“‘So, when’s the next one coming?” a loving and well-intentioned family member eagerly asked me, a freshly postpartum mom. I hesitantly looked down at my 3-week-old baby, still squishy and bald, arching her back to ease the pain of her reflux as she insatiably nursed at my breast.”
We Need To Stop Asking Moms When They Plan To Have More Kids—5 Reasons Why
I Realized I Was Gay 11 Years Into My Marriage, Now We’re Divorced And Happily Co-Parenting Our Kids Together
“My ex-husband and I are divorced, but we are still a family. The concept of a ‘divorced family’ seems like an oxymoron, but it’s how we have chosen to live our lives post-divorce.”
‘Your results are ready.’ I clicked the email, braced myself for it to say ‘boy.’ PINK confetti lit up the screen.’: Woman welcomes first daughter after 5 sons, 3 miscarriages
“The second you see that plus sign, you’re already planning what life will look like with this child. You imagine who they will look like, what they will grow up to do, even the details of their wedding plays in your head. Myself and countless women know the reality of having this taken away in an instant.”
‘I am tired.’: Special needs mom urges ‘this massive weight of motherhood, it’s always with me’
“It’s the weight of the next doctor appointment. It’s the weight of new diagnoses added to our plate. It’s the weight of remembering which specialist follow-up is due in which month at which hospital. It’s the weight of am I doing enough for her, what more should I be doing, and why do I feel so alone while I am doing it all?”
‘I beg to be part of the journey. But because I don’t know the journey, I’m the outlier.’: Woman feels ‘left behind’ as friends have babies and she keeps waiting for her miracle
“I harbor no ill will. No hard feelings. I get it, this is just the new way of things. But it still hurts, to be on the outside looking in.”
‘I’ve never had the gift of birthing a baby, but I can’t imagine feeling any closer to my daughter.’: Single mom shares international, special needs adoption journey
“I carried her everywhere, held her at every meal, slept with her on top of me, and showered with her in my arms. She wouldn’t take no for an answer. Just as if I carried her in my womb, she was learning my voice, reaching for my touch, and studying every detail of my face.”
‘Sometimes, I’m the mom who doesn’t make her kids clean their rooms.’: Mom urges ‘it’s okay to let your house look lived-in’
“I walked past that pigsty and just kept on walking. 99.9% of the time, you’re going to see dirty dishes in the sink, half-drank water bottles everywhere, dog hair all over the furniture, and clutter. A whole heaping of it.”
‘In the last minutes of her first senior year game, she screamed in pain as she fell to the ground, her ACL torn.’: Daughter’s inspiring journey to appreciating life despite ‘the change of the sails’
“She had big plans for this year. She was in talks with many college coaches about playing for them the following school year. And then, BAM. With one unfortunate soccer play, her life changed dramatically and instantly.”
‘Every morning at 5 a.m. he’d cry out for me. I’d spend hours just breathing him in, watching the rise and fall of his chest. And then it slipped away.’: Mom shares reminder to ‘savor’ every moment
“Then one morning, he started sleeping all the way through. He didn’t need my snuggles anymore. I didn’t know that last time would be the last time. It all just…slipped away.”
‘They say a lot of things. They say mom should listen. But she doesn’t.’: Mom’s beautiful description of mindful parenting, despite criticism
“Imagine being two. Everything feels big. Everyone tells mom that it’s terrible. Everyone says it’s best to ignore, be strong, be firm. But she doesn’t.”