When a baby is born, a mother is too.

Mom Shame
Parenting, Post Partum, Mindfulness, Anxiety, Community Bethany Foster Parenting, Post Partum, Mindfulness, Anxiety, Community Bethany Foster

Mom Shame

While I want to acknowledge and validate the experience of feeling Just Not Good Enough, I also want to say that it is not a requirement of motherhood that we harbor a constant sense of inadequacy. It is not essential that we second-guess all of our decisions. We are not failing our kids if we end the day with a hot-and-ready pizza and a juice box and say, You know what, I did my best today, and I’m proud of that.

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Eighteen Summers
Parenting, Aging, Growing Up, Mindfulness, Anxiety, Grief, Secondary Infertility Bethany Foster Parenting, Aging, Growing Up, Mindfulness, Anxiety, Grief, Secondary Infertility Bethany Foster

Eighteen Summers

I saw a Facebook post the other day that really set me off. It wasn’t political. Or a veiled guilt trip at working moms. (The algorithms have definitely figured me out on that front.) It wasn’t even a recipe that made my taste buds leap out of my mouth, only to climb back in when my brain reminded them it doesn’t have the attention span to make it past the 6th step. It was that infamous “You only have eighteen summers with your kid” post.

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Today is Rare Disease Day
Rare Disease, Medical Trauma, Infertility, Secondary Infertility Bethany Foster Rare Disease, Medical Trauma, Infertility, Secondary Infertility Bethany Foster

Today is Rare Disease Day

I’m often surprised at my social media feed on February 28. People I didn’t realize had been affected by a rare disease share their story, or the story of a loved one. Perhaps the purpose is to be seen, to have the struggle witnessed, to bring light to something not often discussed. Perhaps it is to raise awareness and financial support for research. Whatever the reason, some people find some sort of meaning, solace, or purpose in sharing a story that is not understood by many. I’m one of those people.

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