At last! Romee Strijd announced to the world her pregnancy with husband, Laurens van Leeuwen, on May 28, 2020. She took the news to both her Instagram and Youtube platform with emotional pictures and videos. The pandemic, still relatively fresh to the world, lightened up an ounce when finding out a baby will be brought into the world by a loving couple. Leeuwen, a model and business consultant, received more spotlight when he started a relationship with Strijd in January 2010. The male model already received recognition in certain places as the son of television presenter, Bert van Leeuwen. A mutual decision between the two lead them to owning a marriage certification, but they are waiting on a formal wedding date. Especially with a newborn on the way, they decided the time fit into their life.
2018 brought horrific news in her personal life as doctors diagnosed her with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). To add a brief description of the disease, there tends to be issues with hormone levels. Reproduction is quite a harsh process and pregnancy is rare. Most likely, a woman has irregular menstrual periods or excess male hormones (androgen). With that blockage, there is no possibility to regularly release eggs. Circa five to ten percent of women in the child-bearing age have PCOS, and that is close to five million individuals. The serious complications of such a disease are all in response to genes, insulin resistance, and inflammation. Most of the time, women in their twenties or thirties recognize the issue and have a mother or sister with similar difficulties. A lifestyle with the syndrome is an emotional rollercoaster for women all around the world. Not only are your chances of pregnancy low, but the misconstrued hormones manipulate other parts of the body and drain your overall energy levels.
Following a nine month period of learned appreciation for her body, the pair welcomed their daughter, Mint van Leeuwen, on December 4, 2020. Already, both Romee and Laurens, are showing off their beautiful girl on Instagram with breathtaking pictures. One including the mother opening up about her struggle with PCOS in her announcement post. Two years of the diagnosis after an absent period for seven years in total. She claims, “I was devastated because being a mom and starting a family with @laurensvleeuwen is my biggest dream…” Following several hours of research, she found out that her body experienced fight or flight mode for too long. Overdoing the travelling, working out everyday, and eating super clean (major restriction) lead to an overwhelmed endocrine system which evidently affected the reproductive system. Natural conception was less of a surprise and more of a constant pressure. She tells her audience that she cut her workout schedule time to less intensity, let go of restriction, allow kindness in her soul, take rest days when needed, took natural supplements, acupuncture, and spent more time in the Netherlands with family. Years of treatment and recovery finally allowed the woman to hold a child and gain a healthy menstrual cycle back as well.
Mint van Leeuwen, born as healthy as ever, is slightly over one month old now. The parents announce that “we are so in love.” First child of Victoria’s Secret Angel and Dutch model showcases the undeniable aspects of the wife and husband. Somehow the father and daughter both take on the Sagittarius title as they were born in the November and December time frame. The baby already absorbs an intense amount of love at just one month old, imagine her life ahead with the loving, intentional Romee Strijd and Laurens van Leeuwen.