“It doesn’t have to be a chore. The cleaning, the mundane daily master list… that’s the experience.”
‘She’s not a tally on the task list. She’s who I’m doing it for.’: Mom shares turning mundane tasks into magical moments for kids
‘Yes, I’m so lucky. I only had to sacrifice my hormones, my social life, and mental wellbeing. But hey, at least I’m lean!’: Woman shares anorexia recovery, road to healthy pregnancy
“It didn’t hit me when my heart rate was at 40 bpm and the doctor called cardiology in a panic. Or when I was freezing cold in the summer heat. Or when I woke up at 3 a.m. every morning, dripping in sweat. I finally realized something was wrong when I stopped loving my dog.”
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.”
‘I spent all day making this happen for him. But instead of excitement and joy, there was panic, anger, regret, sorrow, and rejection.’: Mom works through the trauma of adoption
“I knew that moving his bedroom was a risk to my ‘parent of the year’ title, but I needed to test the waters of the ‘handling change’ part of his brain.”
‘Make no mistake, we didn’t adopt because it’s hard or good. We chose to adopt because it matters.’: Mom emphasizes both struggle and beauty of adoption
“We had so many misassumptions of ‘what we wanted’ going into the process. We were nervous, excited, and completely clueless.”
‘We’re creating our own family by the heart.’: Woman adopts family friend from broken home, former foster daughter as adults
“I’ve looked at others’ family relationships and wondered, ‘What is that like?’ When Connie expressed how she knew what it was like to have a mother now, it touched me deeply. We’re creating our own family by the heart.”
‘She said no one would ever hire me again. I quit college and gave up on my dreams.’: Woman with amniotic band syndrome shares story, ‘I wouldn’t change anything’
“I thought my family and friends would be better off without me. Living with scars and all of the pain, insecurities, and fears they caused felt too hard. I felt like a burden, without purpose or worth.”
‘I went to uncurl the fingers on her left hand and realized she had none. I couldn’t sleep not knowing what this meant for her.’: Mom shares journey learning about daughter’s limb difference
“‘At least you know she’ll be right-handed!’ the nurse joked. There was a wave of grief when I realized someone may pull back their outstretched hand when her nubbins reached for it. Education is the key out of the shadows.”
‘How can I feel so much loss at a time I am the most grateful?’: Postpartum mom shares ‘paradoxical emotions’ after giving birth to second child
“Nothing prepares you for how hard postpartum hits. With the colossal love for this new life comes grief our world has changed.”
‘I QUIT. I quit being a mother, a partner, a friend – I quit being all of it.’: Woman encourages taking breaks for mental health, ‘We can get through today and start anew tomorrow’
“In this freaking season of life and pandemic, so many of us are done, exhausted, depleted, suffocating, over it. I don’t think faking it ‘til we make it is going to get us through this.”