Mental Health

Did you want to know a secret? My partner thinks I buy Target Brand Up and Up Cucumber baby wipes because they are more affordable than name-brand wipes and because they are gentle on our baby’s sensitive skin. This is only a half-truth. This brand has other wipes as well, like the unscented kind. What he doesn’t know is that these wipes are gentle on the eyes. They soothe the red splotchiness that occurs from excessive crying … it almost disappears automatically and I can go about my day without anyone knowing I’ve had an hour-long crying session. They make my face feel so much better and they’re great at cleaning off mascara stains in a jiffy (if I can...

For years, I have been a firm believer in taking what I like to call mental health days. With two kids and ever-increasing responsibilities at work and home, it is more important than ever for me to take that time. My mental health days are my self-care. What’s a mental health day? These are days that I choose ahead of time to do whatever I need to do for myself. Yes – I said it. I "selfishly" take time for me. I usually take one day every few months or after a particularly stressful period at work and/or home. My time is spent doing whatever I want to do – or nothing at all. My mental health days don’t all look...

This has been a rough year for me. With several heavy issues in my lap, I was struggling more than I ever had. When it got to the point where I felt like I was drowning and couldn't get out, when I was too immobilized to take my kids to the store with me (both very new feelings for me), I decided it was time to go back to therapy. After several sessions, we realized that I was struggling with anxiety and depression. I spoke with my general practitioner, and started on medication, and began to finally feel the fog lifting. I was feeling more stable with a balance of therapy and meds. I knew that the last several months...

I have an ugly confession to make – now that I am a mom, I’ve become a side-project junkie. Time is my currency and Pinterest is my gateway drug. If projects were a household item for me, they would be a drawer full of mismatched koozies that multiply after getting wet. I can’t resist the temptation of jumping head-first into something that is time consuming, requires an unnecessary financial investment, and, for me, doesn’t come with an exit strategy. I’ve started searching for a new hit now that I’m 37 weeks pregnant and the kitchen finally has new hardware. The Symptoms of an Over-involved Mom I say “yes” far too often at work. I make commitments to learning how to do...

One of the most stressful things about preparing to add a child to a family is figuring out parental leave. And unfortunately for us, the US lags behind when it comes to leave policies that support families. Here are some facts about parental leave from Healthline: The United States is the only industrialized nation that does not mandate paid family leave on a federal level. Only 60% of US women qualify for FMLA which mandates 12 weeks of UNPAID job protection for parents after the birth of a child. Only 13% of parents have access to any form of paid family leave. 25% of American women return to work within 2 weeks of giving birth. Suicide is the second...