“I won’t be curling my hair, putting on a lot of makeup, showering every day, or having clothes without breastmilk spilled all over them. But I also won’t be beating myself up for missing some unrealistic expectation of having it all together in those first few days.”
Irini Orihuela
4 Ways To Prioritize YOU During Postpartum
5 Simple Tricks For Overcoming Your Postpartum Anxiety
“After years of self-improvement and major progress with my anxiety, having a newborn was the ultimate trigger for it all to come rushing back.”
‘I have babies to deliver. Yours is dying, so make it quick.’ She reached in, ripped her out.’: Mom opens up about horrifying medical malpractice causing severe disability, repeat stillbirths
“Had the nurse just called an emergency, had the doctor just put aside that she didn’t like our parental choices… we wouldn’t have to live with this unbearable pain.”
5 Ways I Use Independent Play To Survive Working From Home
“Once I moved past the guilt, independent play became an indispensable tool for me to get work done during the day and to allow my child’s imagination and independence to flourish.”
‘Mom, will you help me?’ 14 and pregnant, Ava looked more scared than any child ever should. I cried, ‘I’m here every step of the way.’: Mom recounts daughter’s emotional journey through teen pregnancies
“When I hold my grandbabies or hear their little giggles, it makes all the hard work and any shame or cruel comments we receive from strangers all worth it!”
‘There’s nothing like getting ready in the morning, wondering if your tumor is cancerous or giving you permanent nerve damage.’: Woman shares her struggles with nerve sheath tumor
“‘You may not be able to lift your right arm above your shoulder again. It could cause damage to your vocal cords. And you may experience numbness on the right side of your face.’ The tears I had been holding back came pouring down my face.”
There Is No Such Thing As The Perfect Family
“Preferences exist. Opinions exist. Pushy strangers exist. But perfection? No such thing.”
Parenting Feels Like An Open Invitation For Criticism
“When I became a mom, I was shocked by the amount of unsolicited advice I received. The mommy shaming train took off the second I got pregnant.”
The Biggest Parenting Lesson: You Are Not (Always) In Control
“Every day, I must put forth a certain level of trust things will be okay. I can’t be there for every fall. I can’t self-diagnose her every ailment on Web MD. And I certainly can’t spend my days asking myself, ‘what if.'”
‘IVF? How exciting!’ How can this be exciting?! I was terrified! Of the needles, the hormones, the side effects, but most of all the unknown.’: Woman shares harrowing infertility journey
“‘Don’t get attached to the numbers, things can change a lot.’ I was depressed, broken, and so empty… just like my follicles.”
