“I saw all these moms on Instagram, three days after having their babies, in jeans going out for coffee. I had a mom pouch, wider hips, wider thighs, and lots of new stretch marks. I felt like a failure already at one week postpartum.”
‘The baby weight will melt away with breastfeeding.’ When my milk never came in, I was devastated. I hated my body.’: Mom discusses postpartum self-love, ‘You’re worthy at any size’
‘My husband decided to leave. ‘You won’t get a newborn because you’re single.’ I listened to the heartbreaking situations.’: Woman becomes foster mama after divorce, ‘My life is full of beauty’
“I sat my two children down and we had a conversation about foster care. I told them, ‘It will be hard to love on a baby and then have to say goodbye.’ They were both in.”
‘Take photos with your grandparents, because one day, when the dust has settled and the years have gone by, those photos may be all you have left of them.’: Woman pens ode to grandparents
“In a culture where I never felt quite good enough for anyone, I was good enough for them. They loved me for me; in all my brokenness and in all my flaws, my grandparents loved every ounce of my being. None of us knew it at the time, but they saved me in more ways than I can count.”
‘Motherhood feels like an unrealistic dream.’: Woman pens open letter to the ‘sweet mama who didn’t have to wait’
“Give those sweet babies all the kisses and hugs, tell them you love them. That even on the hard days you wouldn’t trade them for anything. Because some of us only dream of doing so.”
‘As I was thinking about how wonderful life was, my head slammed into the steering wheel. My final summer was gone.’: Teen suffers brain injury, graduates college, ‘Always have hope’
“I was the girl in the neck brace. ‘Just give it time,’ they repeated. My memory betrayed me, forgetting class times, notes, names. Every day, I woke up with a headache. Doctors warned me graduating was unlikely.”
‘Not to worry, you’re SO young.’ We were filled with false hope. Naively, we did the baby dance for a year.’: Woman pregnant with rainbow baby after infertility battle, ‘Keep climbing mama’
“Our Doctor looked at us and said, ‘I WILL have you pregnant.’ We entered the dark world of empty bank accounts, bruised and botched bodies, and a home with stained walls from our screams. We couldn’t give up.”
‘We have two brothers, 12 and 8, that need a home.’ A week later, I got another call. ‘Can you take in a 5-week-old baby.’ I became a mom to 3 boys in days.’: Woman adopts 3 children from foster care
“She had been left in a bush in the freezing cold and was miraculously found. This little girl that had been unprotected and forgotten—was being held safely in my arms. ‘Don’t become a foster mom as a single woman. It’s a death sentence. You’ll be single forever.’ I had a decision to make.”
‘My parents had over 30 temporary placements and adopted 9 children. I struggled with my identity. I didn’t fit.’: Man thanks adoptive family, ‘I’m meant to do something important’
“He was sitting with my uncle. ‘We can give her a break and take care of him.’ Our home was chaos but in the best way.”
‘He arrived on a redeye flight. I snuck my husband into the office. My son quickly locked eyes with his Dad and jumped into his arms.’: Military spouse plans tearful surprise visit for children
“Our oldest is autistic and goodbyes are so difficult for him. He hugged him tightly and with one final kiss, he was gone. Months later, I said, ‘I think it’s time you come for a visit.’ We kept it a secret. There were tears, so many beautiful tears.”
‘We felt a bump while being intimate. A wave of utter darkness hit me. I felt like I never stood a chance to win.’: Woman says overcoming breast cancer was ‘the fight of my life’
“I freaked out. Then, BOOM! I said ta-ta to both of my tatas.’ Words cannot express the fear I felt.”