Motherly Stories
Motherhood changes us. Celebrate the ups and downs with these honest, insightful essays about becoming—and being—a mom.
No, having a baby didn’t ‘ruin’ my 20s
If life goes according to plan, I'll have one more when I'm 29 and, by 30, my husband and I will be selling car seats, hitting the tail end of diapers and settling into life as a minivan family.
How I found joy in my IVF journey
I remember telling myself over and over that we had our own story, our own journey, and that was okay. Removing that comparison aspect from my life helped me in more ways than I will ever know.
How to turn the Santa ‘lie’ into something good
I gave her magic until she was eight, and I gave her the spirit of giving for the rest of her life.
After 3 years of trying and a round of IVF, I am finally pregnant
It was as if I lived in a world of successive failure. Month after month, benchmarked by my inability to get pregnant. I would break down at every pregnancy announcement.
I am Santa Claus, the elves and Christmas magic
And now I'm tired.
I didn’t give birth to my boys, but I am definitely their mom
"Because relationships are not just blood…it's all of the other stuff that makes us a family."
To the military mamas, your service isn’t invisible
I see you, whether or not you're the one who wears the uniform.
He’s deployed—and I’m pregnant
I am here with you, mama.
I’m a military wife and mom—and I’m so lucky
As hard as this lifestyle can be, the level of pride I feel for the men and women of the Armed Forces is off-the-charts.
My husband is gone a lot, but I am NOT a single mom
What I want to tell you most about having a husband who is gone a lot is this: It is harder on him than it is on me.
To the mama in a hard phase right now
Thriving may not feel possible today. Surviving seems doable. And that's okay. I'm right there with you. Your work matters. You matter, mama.
*This* is when motherhood gets easier
Try not to worry–it will get easier. Eventually, your kids will even help you bend and reach toward whatever it is you need them to.
This is what it’s like to be a new mom
What I want to say when people ask, "What's it like to be a new mom?"
How I’m learning to mother–without my mom
You are always with me. In those times when I lose my cool under frustration, like yesterday when Everett was whining and simultaneously the dog threw up all over the carpet, I can feel you witnessing it all. I can feel you helping me, calming me or laughing at the chaos and confusion you used to know so well.
I only have 2 weeks left before my maternity leave ends
It occurs to me that this ritual is the first of many symbolic cords we will cut.
To the mama in the thick of it—it won’t be like this forever
Slowly but surely with time, everything will change.
Hannah on her postpartum bipolar diagnosis
Hello. I’m Hannah. I’m many things–a mum, a wife, a daughter, a sister, an HR professional. I have recently become the owner of a tech start-up. I have a degree in psychology. I’m a friend to so many beautiful people. I also have Bipolar Disorder.
I finally realized I had postpartum anxiety—and everything changed
When my oldest son would fall asleep in my arms, I wouldn't grab my phone for a picture. Instead, I would start Googling. How long should newborns sleep? Should you wake a sleeping baby? Can you spoil an infant? From the moment he shut his eyes, I would worry about what I was doing wrong.
Kristina on surviving postpartum psychosis
"How does a 30-year old mom of two with no previous history of mental illness get admitted to the psych ward? This is where my memory fails me, but the diagnosis: Postpartum Psychosis."