“I had to undergo surgery to give my babies a chance to survive. The procedures were TERRIFYING. But I would endure whatever it took!”

‘You should take a look at this.’ It was IDENTICAL TWINS! I was oblivious to the doctor’s concerns.’: Endometriosis warrior welcomes premie twins in NICU, ‘You go one day at a time’

‘I broke out with an allergic reaction in HANDCUFFS. I spent all night lying in jail, completely defeated.’: Mom of 8 battles alcoholism, ‘I try to have unconditional love for myself’’
“I played the martyr, feeling sorry for myself raising these babies alone, instead of admitting I needed help. I was a total failure of a mom.”

‘Your baby has a funny eye.’ I looked down and saw it. The folded ear and almond-shaped eyes. The world froze.’: Woman advocates for special needs moms, ‘Our path is unique’
“Our daily lives have an element of ‘extra.’ Extra appointments, extra judgment, extra advocating, extra support. It also comes with extra love.”

‘There’s no way.’ I dug out my stash of pregnancy tests. 3 minutes later, I screamed.’: Mom surprised by pregnancy after infertility, ‘It’s more beautiful than I dreamed’
“Adoption wrecked me in ways I wasn’t prepared for. IVF destroyed my desire to be pregnant. We had two children and yet I didn’t feel like our family was complete.”

‘What will people think?’ I worried myself to sleep. That little pill held so much shame.’: Mom of 6 shares struggle with anxiety, ‘It’s made me stronger’
“I’d wake up, heart racing, and rush to the crib. Once I felt her breathing, I could settle back into sleep. I was angry all the time. Small things made me want to pull my hair out.”

‘I’ve had my accounts hacked. I’ve had my words twisted and changed to reflect me as a horrible person. I feel stronger.’: Woman who was hacked says ‘never give up’
“A boyfriend of years left me for another girl. I grabbed my phone and I wrote while my baby gnawed on my nipples.”

‘His arms and legs, are they there?’ I couldn’t look at his picture.’: Mom says son with limb differences is ‘exactly who he is supposed to be’
“Friends would talk about how cute he was going to be. It was painful to hear family talk about his height or what sports he’d play. I knew there was a possibility we weren’t going to experience it.”

‘I smashed the window while holding my son. ‘Go buy essential oils,’ the nurse told me. I was pushed aside.’: Mom of 2 advocates for postpartum depression, ‘There’s no need to suffer in silence’
“If you feel like this again, call and I’ll talk you off the ledge.’ I was ashamed to admit I was having thoughts of harming myself. It triggered something I have never experienced: intense rage.”

‘I pulled him hard and fast. He began bleeding, crying. My single thought was, ‘Well maybe he shouldn’t have been climbing.’: Mom with postpartum depression says ‘be there for the struggling mom or dad, it takes a village’
“He was climbing the arm of the couch. My husband stepped in and comforted him. I didn’t feel sorry or remorseful. I didn’t feel sad or have ping of guilt because I had just injured my son. I don’t know how to fix this.”

‘I know having a baby changes your life, but there’s no way it can be THAT hard. I take care of babies for a living.’: Nurse pokes fun at herself after learning the trails of motherhood
“For years, I’d been caring for babies as a nurse. I would clock in to take care of a postpartum couplet for 12-ish hours and clock out. But you know what I hadn’t done? Stayed up all night with a baby for days on end. I hadn’t tried to invent new ways to soothe a screaming baby on ZERO mental reserves. I hadn’t worked a 24-hour on-call shift taking care of someone elses baby while my heart physically ached for my own.”