essays

Having a baby made me rethink my entire career

Being on mat leave helped me think about what I want—and don't want—when it comes to my career.

Becky on loss followed by postpartum depression during a pandemic

"I found myself relieved by the stay-at-home orders because it was just easier to be alone."

Dear mama, this is what I’ll remember

I remember your comfort and how you kept me warm. I remember your face above me when I cried for you. I remember you would feed me when I was hungry, or tired or in pain.

Summer activities are canceled, but the magic of the season isn’t

This summer feels like both an insurmountable task and an incredible opportunity.

How to realistically make self-care a priority when you have no time

Start by letting your children get bored.

Dear son: Wear your rainbow shirt with pride

I want to encourage my son to express pride and allyship, but I also want to shield him from everything else that may come with making a statement in our small town.

Laurel on checking into a psychiatric unit for postpartum depression

Sometimes newfound motherhood finds you in a doctor’s office, checking your battle wounds from labor and painful delivery. And sometimes it finds you in the waiting room of an ER, clinging to the last bit of sanity you have left-begging for someone to hear you. 

I’m sending my toddler to daycare for the first time—but I’m not ready

The idea of my son being outside the safety of our house—and isolation—is giving me so much anxiety.

Helen on postpartum depression and rage with her second baby

Nothing can prepare you for becoming a parent.

My birth story: Surrogacy made me a mother

No matter how it happened, my baby deserves a warm and fuzzy birth story.

My birth story: Life and loss in one pregnancy

Our maternal-fetal medicine doctor came in suddenly—and I knew that something was wrong.

Let me stay home a little longer, he won’t be this little forever

I love knowing the majority of my time is with him. That when he asks me, "Mommy sit down with me," I can do it and not care about the pile of dishes

I thought I’d be done with breastfeeding by now, but the world had other plans

Our accidentally-and-then-on-purpose extended breastfeeding has proved to be a gift for both of us.

Carissa on postpartum anxiety and finding love for her son

"Postpartum depression and anxiety hit me like a freight train. I couldn’t pull myself out from under it. I felt horrible for feeling the way I did because society tells new moms that motherhood shouldn’t be this way."

The world is starting to re-open, but I’m not ready to go back yet

The one thing I wanted to do weeks ago now makes me hyperventilate.

Kayla on finally admitting she suffered from postpartum depression

PPD Question: I feel overwhelmed.  My answer: No, I have been coping as well as ever.

Alicia on experiencing post traumatic stress disorder during COVID-19

"...Remember what it is to survive, and to overcome. And remember, what it is to learn to breathe water."

I miss having personal space

My once quiet area, free of distraction and interruption, is now the communal space for all child activities.

To the mamas without moms this Mother’s Day

It's a lonely, raw, heart-wrenching kind of pain to be without her.

Brittany on finding help at the Alexis Joy D’Achille Center for Perinatal Mental Health

"I was listened to. I was recognized and taken seriously."