“I felt confident in my body. I ate healthy and worked out all the time. I was skinny. Then, I became a mommy.”
The Time Has Come To Normalize The Mom Bod
‘I heard a gunshot and I don’t know where Michael is. What do I do?!’: Woman starts suicide prevention initiative after losing both brothers to suicide
“I came home from school to find Stephen in the backyard smoking a cigarette and crying. He broke down and told me he had thoughts about wanting to end his life. He said the world would be ‘better off without him.’ After losing him, we did not anticipate Michael would die by suicide as well just nine years later.”
‘You’re SO inspirational!’ This is NOT a compliment.’: Young woman with Acute Flaccid Myelitis says ‘my life isn’t less worthy’
“It may SEEM like a compliment, but it’s exactly the opposite.”
‘What if she has it?’ My husband answered swiftly, ‘She’s our girl. She’ll be awesome regardless.’: Mom in ‘awe’ of daughter with Down syndrome
“I had a thousand questions, but all I could muster was, ‘How does this increase my chances?’ She replied, ‘From about 1 in 320 to 1 in 6.’ The wind was knocked out of me.”
‘My heart exploded at the thought I might help them.’: Cancer warrior donates hair to kids in need
“I felt an already enlarged lymph node get larger while we learned to navigate the newborn phase in the midst of biweekly chemotherapy treatments.”
‘He had inhaled poop into his lungs. The only thing I could do was rub his forehead.’: NICU mom shares breastfeeding journey
“We raced to keep up with the ambulance carrying our child as he fought for his life. I stayed overnight at the hospital, feeding whenever he showed signs of hunger.”
‘I ran my fingers over the bald spots on my head. My eyebrow hairs were falling out, too.’: Lupus warrior says ‘I am so much stronger than I knew I could be’
“He looked over my file and said, ‘I got good news and bad news.’ I spent the next 7 months in and out of the hospital. I’d wake up with a swollen face, legs, hands. The pain was unbearable.”
An Old Friend From 20 Years Ago Told Me He Had Days To Live, So I Took Him On One Last Hurrah
“Life is short. Do what you can for people, now! Before it’s too late.”
‘I’m unfit to be a mother.’ I wanted to crawl into bed and sleep for the rest of my life.’: Stay-at-home mom shares mental health journey
“I felt resentment toward everyone who was finding joy in this time at home. Wiping butts and being screamed at to watch Blippi isn’t my idea of joyful and fulfilling days. I felt so alone.”
‘I expected to be tucking kids in, singing lullabies. Instead, I was dancing on speakers in an underground nightclub.’: Mom of 3 shares sobriety journey
“I stumbled around the bathroom, my bra shoved down around my waist, covered in vomit. ‘Get in the bath.’ I sat as my husband sprayed me down, fully clothed, like a zookeeper washing a muddy elephant.”