“I struggled going to work to take care of babies. All I ever wanted was to be a mom. ‘Are you okay, sweetie?’ I absolutely lost it. Infertility affected every aspect of my life.”
‘How is this so easy for some people?’ I’d sit in my car and cry before work. What if my dream was taken away?’: Nurse battles infertility, pregnant with IVF baby, ‘Don’t lose hope’
‘People yelled from their cars, ‘Fatty!’ It was clear I was the ‘fat one.’ I thought if I lost weight, the bullying would stop.’: Woman shares self-love journey, ‘I deserve love at any size’
“I saw myself in the mirror and started to cry. My stomach stuck out. My body jiggled. I was introduced to diet pills, skinny teas, calorie counting. It was more important to shrink myself than to be happy or healthy.”
‘I don’t want to do this anymore. It’s too hard!’ I coughed up blood. I knew I couldn’t survive another.’: Woman with Cystic Fibrosis welcomes two miracle babies, ‘Every year is a gift’
“I felt this desire for another baby. Without a doubt, I knew I couldn’t give birth to him. My brother’s wife said, ‘I could have a baby for you.’ I was dumbfounded.”
‘It’s just a clogged milk duct.’ My husband NEEDED more than a brush-off. I thought he was paranoid. There was no way I had it.’: Mom beats invasive breast cancer, ‘I’m thriving’
“There it was, a lump that certainly didn’t belong. It was only about the size of a pea. I kept telling myself, ‘It’s just a cyst.’ The lump continued to grow, and the pain never subsided.”
‘Both their parents died. I was a stay-at-home mom, barely used to life with 3 kids. The idea of adding 3 more was crazy.’: Couple adopt 3 siblings from orphanage, become ‘forever family’ of 8
“A newborn in my arms, logic and reason screamed no. Yet, here we sat, unable to deny any longer the way our hearts were pulled toward these children. All we had to do was say YES.”
‘Choose someone tall, give the kid a chance!’ We laughed until it became, ‘You don’t deserve this.’: LGBTQ couple pregnant with rainbow baby, ‘We can’t wait to be mommies’
“‘You waited too long!’ Funds were low. I was scared I’d never feel like ME again. ‘Please, let this be the one.’”
‘There’s a mass behind her nose.’ Her runny nose became blood-tinged. She could barely hold her head up. I knew it was bad.’: Mom details daughter’s cancer journey, ‘Never give up hope’
“They looked up her nose. Something was there. I had a knot in my stomach before he even spoke. My mind flashed back to a Google search I had done that fit her symptoms. Cancer.”
‘Everything is going to be OK.’ The first time I saw him so small, I cried. He came nearly 3 months early.’: Mom raises awareness for National Preemie Month, ‘No one can prepare you for the NICU experience’
“Next came fierce determination. I was his mother, and I would do everything in my power to get whatever he needed to survive.”
‘I know you like to worry, but she’s just fine.’ I was labeled a ‘helicopter mom.’ I felt defeated.’: Mom fights for daughter’s autism diagnosis, ‘I never ignored my gut again’
“She started banging her head on the floor and biting her nails until they bled. They didn’t even try to evaluate her. I tried explaining, ‘Autism presents differently in girls.’ He just suggested parenting classes.”
‘You’ll miss these days!’ Please don’t remind me to love every moment when she’s being a turd and throwing things in Target.’: Mom encourages ‘have extra kindness’ amidst pandemic
“When you see my swollen stomach, dragging my limp-noodle toddler, and hear me gripe about being tired, consider it a Christmas gift to me by refusing the comment that comes to your mind. I guarantee you, I know I’m lucky.”