From IVF shots to stretch marks, Natalist depicts the ups and downs of fertility

We've seen a definite trend towards more realistic portrayals of pregnancy, birth and motherhood from brands over the past few years, from the likes of Tommee Tippee, Frida Mom and even Nike. The latest advertiser to get real about women's experiences is Natalist, the female (and female-founded) reproductive health brand, part of Everly Health.

In its first brand campaign, via Preacher, we see a raw and honest depiction of all stages of the reproductive process, from IVF injections and pregnancy tests to stretch marks, breast pumps and postpartum stomachs. The creative uses a mixed media approach, blending real life social media content with stills and footage from director and photographer, Brianna Roye. It's set to spoken-word poetry delivered by Jae Nichelle, which sets out out how "in awe" the narrator is of women's bodies. The words and images reflect the ups and downs of women's journey, from conception to miscarriage and menopause and even making "your decision" about your body.

“Always in Awe is meant to celebrate every stage and moment of reproductive journeys - not just the glossy picturesque ones,” said Jenifer Dasho, general manager of Natalist and CMO of Everly Health, in a statement. “There is a whole gamut of reproductive journeys beyond the traditional pathways to parenthood, and we wanted to ensure that they were represented in the campaign. We hope this will help women to redefine their relationships with their bodies by encouraging them to reconnect with themselves and be in awe of what they’re capable of.”

“A month prior to shooting, we scoured every social platform and watched countless personal home movies to find just the right moments," added Aisha Hakim and Ryan Durr, who worked on the campaign as associate creative directors at Preacher. "It was time-consuming but also incredibly inspiring to see what these women were going through. If there was uncertainty during the editing process, that was quelled once we shared a rough cut with all the participants. Their responses were so overwhelmingly positive. To hear from these people that they felt seen and understood, some even brought to tears, was so rewarding for our team.”