Tag: mother

Unlike postpartum depression (PPD), many people are unaware of postpartum anxiety (PPA). This is true despite the fact that research shows it impacts approximately 10-15%...

Today 5.7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias, diseases that are blind to gender, ethnicity, political party and faith. By 2050 the number of those "living with" is projected to rise to nearly 14 million. Standing alongside those living with these brain diseases are millions of family and friends affected as well.

I think about the arc of my mother’s life as college sorority sister; to wife, mother and career; then my father’s passing; through the whimsical and friendly hallucinations she initially experienced; to the terrifying delusions that caused despair and injury; then the decline of advanced dementia and death.

I left my corporate job after my first child was born. My company was so great and wanted me to feel special, so they threw me a retirement party. At 30, I had no idea what was in store for the future, but retirement felt like the wrong word. I felt a piece of me I put "on hold" was burning inside again when school-time approached. I knew, for me, going back to work full-time with a high responsibility and demanding job was NOT what I wanted. It was important to me to still be around the kids when they were out of school and have the flexibility to attend events during the day if needed. And (last but certainly NOT least) I wanted some time to take care of me! Since then, I have been working part-time during school hours and have not had to sacrifice my family. Trying to balance everything seems daunting, but taking the time to lay down the foundation of what you want will take the pressure off if you’re feeling the itch to work again. I did it and so can you. Here's how.

Boy, do I wish someone had told me how important a healthy microbiome is for pregnancy when I was young and impressionable! Although would I have listened? …Maybe not. Years of miscarrying and fertility treatments in my mid-twenties brought me to my knees as the desire for a baby overshadowed every other part of my life. No one seemed to have a solution except to head to the fertility clinic to find out why I was "broken."

Most parents I know feel like their kids don’t listen to them, at least not the first, second, or third time they ask them to do something. Our children are our mirrors for the good and the bad, so this is a perfect opportunity to think about whether we as parents are modeling good listening skills for our kids. Doing so shows them the way we want them to listen to us. Are we making eye contact with our kids when we talk to them and maintaining presence? Are we letting them finish their sentences without being interrupted and making sure they feel heard?

Every weekday, you grab your keys and tote, usher the kids out and hop in the car. Some days, a glance in the rearview mirror reveals a piece of Pop-Tart stuck in your kid's hair or an orange juice stain on her shirt. Focus on yourself and you see that you've failed to put any makeup on your left eye.

That's mom life. It's hectic and unorganized and, sometimes, out of control. In that context, your personal sense of style takes a backseat to getting through the day's tasks. The result? You get stuck in the quicksand of a style rut—and the only lifeline nearby is a half-chewed piece of licorice that fell out of a lunchbox.

Developing a newborn's sleep schedule may seem impossible to a new mom who can barely remember what day of the week it is, but the fact is training your baby to sleep through the night is easier than you might think.

The key to discovering your newborn’s sleep pattern lies in recognizing the last word in that phrase as the most important; in order to formulate a baby sleep schedule, you must first develop a sleep pattern.

Before attempting to uncover infant sleep patterns and problems, parents must first comprehend the importance of sleep itself. Sleep, or the lack of this precious commodity, is one of the most significant influences on a healthy life. Sleep is critically important during the first year because the human growth hormone is released during deep sleep.