In news this morning (that should not really be news), we are happy to announce that breastfeeding is now officially legal in all 50 states in the United States, yay! Wait, what? If breastfeeding is now legal in all 50 states, that means that there was a time when breastfeeding wasn’t legal? Apparently, and unfortunately,…
motherhood
We Need to Stop Thinking We Have to “Do It All”
When I found out that I was pregnant at the start of my senior year of college, precisely two things went through my mind: 1.) Oh, crap. and 2.) Did I just ruin my life? Immediately, visions of everything I had planned for my life flashed before me, from the study abroad semester in Italy…
I Suck at Being a Stay-at-Home Mom But Here’s How I Make It Work
Do you want to know what one of the happiest times of my decade-long experience as a mom has been? I can see it clearly in head: It was the first summer after I became a mother and I was in training for my new job. I worked 8-hour days at the time, got to…
I Clock Out Of Mom Duty at 9 PM, and I Have No Shame About It
Every night, as the clock ticks towards 9 o’clock, the countdown begins. Much like Cinderella rushing breathlessly out of the ball, forgetting essential items along the way, I am eager to make my quick departure. Except there’s no pumpkin or prince, and the only place I’m rushing to is my bed. Because after our kids…
I’m Tired AF of Being All the Things
There’s been a lot of talk about emotional labor in the news lately, thanks to forthcoming author Gemma Hartley’s viral essay on the topic. Hartley pointed out how maddening it is to be a woman and tasked with the responsibility of carrying the invisible weight of our family’s worlds on our shoulders. From big picture…
The Bottle of Prenatal Vitamins That Nearly Broke Me
I spent over $30 on prenatal vitamins the first time. This time, I’m going to do things right, I told myself. I’ll exercise the whole time and do yoga and cherish every moment. I won’t complain at all, even when I look like an actual beached whale. I made a special trip to the health…
Birth Photographer Captures the Unseen Struggle of Postpartum Anxiety in One Powerful Image
Rage. Impatience. Relentless worry. Bone-deep exhaustion. The symptoms of postpartum anxiety are often overlooked by women after the birth of a baby, but they can be debilitating. Although it’s more familiar for us to talk about postpartum depression, one study found that postpartum anxiety is even more common. Fortunately, more women are opening up about…
It’s Time to Start Raising My Son to Be the Type of Man the World Needs
Think fast: you’re standing in the kitchen with your kids and your toddler needs someone to help her get her shoes on. You have two daughters and a son who are standing right next to her. Who do you ask to help? If you’re me, you probably ask one of your girls. And if you’re me,…
My Kids May Be Older Now, But They Need a Stay-At-Home Mom More Than Ever
On a slow night in the labor and delivery department where I worked as a nurse, I asked a veteran nurse how she juggled working with kids over the years. Between sleep deprivation and constant illnesses running rampant through my house, I had been lamenting about how hard it was to work with young kids…
Feeling Touched Out? You’re Not Alone
If you’re a mother, you may completely relate to the concept of being touched out. In fact, tell me if the following has ever happened to you … It’s late at night, you’re finally tucked in your bed, away from the kids, the blissful comfort of the blanket wrapped just perfectly around your shoulders. You’re…
