Hey gals!

Thank you for being here! A few years back, like many women, I hadn’t made peace with my period. Little did I know that the products I was putting INSIDE my body were actually harming me. The pain from cramps was so bad, I sought a solution that most women turn to: birth control. I found myself at the doctor, thinking I had done my research with the medicine I wanted to try. Without any serious testing about my hormone situation, they were more than happy to prescribe what I had asked for. 

For the next year, my birth control masked my period cramp problem and seemed to help - even though it was actually slowly building into a mountain I would later have to climb. A great friend opened up to me and told me about the menstrual cup she was using and how it changed her period game. With a little hesitation, I gave it a try... and it forever changed my life! The light bulb went off and I KNEW I would never use a tampon again. I ended up quitting birth control - but I was STILL looking to find the balance I had lost during that season of my life. 

So, I decided to take a trip around the world (I had imagined and hoped for an “Eat Pray Love” type of travel situation). For the next two months, my backpack and I traveled around Asia & Europe for the self discovery trip of a lifetime. The experiences were endless - but one of the most impactful things happened to me while I was in the Philippines, volunteering for a few weeks with another non-profit. I met a group of women who I got close with - close enough to talk about “tough and awkward” topics like our natural menstruation. We often spoke about menstrual hygiene, and at one point they asked if I had any extra period products. Since I was using my cup, I didn't need to bring heaps of stuff to get by... so I had nothing to give. I asked what they were using, and with shame they dropped their head and named some of the things that they reached for out of pure urgency (old rags, leaves, dried poo!! and even their own clothing). 

I felt their pain, shame, confusion, and even sadness in that moment. I thought to myself, “I had to work so hard to make peace with my period - and I had everything I needed and wanted to manage it.” It broke me to sit there with those women with nothing to give but an ear to listen and heart that really cared. At that moment, I knew I wanted to do more. I knew I had a solution - but at the time, on the other side of the world, I wasn't quite sure how I was going to do it. 

After my trip, I continued to nurse people (and myself), but I couldn't help to think about those women in the Philippines and other countries I had visited. I realized that no matter if we have the products we need (or not) there is a common denominator we all face that some women are able to jump over, and aren’t: shame. Women of all sorts started to open up to me about the wild things they have thought about or done to manage their period: all in the name of shame. I talked with my patients and they shared their stories: most shared similarities of missed school days, childhood confusion and overall lack of understanding of their body. 

I knew there was a problem I had found that needed to be solved and that I already had a solution. So, I got up and brushed myself off, found another job, continued to save for my next venture, and started to work on a journey that I was a little nervous to embark on. Almost one year later, in May 2021, Divine Drops was officially launched! I’ve built a team of fearless bleeding women who have a big heart for people, purpose and have an understanding that we have two hands for a reason. Buckle up and smile big...because you are now a part of this team and will forever be a fearless, powerful, divine bLeader. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your care, support and anything else you do to uplift women and change the cycle everyday. 

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!

- Mikaela Ingram

CEO & Founder of Divine Drops