Despite the occasional insensitive “he just looked at me and I fell pregnant” comment and also what you might see on various Instagram feeds, fertility is rarely a straight-forward journey for many women...
And it has been anything but straightforward for nutrition and wellness advisor and founder of Krumbled Foods Keira Rumble, who has inspired women all over the world with her honesty and openness. Over the past five years, she has experienced four pregnancy losses. “I felt so alone during each and every one of the losses and felt so ashamed with myself for what was going on with my body. I had no answers and was ashamed to ask for help. I decided I needed to start to document what happened in January because I knew how much I benefited from hearing other women’s stories about their losses, just to know I wasn’t alone. This was an extremely hard decision to make, as there are some things that just need to be kept private, however it was one of the best choices I made,” she says.
Here, she shares her incredible insights on everything from fitness through to fertility.
Go to www.krumbledfoods.com
What was your relationship with food and exercise like growing up?
All over the place. One of my earliest memories is of my gran and I picking raspberries in her garden up in the Blue Mountains NSW, we would then go into her little kitchen and make jam, to this day, raspberries are such a sensory fruit for me! I then fell out of love with wholesome food throughout my teens, which led to some serious health issues later on.
You lost 25 kilograms over the course of two years – how did you do it?
Slow and steady! I was patient and listened to my body. By not following any fad diets I have been able to sustain healthy living through wholesome and nutrient-dense foods. I think the biggest lesson I learnt from my weight loss journey is that it isn’t a one size fits all when it comes to fitness and “dieting”.
You skied quite competitively when you were younger…
I think the biggest lesson it taught me was self-discipline. I was away from my parents a lot at a young age, which essentially forced me to grow up quickly. When I had my accident skiing, my whole world was turned upside down. I was always really active so I found rehabilitation to be frustrating and confusing as a young teenager. I didn’t realise it at the time, but it was an extremely crucial part of my life and has helped shape me for who I am today.
What’s your approach now to health and wellbeing – what does a day on your plate look like?
Nutrient-dense meals that aren’t overly complicated! My day on a plate is always varied due to me travelling a lot. When I am at home, I love eggs folded in with some baby spinach with avocado with lime or bruschetta on a nice slice of gluten-free bread for breakfast. Lunch and dinners are normally protein and salad/veg or some sort of hearty soup. I am also a big snacker, so I will always have veggie sticks and hummus in the fridge, and of course my Beauty Bites for gut health and beauty benefits!
Tell us about launching Krumbled Foods?
Krumbled Foods is all about being able to fit into your lifestyle (and handbags), we focus on nutrient-dense functional snacks that are tasty and easy to take with you when you are on the go!
What is the most challenging part of running your own company?
I put a lot of pressure on myself, so being able to switch off and focus on my mental health is both my number 1 priority but also my biggest downfall.
And what’s the most rewarding?
Seeing women eat and love our products and being able to take my concept and turn it into a product that sits nicely on shelves.
Have you always wanted to one day be a mother?
Yes absolutely! I am one of the cluckiest humans alive.
“ I felt so alone during each and every one of the losses and felt so ashamed with myself for what was going on with my body ”
You’ve tragically had four losses in five years– can you share your journey with us?
Over the past 5 years, I have had 4 pregnancy losses – 2 miscarriages, then my most recent one was almost a double whammy. It was a heterotopic pregnancy which was a dual pregnancy – one in the uterus which miscarried and one ectopic. All heartbreaking, however, my most recent losses in January really shook me to the core, partly because there were a lot of unknowns from the medical staff and how they handled my diagnosis and partly because I was much more aware of the statistics of having multiple miscarriage and infertility challenges. I felt so alone during each and every one of the losses and felt so ashamed with myself for what was going on with my body. I had no answers and was ashamed to ask for help.
What will you never forget about going through multiple miscarriages?
There is a beautiful quote that says: “Sometimes the smallest things, take up the most room in our heart” ~A.A. Milne. This quote speaks volumes about how I feel about what I have been through, and I know a lot of other women would agree. They are never forgotten, but over time, it gets easier. I think pregnancy loss is becoming a more spoken about topic online, which is so beautiful, women deserve to not be ashamed of what they are going through.
What happened after you had a heterotopic pregnancy - how did you heal your mind and body?
There was a lot of confusion about my diagnosis at the hospital, with them turning me back multiple times after my miscarriage, saying I was just “emotional” and to take pain killers and get counselling. But I knew deep down there was something physically wrong with my body, and I kept on insisting to get further scans. After weeks of me going up and getting sent home, I got another scan, where they saw blood in my stomach and I was rushed to the hospital. On my way up, they told me that I had been pregnant with twins. This hit home as I have always felt I was destined to have twins, so my heart broke even more. My emotional trauma from being made to feel that I was just “emotional” was something I really struggled with. Through meditation, self-love and a lot of research to try and understand why this had happened, I am slowly healing my mind. Some days are harder than the others.
Physically, the battle is still at the front of my mind. Due to the hospital waiting so long to take action, my fallopian tube ruptured, causing me to have surgery and my left tube removed. I was in hospital for 4 nights and came good after about 3-4 weeks. As a result of surgery, I am now challenged with chronic pelvic pain on my left side, my ovary is stuck to my uterus causing significant discomfort. Which is hard, as it is a nice friendly reminder of the surgery and loss most days. I have been taking it slowly for the past few months, doing Pilates and long walks which has done wonders for me.
What advice do you have for women who have experienced something similar to you?
Speak up, trust your gut and you are not alone.
Where are you in your journey now?
My fertility is an ongoing issue, and I have decided to take a little break from my journey to motherhood for a good year or two.
