“I ate, slept, and breathed getting pregnant. I tried every old wives’ tale and even drank a tonic from our local mystic store owner. I became consumed.”
‘A psychic took my hand and said, ‘You WILL have a daughter.’ I became obsessed.’: Mom welcomes rainbow baby
‘I’m tired and need a sandwich.’ Oh no. This was supposed to be love at first sight. I could only think of how tired I was.’: New mom gets candid about motherhood, ‘None of us really know what we’re doing’
“I kept these thoughts and feelings tucked away like my shameful little secret while I put on a brave face. Clearly, they must have forgotten to install my mother’s instinct.”
‘The first thing the doctor said was, ‘I see we’re having some anxiety lately?’ I was in denial.’: Mom battling postpartum depression says ‘it’s NOTHING to be ashamed of’
“I’d stay in the same clothes for days and shower once a week. My hair was never brushed. ‘I’ll never let it get this bad again.’ I was disgusted with myself.”
5 Things Everyone Needs To Know About Mental Illness
“Mental health disorders do not have a ‘look.'”
‘Something was terribly wrong. She wasn’t crying. ‘Your girl is very sick.’: Mom loses 19-day-old baby to Trisomy 13, ‘God will turn these ashes into beauty’
“I went for car drives and SCREAMED. I felt so much bitterness and anger. No one could tell us how long she’d live. Maybe just a few more hours, maybe months… we had no idea.”
‘You should put her up for adoption.’ They thought my ‘deformities’ would ‘severely handicap’ me.’: Woman born with amniotic band syndrome is ‘not limited in ANY way’
“‘We just don’t know what to do.’ They thought I’d never be able to walk, run, or have normal brain function. I HAD to believe in myself.”
‘Do you ever feel GUILTY for saying no?’: Woman urges ‘don’t put all you have into others’
“It’s not RUDE to say no.”
What To Say To A Sexual Assault Survivor
“It’s THIS easy to be supportive.”
‘You should have avoided the situation. Others have it MUCH worse.’: Sexual assault survivor says ‘trauma is not a competition’
“I told myself, ‘You should have been smarter.’ But it’s not up to you. It is NEVER your fault.”
‘Please hug me one last time.’ There was no light in his eyes.’: Woman shares childhood trauma, urges ‘forgiveness goes a long way’
“I was 8 years old when my mom called me inside from playing. ‘Your dad was using drugs, and it killed him.'”
