essays

From a mom of older kids to a new mama: It won’t always be this hard

To those mamas who feel exhausted and stuck, like things will never get easier, let me tell you: things will get easier.

Our children may never know all we do—but they will know our love

I know you may not know it, but you are seen. You are needed. You are wanted.

Being a working mom is my identity. But can we drop the label?

Being a working mom is my superpower. But the term “working mom” is outdated, ineffective at capturing who we—moms—all are, and is dismissive of all parents.

What moms are feeling is so much more than ‘burnout’

'Burnout' is a bite-sized buzzword for a really complex and layered issue.

Motherhood is holding on, and then one day letting go

It’s holding on. To firsts and lasts, to moments of magic in the mundane, and to an ache of loving so deeply.

A letter to new cancer moms

Sweet friend, I wish I could promise you that your child is going to survive this. That you are all going to come out of this undamaged. But, I can't promise you any of those things. What I can promise you? You WILL have support. 

To the working mom who’s also a stay-at-home mom: I see you

At the end of the day, we don’t want our children to say that mama did it all. We want them to know that mama did what she could, and that was more than enough.

To the mama preparing to meet her baby—I remember

I remember the feeling of lightness when Sunday arrived and the heaviness in the days that followed when the visitors left and the hormones crashed and a wave of newness like nothing I’d ever known came over me. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣

To the women who made me who I am

You taught me that mothering—or womanhood—does not always have to be synonymous with strength. That there is room for weakness and error. That I have somewhere to rest my weary head until I have the wit to rise again. Thank you for being a resting and a rising place all within the same breath.

I learned to let go, respect and love my postpartum body

I looked down at my formerly-flat, newly-deflated belly after giving birth to my oldest son, and I thought to myself: is this what my body is going to be like, now? The changes your body experiences during and after pregnancy can be shocking, but I learned to find the beauty in it.

Mamas in Ukraine—and around the world—achieve the impossible

And while she was acknowledging her own pain she also said, “I could be giving birth in Ukraine right now—someone probably is doing that right now.” Women give birth in war zones, in hiding, in abusive homes, sometimes completely alone.

Mama, when the news breaks your heart

How are you talking to your little ones about the news?

Tonight, I’ll hold my baby close

Mothers elsewhere, everywhere, hold a weight so unfathomable every waking hour—their children, those guns, the amount of 'fight' left in their bones.

To the mama struggling with postpartum: It doesn’t make you any less of a mother

Truth is, the postpartum period is hard, and we don’t talk about it enough.

To the mama who feels like she’s failing at everything, you are enough

Sometimes motherhood feels like one long list of things that you’re falling short on. But know this, mama: You are more than enough.

What Black mothers-to-be need to know before giving birth

I was confident in my ability to have the birth experience that I wanted. Unfortunately, that didn’t end up being the case. Now, I hope other Black mothers-to-be can learn from my experience and how to prepare themselves for all possible birthing scenarios.

Postpartum anxiety stole my joy. Here’s how I got it back (and then some)

My first year of motherhood came with a flood of persistent and overwhelming worry that prevented me from enjoying simple pleasures.

I miss how easy and fun sex was before my infertility struggles

Here’s how I found that place again.

Black History Month: The untold stories of the mothers who shaped history

Shining a light on the mothers of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin.

Atanasia on having PPD with her second and not responding well to medication

I think the most important thing to know if you’re going through PPD is that it CAN get better. You will get better.