits. Many days I stared at the hospital walls and wished there was a better treatment.”
At one point, Upchurch contracted a blood disease and almost died. The doctor gave Upchurch and her unborn baby just 24 hours to live.
Thankfully, she delivered a healthy son and everything was back to normal … until her second pregnancy. “My second experience was just like the first, except now I had a toddler to care for. Doctors continually offered Band-Aid treatments for my sickness, but they never got to the root of the problem. My third pregnancy was a repeat of the previous pregnancies.”
During these challenging pregnancies, her husband deployed again. Upchurch knew that she needed a better solution if there were going to be any more babies. It’s typical for HG symptoms to become worse with each subsequent pregnancy. With the help of her mother, a nurse, Upchurch researched all-natural ways she could improve her health without being heavily medicated.
By changing her diet, she had amazingly healthy fourth and fifth pregnancies, which is very unusual for HG. Upchurch says these pregnancies “were like a dream come true. I took vitamins and supplements from around the world, which combined with diet changes, helped eliminate nausea and vomiting while nourishing my body. My health flourished, my son thrived, and after a full 40-week pregnancy, I delivered a healthy, 9-pound baby boy! I started Pink Stork shortly after his birth. I experienced another normal, healthy pregnancy with my fifth child, who was born in March 2018.”
Upchurch established Pink Stork in 2015 to share natural solutions with other mothers. In the beginning, the company focused on morning sickness tea, prenatals, and pregnancy products. They would pack up and ship from their garage, and had just two employees. Now, only five years later, the brand has expanded to include all stages of women’s health—including PMS, fertility, pregnancy, nursing, and menopause. The company has a popular women’s wellness tea line, as well as sweets, supplements, and topical creams. They own a warehouse and have over 50 employees. Upchurch’s goal is to give as many women hope as possible and change as many lives as possible.
Since becoming a military spouse, Upchurch has been through several deployments and moved 11 times! This mother of five established her company and raised the kids, all while her husband was active duty.
A large part of the consumer base is military spouses or active duty members. When they hear Amy’s story, they can relate to her and trust her. She interacts with customers all the time. Being approachable builds that personal connection.
Pink Stork is women-owned and women-run. They proudly make products in America, for women, by women. Their main message to customers is that they want to help women throughout every phase of life. Going beyond physical support, they offer emotional and spiritual support as well, which sets them apart from competitors.
This is a message that military spouses can relate to. Anyone who has suffered through a deployment, a PCS move, or a difficult pregnancy while living far from family can understand the loneliness and suffering that Upchurch experienced. In the midst of military challenges and physical illness, Upchurch says it’s her faith that gave her the hope and motivation to move forward. She felt it was God’s calling for her to create a new, natural way to help women going through a similar experience.
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“Our mission: To bring glory to God by supporting our customers and their families, our employees, and our partners. To provide hope and positively impact everyone who comes in contact with Pink Stork.”