Motherly Acquired Motherhood Understood - Motherly
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Motherhood Understood

Motherly acquired Motherhood Understood, continuing our mission of providing a woman-centered and supportive community for mothers. We are leaning into telling personal essays from mothers as a way that we learn, connect and feel less alone. Centered on the perspectives of maternal mental health, these stories are intended to help moms feel validated and seen.

Motherhood Understood

Jeanette on getting help for postpartum depression, anxiety and intrusive thoughts

"My husband did the majority of the childcare and while it killed me to see the exhaustion and worry in his eyes, I just didn’t care enough to help."

December 7, 2020
Motherhood Understood

Motherhood Understood

Olivia on taking care of a baby while dealing with her husband’s postpartum depression

"I had to do all of these things because shortly after the birth, my husband vanished."

November 30, 2020
Motherhood Understood

Motherhood Understood

Erica on being afraid to be left alone to take care of her baby

"I stopped eating. I cried. I had a constant pit of anxiety that sat in my stomach. The only time it would go away was when I was asleep."

November 23, 2020
Motherhood Understood

Motherhood Understood

Karina on postpartum depression and struggling to find joy in motherhood

"I love my baby…I think... I don’t have all this motherhood stuff figured out yet..."

November 16, 2020
Motherhood Understood

Motherhood Understood

Nicole on having PTSD, postpartum depression and anxiety after giving birth

"I went to my room and looked at my empty bed, and the empty bassinet and realized this was the first time I had been alone since my delivery. This isn’t how it was supposed to be, and so the first breakdown happened."

November 9, 2020
Motherhood Understood

Motherhood Understood

Sarah on her first four months of motherhood–not easy, but worth it

"This hasn’t gone the way I expected it to. But she makes every second worth it."

November 2, 2020
Motherhood Understood

Motherhood Understood

Kayleigh on her anxiety about giving birth during a pandemic

"My anxiety levels were already high, but not knowing what could happen was making it worse."

October 26, 2020
Motherhood Understood

Motherhood Understood

Tamara on how Coronavirus actually helped her postpartum anxiety

"Coronavirus did something for me that it probably didn’t do for a lot of other mothers. It helped."

October 19, 2020
Motherhood Understood

Motherhood Understood

Jess on having postpartum depression and feeling isolated and alone during Covid-19

"Life is hard right now."

October 12, 2020
Motherhood Understood, Covid

Motherhood Understood

Kelly on having to go to prenatal appointments alone because of Covid-19 restrictions

"I again had to go to this appointment alone, which didn't seem like a big deal because baby was healthy, right?"

October 5, 2020
Motherhood Understood, Covid

Motherhood Understood

Courtney on Covid, colic, and the postpartum depression and anxiety they caused

"I desperately needed that break, but I couldn't call anyone. My husband and I had to tough it out alone."

September 28, 2020
Motherhood Understood

Motherhood Understood

Karina, a mental health professional, on not recognizing her own prenatal anxiety

"Working from home, homeschooling a five-year old who didn’t understand the idea of not leaving the house or seeing other siblings, and coping with the daily changes of pregnancy was beginning to make me feel anxious."

September 21, 2020
Motherhood Understood

Motherhood Understood

Morgan on postpartum depression, anxiety and mom rage as a first time parent during Covid-19

"Every night when the baby would wake up and cry, I would cry too—and every time I felt like I was losing control."

September 14, 2020
Motherhood Understood

Motherhood Understood

Sanyya on health anxiety while raising a baby during a global pandemic

"My baby should be in a park under the sun, on the swings, walking on grass, befriending other kids, but instead, he is at home all day every day, pacing from one room to the other, playing with the same toys each day, seeing no new faces apart from his parents."

September 7, 2020
Motherhood Understood, Covid

Motherhood Understood

Jane on feeling like a failure as a mother because her baby had to go to the NICU

"No one told me I could change my clothes. No one told me I could bathe. I needed a caregiver. I needed an advocate. I needed someone to take care of me."

September 2, 2020
Motherhood Understood

Motherhood Understood

Grace on mothering and working with anxiety and depression during Covid-19

"I feel like I have been alone with two babies since I had the baby—cooking, cleaning, changing diapers, feedings, and bleeding."

August 31, 2020
Motherhood Understood

Motherhood Understood

Krystal on postpartum depression leading her to confront her past traumas

“PTSD?” I asked. “Yes, from childhood trauma. You may think you’ve only been dealing with PPD but this is just a little tip of the iceberg. I’m glad you came in today.” 

August 24, 2020
Motherhood Understood

Motherhood Understood

Megan on recovering from postpartum depression and learning to put herself first

"Mama bears, I know some of you have walked a similar road or are walking it now. I send you love and give you permission to turn that radio up a little louder."

August 17, 2020
Motherhood Understood

Motherhood Understood

Caitlin on how therapy gave her the tools to cope with postpartum rage and anxiety

"I wasn't a bad mother, just one that needed help."

August 10, 2020
Motherhood Understood

Mental Health

Lauren on not allowing mental illness and postpartum depression to define her

My mental illness does not define me.

August 3, 2020
Mental Health, Motherhood Understood
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