I never planned this life.

At 18, I moved out, quit college after one class, and took a job at a mall kiosk…not exactly the beginning you picture when you think about marriage, kids, and building a family.

But that’s where I met my husband.

What started as a “wait…is this a date?” moment turned into a 20-year relationship filled with love, chaos, breaking up, court battles, infertility, IVF…and ultimately, adoption.

This episode is the real story of how our family came to be - from our early days of falling in love, to navigating a complicated co-parenting situation, to being in court for years…to the moment everything changed.

Because what I thought was our plan…wasn’t our plan at all.

👉 In this episode, I talk about:
✅ Meeting my husband at 18 (and why it raised eyebrows)
✅ What it’s really like to be in a long-term relationship with someone who already has a child
✅ The strain of years in family court
✅ Getting diagnosed with endometriosis and the truth about IVF
✅ Why IVF didn’t sit right with me
✅ The moment we knew adoption was the path
✅ The emotional rollercoaster of waiting to become parents
✅ The call that changed everything

If you’ve ever wondered how families are really built, or felt like life didn’t go according to your plan, this episode is for you.

I stayed quiet about a lot of this for a long time.

Not anymore.

If this resonates with you, share this with another mom who needs to hear it.

And if you’ve walked a similar road with IVF, adoption or blended families, I’d love to hear your story in the comments.

🎧 New episodes weekly. Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s coming next.

Social Links:
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I thought I had the perfect family.

From the outside, everything looked normal…even good.
But behind closed doors, it was a completely different story.

In this episode of Melissa Unfiltered, I’m taking you back to my childhood. It's something I’ve never fully shared before.

From growing up with a strong, hardworking single Mom…to the moment everything changed when she remarried…to the moment I picked up the phone and called 911 as a kid.

This isn’t easy to talk about.
But it’s important.

Because what happens in homes like this is often hidden, normalized, and ignored…until someone finally speaks up.

If you’ve ever questioned what’s really going on behind closed doors…
If you’ve ever felt like something wasn’t right but didn’t have the words for it…
Or if you just know deep down that what we’re told is “normal” sometimes isn’t…

This episode is for you.

I stayed quiet for a long time.

Not anymore.

👉 In this episode, we talk about:
✅ Growing up in what looked like a “perfect” family
✅ The reality of domestic abuse behind closed doors
✅ The moment I called 911 as a child
✅ How abuse becomes normalized
✅ The cycle of manipulation and control
✅ What it took for me to finally leave

If this episode hit you in any way, share it with another mom who needs to hear it.

And if you’ve lived through something similar, you are not alone, I’d love to hear your story in the comments.

🎧 New episodes weekly. Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s coming next.

Social Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaUnfilteredPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissaunfilteredpodcast

I stayed quiet for years about what I saw in the foster care system… until now.

This is the story I was afraid to tell - until now.

In this first episode of Melissa Unfiltered, I share the real story behind why I started this podcast - from adopting three children through foster care to the fear, silence, and frustration that came with it.

If you’re a parent, considering adoption, involved in foster care, or someone who knows something isn’t right but can’t quite put it into words…this conversation is for you.

I stayed quiet for a long time.

Not anymore.

👉 In this episode, we talk about:

The reality of adopting through foster care
What the system looks like behind closed doors
The fear that keeps people silent
Why I’m speaking out now
What no one is saying about kids, families, and the system

🎧 New episodes weekly. Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s coming next.

Social Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaUnfilteredPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissaunfilteredpodcast