Military wives are warriors in their own right, and Amy Upchurch takes this to a whole new level. When she was 21 weeks pregnant, Amy’s doctor told her that she and her baby had 24 hours to live.
Amy had contracted a blood infection from a “picc” line while being hospitalized for hyperemesis gravidarum (HG)–extreme nausea, vomiting and other symptoms that can lead to severe dehydration and weight loss.
Fortunately, within 24 hours she had made a “complete turnaround” along with little John Hamilton who was later born premature, but healthy nonetheless.
Amy’s pregnancy was a miracle in itself.
“I had always been told I was not going to be able to have kids growing up,” says Amy. “It was a big surprise when I found out I was pregnant” just three weeks after marrying her Marine Corps husband and settling into Virginia.
Three “HG” ridden pregnancies later, when Amy found out she was pregnant with her fourth child, she threw up her hands.
“Out of desperation, I really started researching and working with doctors and midwives, and came up with this protocol to combat this HG that was going to come and hit me like a train,” says Amy.
“I ended up having an amazing fourth pregnancy with all this information that I had gathered, and implemented in my body,” says Amy.
“No more emergency room visits or ambulance rides.”
She delivered a 9-pound baby boy full term.
Soon after, Amy developed Pink Stork to “help other women who struggle during their pregnancies” beginning with a line of morning sickness products
.
“It was really cool that it was starting to help other people–close friends and people in the military community,” says Amy.
Word of mouth gave Pink Stork a boost as it expanded into prenatal vitamins, nursing supplements
and fertility products. (Their lactation tea
smells and tastes delicious as I unwind after putting the kids to bed — a welcome alternative to suffering through other “mother’s” tea on the market.)
Women Helping Women Succeed
It’s no surprise that military wives rallied around Pink Stork at its inception. Amy says they’re not only advanced problem solvers, but also “really strong women, really smart women and really resourceful women” and they excel at forming a connection with their community, more so than the “civilian world.”
Looking back Amy says, “it was always helping other people–that’s still what I enjoy so much today–that’s what makes everything full circle.”
She recalls a note from one customer who had a double-digit number of miscarriages before finally delivering a healthy baby.
“My heart goes out to them,” says Amy. “That’s why I do what I do.”
Helping other moms is both personal and spiritual, for Amy.
“I clearly remember laying in the hospital beds and doing nothing for months,” she says. “Minutes seemed like hours. I just remember thinking, why in the world am I laying here? Why am I so sick? How come I can’t have a normal pregnancy? Why is God putting me through all this pain?”
“I look back now and I understand exactly why I was laying there and exactly why I went through those struggles,” Amy says. “I feel very blessed to be able to go through those challenges and have those questions answered.”
She’s on a mission to continue finding answers for moms and solving problems for “this stage of life.”
“Pink Stork is going to take their hand and walk them all the way through until they get the answers and results they want,” says Amy.
“I love to see what people are looking for, what moms think, what moms need,” she says. “If any of our customers are looking for something we don’t have, let me know. We can help you, and if we can’t help you, we’ll point you in the direction of someone who can.”
How this Mompreneur Makes it Work
Running a business is truly a family affair, in Amy’s eyes. Her husband, who was deployed during some of her most difficult moments in pregnancy, now plays an active role in growing Pink Stork.
“He’s very much a part of the business,” says Amy. “He’s very supportive of helping other families because he knows what it’s like to see your partner suffer and to feel helpless.”
“I like to think of Pink Stork as not only my family but also all of our employees,” she says. “It’s a family, it really is.”
Amy wants her employees to know that she takes pride in being a woman-owned company, and that she understands and celebrates working moms.
“We have babies that come into our office everyday,” beams Amy. “You can give a mom sitting in front of me, with a baby laying next her, seven different jobs and she will complete every single one of them just like the next person.”
“I get energized from a good challenge,” says Amy, about becoming an entrepeneur. “I knew nothing; I didn’t go to school for business. I Googled a lot of words. I sat in a lot of meetings and phone calls and learned from osmosis. I’m still learning from osmosis.”
“I would hate for someone to have looked at me when I was starting Pink Stork and had four little kids running around–which I did–and say, ‘You’re crazy.'”
“When you find something that you believe in, and you want to go for it, I encourage anyone and everyone to believe in themselves and just go for it,” says Amy. “Don’t be afraid of what other people think.”
“Keep doing your thing. Don’t worry about it. It will all fall into place.”
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