Kevin and Kristin share their fertility struggles for new documentary
They’re proud parents to two gorgeous young boys, but one of our Backstreet wives has bravely confessed that the road to parenthood wasn’t always so easy.
In a new documentary, Pushing Motherhood, Kevin’s wife Kristin shares part of her fertility struggles with filmmakers Sybil Azur and Linda Cevallos-French.
The crowd-funded film explores Sybil and Linda’s journeys to become mothers at the ages of 38 and 45, and along the way they share stories from friends with similar experiences, including Kristin.
“Kristin has been a close friend of ours for a number of years,” says Sybil. “We all met as professional dancers in Los Angeles and had a lot of friends in common. This amazing group is extremely supportive, so when we were looking to interview women for Pushing Motherhood, they were the first people we turned to.
“We were extremely fortunate that everyone was willing to share their stories with us.
“In addition to giving a beautiful and heartfelt interview, Kristin was also a Kickstarter backer, did additional camera work on the film and took many of our publicity photos. “She's always there to lend a hand and is one of the most generous, kind and loving people we know.”
In an emotional interview in the documentary, Kristin, 45, tearfully recalls being told that her FSH level (the follicle-stimulating hormone which helps control the production of eggs) was at 13 – higher than the normal level of 10 and decreasing her pregnancy chances.
“I never thought I’d hear those words,” she tells producers. “It’s tough...”
The filmmakers say that emotional support is crucial when women are going through fertility struggles and we have no doubt that Kev, 44, would have been there supporting Kristin all the way.
“We know that stress can be a real inhibitor when it comes to getting pregnant, so having a partner to help alleviate some of that stress can make a huge difference in your outcome,” says Sybil. “The best thing a partner can do is listen, offer advice when asked and realize that even though they may not understand exactly what you're going through, that creating a safe environment for your emotional life has tremendous value.”
As we all know, the Richardsons’ story has a happy ending, with the couple now parents to adorable eight-year-old Mason and two-year-old Maxwell. Props to Kristin, Linda and Sybil for sharing their deeply-personal stories with the world!
Find out more about Pushing Motherhood at www.pushingmotherhood.com and rent or buy the film over at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/pushingmotherhood
By Leena Tailor / @LeenaNZ