Happy Mother’s Day everyone! It’s my first official time celebrating the holiday and I couldn’t be more excited, although during fertility treatments I still tried to celebrate for three reasons: one, because over the course of the years trying I had indeed mothered two babies that never made it earth-side and I felt my effort and grief deserved to be celebrated, two, because I believed that although I wasn’t physically a mother yet, the act of working so hard to get there made me one even more so and three, if I didn’t try to make the day joyful than the despair of empty arms would swallow me up. I’m celebrating with full arms this year and am eternally grateful to be at this place now, but it’s a little bittersweet when I think of all the women out there still feeling pain surrounding this holiday. Whether it’s because of infertility and longing for a child, or the loss of a child, or maybe the loss of their mother, or just missing their child or mother because they can’t be together. So to all the mother’s of any kind: new moms, pregnant moms, seasoned moms, grand-moms, step moms, adoptive moms, foster moms, birth moms, single moms, infertility moms, those longing to be moms, moms who have experienced loss, those who miss their moms, those who’ve never met their moms, dads filling the role of mom, dog moms, cat moms, plant moms, what am I missing?! I’m thinking of you all! You are all beyond amazing and deserve some recognition and love today. I’m sending you a virtual hug and gifting you with a round up of reads that are (mostly) related to mothering. Happy Mother’s Day and happy reading!

First Things First

• The most important lesson to all moms: You are not failing.

Life Things

• From the people: Best life advice ever received.  

Green Things & Health 

• Just a reminder that what you put in and on your body affects it and your baby too. 
• Postpartum healing is hard and is not often supported how it should be with Drs. giving the ok to resume normal “activity” at 6 weeks. A look at why this should change.
• This: motherhood/birth brings the most dramatic changes to a women’s brain they’ll ever experience. We NEED to acknowledge and support that in prenatal and postnatal care.
• 4 Million Babies Are Born Every Year, So Why Do We Still Know So Little About Childbirth?

On Infertility & Motherhood & Being a Woman

• #Motherhoodrewritten shares several women’s mothering stories in categories that are outside the norm including: child loss, mom loss, infertility, miscarriage, step moms, adoptive moms, foster moms, and birth moms.
• What to say to moms who have lost children on Mother’s Day.
• New motherhood can be isolating and that’s something that needs more attention.
• This floral shop had a wonderful idea to show sensitivity to those experiencing pain surrounding Mother’s Day.
• Having a child doesn’t cure infertility, but we sure act like it does.
• Inspiring IVF pregnancy announcements.
• Getting through Mother’s Day without a mom.
• Why, this day and age, are pregnant women still struggling to keep their jobs?
• Terms we use to describe pregnancy are actually really demeaning.

Pregnancy, Children and Parenting

• Think breastfeeding is the cheaper, “free” option? Think again.
• Breastfeeding guilt is real. Why is it so hard to shake?
• Pregnancy survival items found on Amazon.
• Parenting is overwhelming, that’s a fact, so this woman decided to “unparent” her children.
• A look at one woman’s experience with postpartum anxiety.
• We spend a lot of time preparing for birth but not what follows. Here is the “Ultimate Postpartum Guide” to help you out.
• Pregnancy depression is a very real thing. Here’s why awareness and support needs to be expanded.
• Mother’s Day is hard for many women to face, especially for those dealing with infertility and loss. Here’s one woman’s feelings about the holiday.

Pure Fun & Inspiration

• Mother’s Day astrology forecast here.
• Mother’s Day funnies. lollllzzz
• More mom meme funnies.
• Yes Amy Schumer! Women are the sh*t!
• Not mothering related, but did everyone see the Met Gala fashions this week? Loved Lady Gaga’s take.
• And also Celine’s. Um apparently this took 3000 hours to create!  

That’s all for this week! Enjoy your day friends! 🙂