Self-Care

I’m a working mom with a chronic disease—here’s what I’ve learned about taking care of myself

3. Saying no doesn't have to be hard.

Think of dressing yourself as a form of self-care, mama, says stylist La Tonya Yvette

"We feel like our best like selves when we're actually taking care of our mental health. And you know that's style for me," shares Yvette.

To the mama who lets their child pick their own outfits—I see you

I see that your child also has 5+ bows in their hair and a layer of leggings, shorts and a skirt on.

In case you didn’t know, you are the best mama in the whole world

But it's not for the reasons you might think.

6 phrases for when your child wants to play and you need a break, mama

2. "I'm not available to play dinosaurs right now. Would you like to read with me?"

5 important ways to celebrate your postpartum body, mama

We still have work to do in this arena, and mamas, that work continues with us.

All I can be right now is an ‘okay’ mom—and I’m fine with that

I know this is a "hard season" of life. But I also know—because every well-meaning person over 40 tells me constantly—that these days go by so fast and to cherish them.

Becoming a mama of 2 was harder than I expected

Now that I'm a tired mama with a baby on her hip and a toddler by her side I'm learning you can never say no too many times. No to extra stressors, no to unrealistic expectations, no to too many commitments on the family calendar.

Bekah Martinez defends saying ‘sometimes having a baby sucks’—but she shouldn’t have to

Moms are entitled to feel exhausted or overwhelmed or defeated, and they're allowed to express those feelings. We should never shame them for doing so.

Mom-guilt season is upon us

Everyone except those of us who don't get a break.

A brutally honest photo reminded me how complex motherhood can be

When I looked at it a third time, I realized this was a beautiful photo of us. Honest, intimate and real, this photo perfectly captured all the feelings in the room that night, and the reality of motherhood, which is as complex as this photo.

Hot dogs, sunscreen and all the other ways I’m ‘messing up’

Why does it have to be so incredibly complicated?

To the stranger who judged me for not breastfeeding my baby

I did not have any problems breastfeeding because I didn't even attempt it. And my daughter is healthy, fed and growing. That's all that matters.

Yelling at your child happens—what you do *after* is what counts, mama

If we don't do anything about the guilt it can eat away at us.

The three words that saved my motherhood

This simple life built of love is enough.

Motherhood is: Managing to keep on going even when it feels like you can’t

I still don't feel completely steady on my feet, but I'm on auto-pilot now. I get up. I change him. I feed him. I put him back in bed. Wash, rinse, repeat.

American mothers are trying harder than ever–so why do we feel like we’re failing?

We are carrying the burden of society's shortcomings.

As a working mom, I don’t ‘have it all’—but I love everything I have

I still don't have it "all." What I do have is realistic expectations for what I can accomplish in a day.

Feeling shame is normal—here’s how to deal, mama

My 2-year-old son was home with the flu. He was sick and…

I prepared so much for my baby that I forgot to prepare for my own transformation

While I had gone through the motions of doing the preparations, what I hadn't done was say goodbye to my old life.