Breastfeeding is a wonderful thing. It's incredibly special, it's powerful, and it's cheap, and all those things are fabulous. But I'm gonna take a quick sec and say that the wonders of breastfeeding don't show up until after the first month. That first month is out of control hard, and it will break you faster than you … Continue reading I Stopped Breastfeeding, and Some Weird Things Happened

I hate you, Mom Guilt. I hate that you creep up and tell me that I'm not doing a good job. I hate that you make me look at other moms and compare myself to them, only to decide that they're better than me. I hate that you tend to be best friends with my … Continue reading I Hate You, Mom Guilt.

For as long as I can remember, I've been a pleaser. When things got shitty in my family, I was the peace maker. When things were good, I was easy-going. I was whatever anybody needed me to be at any given time. I followed directions, I tried to do well in school, and for the … Continue reading Why Moms Need to Stop Being People Pleasers (For Good)

I'll admit that I don't like to be told what to do. And I really don't like to be told what to feel. It feels invasive and empty, as though compassion and understanding have packed up and moved out. I'm finding I'm not alone in this, though, which of course makes me feel more normal … Continue reading Parenting Advice That People Think is Good, But is Actually Bad

I crawled into bed last night and closed my eyes. Right then I could smell her. My eyes popped open. I didn't want it to go away. Her smell lingered in the air for a bit. Not long enough, of course, but during that time I could feel that she was actually there. No one … Continue reading Lessons I Learned from a Resilient Mother (That I Also Want My Kids to Learn)