Mental Health

In 2022, we’re all aware of the need for self-care. Whether it be a corporate office pretending to give a crap by extending lunch breaks or a spouse that feels they exemplified selflessness by “letting” a mom shower in peace, there’s a lot of pretending out there when it comes to self-care. Self-care in Motherhood It shouldn’t even be such a buzzword in motherhood because the idea around self-care when you’re a mom is to simply take tiny bits of time to “recharge,” just to go back to motherhood. When will society accept moms are people, too? The thing is, while there’s a ton of support around taking care of yourself, even as a mom *gasp*, there’s a lot of judgment in the...

There are so many emotions tied with breastfeeding: joy, exhaustion, accomplishment, and even sadness. I love the bond it gave to me and each of my sons, starting my journey was a steep mountain to climb, and I miss every second of every bit of it. Thanks for hearing about my journey, I hope you can be encouraged. The dream Seven years ago I was pregnant with our first son. The most I knew about pregnancy was from my mother's stories. She had four unmedicated childbirths and I believed that was the typical experience for women. Once I became a teenager I watched Hollywood movies and was then fearful of what childbirth could be. It was then that I decided I...

I remember the whirlwind of thoughts and feelings I had while being pregnant: “Wow, my body is changing rapidly before my eyes. My skin, hair and nails look amazing! I feel sick. Everyone is being so nice to me. I feel sleepy and dizzy. I love my darling husband. I wonder if we’ll have a boy or a girl. I’m hungry. Please don’t touch me.” The day our son was born, a switch flipped. I was no longer the young lady with random thoughts before. I was a mother. And I felt a heavy burden of motherhood with very different thoughts and feelings that swept over me: “Will my baby feel loved enough? Will he love us? What if I...

My favorite lesson to do with my four-year-olds was on the book “How Full is Your Bucket? ... for Kids.” The concept is that every person has a bucket. At any given moment our bucket could be full, running out, or empty. The book shows ways in which we empty and fill each other’s buckets. The takeaway for the class was that in a kind and loving community we spend time filling each other’s buckets with love and kindness and in return our bucket becomes full also. This book really tries to teach children empathy. To treat others how they want to be treated. To look out for others and also yourself. When becoming a mother I remember other mothers constantly telling me “you...

Sometimes, it feels good to let it all out. To process, to free yourself of all the worries and thoughts that grate your nerves. It’s normal, it’s healthy, but depending on who your audience is- your deepest, most inner point of view, may land differently. Therapy is different than going to lunch with your friend. I say this with utmost confidence, as I have been working as a therapist for over the last ten years. And I have friends. Amazing, salt-of-the-earth people who are the most fun to share my latest gripes and mom victories. Nothing is more fun than venting to a tried-and-true BFF who gets it and will do me the favor of keeping it between us… and...