Irini Orihuela is an Editor at Love What Matters. She graduated from Stony Brook University with a degree in journalism. In her free time, she enjoys photography and hikes.
3 Tips For Accepting You’re Not Your Child’s Preferred Parent
“The harder I tried to insert myself into situations where she wanted daddy, the more she pushed back. When I got pregnant with our second child, I secretly hoped she would get insanely jealous and start to prefer me – that definitely did not happen.”
All I Want For Christmas Is My Child To Smile In A Photo
“We did manage to get a few good Christmas pictures of Wilson. But, they just weren’t what I was expecting. I imagined smiles, and I don’t have many of those.”
Infantile Spasms Are Terrifying, But You Are Not Alone
“We try med after med, feeling like we’re racing a clock.”
I Really Thought We Were Finally Getting Our Christmas Miracle
“Even though I only carried you for a short time, just know that you were wanted very much.”
I Was Adopted At 26, Because Foster Kids Never Age Out Of The Need For Family And Belonging
“If there are two words in my life that were robbed from me, tainted for me, and distorted beyond all means, it would be ‘mom’ and ‘dad.’ Being adopted at 26 created a foundation that changed everything for me.”
‘Tears streamed down my face. I had a decision to make. Stay home, heartbroken, or travel Europe by myself.’: Divorcee shares self-love journey after infidelity
“Since I was a little girl, I’ve had a fear of abandonment, of being by myself. The universe was giving me a clear way to go face it, head-on. So, with the fear of the unknown, a broken heart still bleeding, and no plans in place—I stepped on a plane across the world.”
‘I couldn’t contain my excitement, needles and all. I thought I knew everything I needed. I was wrong.’: Woman remains positive through endometriosis diagnosis, infertility battle
“I didn’t know fear, joy, worry, sadness, and excitement could all coexist.”
I Did Not Feel Back To ‘Normal’ Several Weeks Postpartum—And It’s Time We Talk About It
“The idea it would usher in some kind of return to normal life was one of the biggest misconceptions I had during pregnancy and early parenthood.”
‘My longing for the birth I’d envisioned intensified. I felt empty at the thought of how it actually happened.’: Special needs mom candidly shares traumatic birth experience
“I was told her heart defect was so severe there was a likelihood she wouldn’t make it to full-term. If she did, she may not survive birth. And if she did, they wouldn’t be able to perform surgery due to the complexity of the defect.”
‘I answered, ‘Yep, everything is great!’ He jokingly asked, ‘Just one baby, right?’: Mom with 2 sets of twins shares journey with 5 kids under 4
“‘Are those happy tears or…?,’ the sonographer cautiously asked me as I sobbed upon the realization we were expecting our second set of twins.”