How Cora Navigated Lyme Disease During Pregnancy - and Welcomed a Healthy Baby Boy

When Cora contracted Lyme disease at 21 weeks pregnant, she faced one of the most complex and emotionally charged health challenges a mother-to-be can encounter: fighting a persistent tick-borne infection while protecting a developing baby.

Standard antibiotic protocols partially suppressed the infection but failed to clear it fully.

Through comprehensive herbal and functional medicine support, including Spiro Upward - a liposomal botanical remedy designed to reach the infection at the deepest levels - Cora carried her pregnancy to term, delivered a healthy baby boy, and continued her recovery journey postpartum.

Her case is a testament to what becomes possible when botanical medicine and integrative care work together

Meet Cora

Cora is a vibrant, health-conscious mother in her early forties who takes an active role in her own wellbeing.

She prefers natural approaches to medicine when possible, rarely relies on antibiotics, and has a strong, intuitive connection to her body.

When she became pregnant with her second child, she was hopeful and engaged - participating in a Washington D.C. Children's Hospital pregnancy Lyme study and working closely with both an ILADS-affiliated Lyme literate medical doctor (LLMD) and Kelsey Conger, MS, PMC, clinical herbalist and nutritionist to navigate her care.

Lyme disease during pregnancy sits at the intersection of two deeply personal stakes: a mother's own health and the wellbeing of the child she is carrying. For Cora, these were not abstract concerns. Every treatment decision carried the weight of the health of both people.

How it All Began

On July 6, 2024, while visiting Vermont at 21 weeks pregnant, Cora was bitten by a tick. Within days, she developed flu-like symptoms - muscle aches, fatigue, high fever, and chills.

A visit to a Vermont ER resulted in a misdiagnosis of shingles.

By July 17, an expanding bullseye rash had spread across her back, and she went two full weeks without appropriate treatment.

By July 28, she returned to the ER with a confirmed disseminated Lyme disease diagnosis, positive on both ELISA and Western Blot testing. She was prescribed Amoxicillin for two weeks -  the beginning of what would become a months-long course of escalating antibiotic treatment.

The challenges Cora faced were layered and relentless:

• Persistent infection — Two extended 28-day courses of antibiotics, including Amoxicillin, Azithromycin, and Cefdinir, did not fully eradicate the bacteria. Bloodwork repeatedly confirmed active Lyme disease, and her LLMD described her case as a "strong" immune response to a significant infection.

• Pregnancy complexity — Cora simultaneously navigated placenta previa, a vaginal bleeding episode requiring hospitalization, steroid injections for fetal lung development, and ultimately a planned C-section. Sorting Lyme symptoms from pregnancy symptoms was genuinely difficult.

• Biofilm and cellular persistence — Lyme disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi is well known for its ability to evade standard treatment. The bacteria hide within biofilm structures and penetrate cellular environments where conventional antibiotics have limited reach. This is precisely why Cora's infection lingered despite multiple aggressive antibiotic courses.

• Dual protection imperative — Cora's primary concern was never only her own health. Her gut feeling that "something was still there" was inseparable from her fierce protectiveness of her developing baby. She enrolled in a pregnancy Lyme study precisely because she understood the stakes extended beyond herself.

• Reluctance toward antibiotics — Cora had rarely taken antibiotics in her life and did not want to rely on them any more than necessary, particularly during pregnancy. She sought a safe, effective alternative that would not compromise her body or her baby's development.

This combination - a persistent, treatment-resistant infection in a pregnant woman who needed gentle yet powerful support - presented a clinical picture that demanded more than standard protocols could offer.

Finding a Different Path

Cora began working with Kelsey Conger in October 2024, at 33 weeks pregnant. The goal was clear: reduce the remaining infection, support her body's natural defenses, protect the developing baby, and establish a plan that could continue safely through delivery and breastfeeding.

The cornerstone of her botanical protocol was Spiro Upward, the only herbal remedy that uses liposomal delivery of antimicrobial essential oils to deeply penetrate cells, relieve symptoms, and restore lasting health.

Spiro Upward is an ideal non-toxic antimicrobial remedy that is safe during pregnancy and while breast-feeding.  

Kelsey knew that chronic Lyme doesn't mean permanent Lyme. It means the infection had found places to hide that standard treatments can't access - within biofilm, inside cells, in tissues that antibiotics simply don't reach.

Spiro Upward's liposomal nano-emulsion delivery system was designed specifically to address this gap:  enhancing absorption and allowing antimicrobial botanicals to reach the hard-to-access environments where Borrelia burgdorferi persists.

Her full protocol was built around her specific microbial and constitutional picture, and the demands of late-stage pregnancy:

• Spiro Upward and Lucid — Liposomal essential oil antimicrobial support for Lyme and Bartonella respectively, initiated at 2 tablespoons of each daily during pregnancy and continued postpartum

• Bart None tincture - Formulated to support microbial clearing of Bartonella and systemic detoxification

• Soothe + Uplift Infusion — A custom-made nourishing herbal tea including nettles, raspberry leaf, dandelion leaf, hibiscus, elderflower, German chamomile, fenugreek, and spearmint to support tissue integrity, reduce inflammation, and provide gentle systemic nourishment

• Vitamin C 500mg daily — To support immune function and connective tissue integrity

• Dietary support — Removal of bread and sugar to reduce inflammatory burden and improve bowel regularity, which is closely linked to effective detoxification

The herbal protocol was paused just prior to Cora’s scheduled C-section and resumed postpartum.

Throughout her pregnancy, Kelsey monitored her closely, adjusting the protocol in response to evolving symptoms and ensuring the treatment remained both safe and effective for mother and baby.

What Happened Next

Cora delivered a healthy baby boy, Emmett, via C-section at the end of November 2024. Her first postpartum month brought welcome relief: symptoms were minimal, and she felt genuinely well.

The results of her treatment during pregnancy were meaningful and clear:

• Successful pregnancy and delivery - Despite a confirmed strong case of disseminated Lyme disease, placenta previa, and multiple treatment escalations, Cora carried her pregnancy to term and delivered a healthy baby boy with strong developmental markers.

• Symptomatic clearance during treatment - Joint sensitivity, finger tingling, and flu-like symptoms resolved during the antibiotic and herbal treatment phase. Her persistent dry night cough - present since the onset of infection - did not return postpartum.

• Confirmation of infection activity via ongoing monitoring - April 2025 bloodwork (Lyme AB Screen index 1.18; Lyme AB IgM Blot POSITIVE) confirmed the body's continued immune engagement, supporting the case for ongoing integrative treatment rather than cessation after delivery.

• Healthy infant development — Emmett's developmental milestones were described as "great" through his early months of life.

But Cora's postpartum course was not without challenge.

She experienced a relapse of symptoms - finger tingling, neck stiffness, joint pain, and auditory disturbances - following periods of inconsistent protocol adherence and subsequent viral infections (a stomach bug and episode of COVID-19).

These setbacks reinforced a key clinical truth: 

sustained protocol consistency is essential, and the body needs ongoing support to fully resolve a deep-seated Lyme infection.

Cora's case also highlighted the ongoing intersection of her health and Emmett's, as the baby tested positive for Lyme in the pregnancy study - underscoring why thorough maternal treatment during pregnancy is so critical.

Where She is Now

Cora's journey illustrates what becomes possible when integrative botanical medicine is applied with clinical precision, genuine care, and respect for the complexity of pregnancy.

The infection found places to hide that antibiotics couldn't fully reach. Liposomal botanical support - delivered safely, thoughtfully, and consistently - gave the body the tools to create the best possible outcome.

Chronic Lyme does not have to mean permanent Lyme disease. The body has a profound capacity to heal when it is given the right support at the right time.

Cora's story is still unfolding. Kelsey simplified her protocol (because parenting two little one's is a full time job!), relying on Lucid and Bart None to clear her persistent symptoms.

This enabled Cora to consistently adhere to her treatment plan, and by September 2025, her symptoms were nearly 100% resolved – less than 1 year after beginning her care with Kelsey.

Cora reports that most days she forgets that she

ever had a chronic tick-borne infection!

Her ongoing care includes continued herbal and dietary support, and close collaboration with her herbalist, Kelsey, to address residual symptoms and bring her to full, lasting recovery.

Emmett continues to grow and develop spectacularly.  And the foundation built during those critical months of pregnancy - the decision to pursue safe, effective, botanically-grounded care -  continues to pay forward.

We're with you – especially during pregnancy!

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