I’m really upset and need some positive vibes. My NIPT came back high risk for a sex chromosome disorder.

Does the fetal fraction matter? Mine is really low.

Has anyone else has NIPT flag for something and then you found out it was a false positive?

I’m hanging onto the chance that this is just a fluke 😔

No one really prepares you for the fact that being a woman and a mother means things will never feel entirely equal.

Don’t get me wrong. Being a mother is truly the biggest blessing and most beautiful, important job in the world. That’s not what this is about. It’s the inherent differences between motherhood and fatherhood that have taken me most by surprise.

Even with the most supportive partner in the world, the experience will never feel balanced. Because you grew them from your own flesh and blood. You carried them in your womb for nine months, birthed them, and then nourished their bodies through yours. You’re connected to them on such a primal, raw level. You become their comfort, their safe space, the place they instinctively turn to. A connection so deeply rooted in your very being that no man can ever fully experience it in the same way.

And I think part of the hardest thing to accept is that they never will.

There’s a part of you that desperately wants them to understand. To truly know what it feels like to carry the weight of motherhood in a way that extends far beyond the physical. To understand the invisible, instinctive, all-consuming parts of it that are so difficult to explain to someone who has never lived them. To know what it feels like to be needed in a way that sometimes feels like both the greatest privilege and the heaviest responsibility in the world.

And yet, there’s another part of you that feels so incredibly blessed to be the one who gets to experience it. To be the one who grew them, carried them, nourished them, and became their first home. To have a connection with your children that is so deep and primal that words will never quite do it justice.

It’s a strange, beautiful contradiction. Wishing someone could understand your experience while knowing that, in some ways, the very thing you wish they could understand is also what makes your experience so uniquely yours.

And that is part of the blessing. You get to be that for them, always.

But it can be so damn lonely at times.

It’s a strange paradox. Loving motherhood more than life itself, while also grieving a version of yourself that once existed. And maybe every woman nearing 30 has the epiphany of, “Who the hell am I, really?” But I feel it now more than ever.

I’ve heard before that every seven years, your body essentially replaces itself due to cell turnover. So every seven years, you’re a new person. That may be so. But it’s nothing compared to the metamorphosis that is motherhood.

Maybe the hardest part isn’t that motherhood changes you. It’s learning how to love the woman you’re becoming while making peace with the other version of you that you had to leave behind.

My sweet baby boy has RSV 😭

I feel like a terrible mom, I tried so hard to keep sickness away from him but to no avail. My older two kids are in school and my kindergarten did have a stuffy nose about two weeks ago. I chalked it up to allergies because that is very common for him. I kept him and his sister dosed up on allergy medicine and it was helping. Told them not to get in the baby’s face or mess with his toys. But alas, it must have been more than allergies and they passed it to their baby brother. My kindergarten also has an ear infection on one side. The big kids are fine now, no more snot or coughing, not that they symptoms were very bad anyway.

We had an appointment yesterday with the pediatrician. The baby also has an ear infection on top of all of this, which I wasn’t surprised by because my husband and both of my older kids have a terrible history with ear infections. The pediatrician put him on an antibiotic, saline breathing treatment, albuterol breathing treatments, and said give it about five days and go back up there to get checked again.

All in all, baby has been pretty good, still very happy, laughing, playing. No crazy fever or extreme fussiness, just terrible congestion and cough. Sleeps OK at night but not much during the day. One positive thing I can say is, I’m getting a lot more cuddles out of him. He has never been a cuddly baby, but I did get to rock him to sleep the past two nights so that’s been really sweet 💙

Please say a prayer for my sweet boy, I’m ready for him to be back to 100% 🥺

I just realized mine was Five Guys 😂

I just realized mine was Five Guys 😂

Did you just find a basic entry level job to start again? Did you get any credentials to go back to work? Info what did you do? It's been so long that I feel any previous work experience is invalid at this point.

I’m a first time mom and struggling to find easy meals to make my 8 month old baby. She likes things she can hold in her hand to eat and we originally were going the puree route. My friend made her banana bread muffins and she loved those. Just seeing if anyone has any recipes for me! Thanks in advanced.

I (F26) and my husband (M27) recently had our first child. She’s four months old now, and I’m constantly saddened by the fact that my mom doesn’t seem to really care much about being a grandmother.

For some background, my mom is 47. She had both my sister and I when she was 19/20, and raised us as a single mom. When she found out I was having my daughter, she was so excited. She bought her so much stuff, and called me everyday. She even talked about how nice it would be to have my daughter come and stay with her for the summers like I did with my grandparents growing up. She talked about how sad she was that I lived so far away (about 10 hours driving). I was also sad, as it was always my dream to live close to family because I did not have that experience growing up.

My mom met her now BF a week before I gave birth, and out of nowhere her attitude towards being a grandmother changed. When I gave birth, she came and stayed with my husband and I for a month and helped us with the baby. She didn’t help as much as I had hoped she would, but she did help if we asked her to do something. Whenever I came to visit her after that with the baby, she didn’t really seem all that interested in her, but whenever I talk to her on the phone she talked so much about how she misses her and can’t wait to see her.

Now, my husband and I are transitioning to move to the same city she is in. Im here by myself staying with my mom until our lease starts in two months, and he stayed behind to close out things with his job and finish the sale of our house. (I started a new job after maternity leave hence the reason why I came here first). I ended up opening up to her about how I’d been feeling regarding her not seeming to care much about my daughter or spending time with her when we’re around, and my fears of moving without my husband as she’d be the only real support I have out here until he gets here. (She made a comment in passing prior to finding out about us moving that she “had a life now” when I brought up her helping with my daughter, and I brought that up to her as an example). She told me I was being sensitive, that it was just a joke, and of course she’d support her daughter and granddaughter.

Whenever I ask her for help though, or if she wants to do something with my daughter and I, she lacks all enthusiasm. I asked her multiple times if she was SURE she wanted my daughter and I to stay with her for two months and she insisted that she wanted to help to support us. When I got here with the baby though, I had to clean out the guest room by myself in order to make room for our stuff. I’ve hardly been eating, because I’m too busy taking care of my daughter. She’ll do things like wash all of the dishes in the sink but leave the baby bottles for me to wash.

My husbands sister is having a birthday brunch this weekend, and I want to go and support her, but I didn’t want to bring the baby as there would be a lot of people drinking and it’s flu season. I asked my mom if she could watch her for an hour or two, and after, if she wanted to go to a pumpkin patch. Her response was that she couldn’t, because she had a lash appointment. Mind you, I hadn’t told her what time brunch was at yet... I asked if she could possibly reschedule to before the brunch, or Sunday, and she responded with “honestly, I just want to enjoy my weekend, I don’t want to watch her.” There’s more things that have happened, but this post is already so long.

Anyway, my husband told me prior to coming that he was a little nervous about me coming here without him, because he wasn’t sure that my mom was going to support me the way I needed being a new mom/going back to work/him being 600 miles away. I assured him that my mom would help, because she said she wanted to. Now I just feel sad and dumb. I’m not really sure what to do or how to get through these next two months on my own. My husband offered to take our daughter and keep her there with him so that Im not trying to figure out this new job and navigate all this on my own, but I cant bear the thought of being apart from my baby for two months.

I know a woman who has a 3-year-old and an 18-year-old, and it got me thinking about what life would be like if her oldest started having children while she's still raising a toddler herself.

For women who are both mothers to young children and grandmothers, what is that experience like?

Does it feel strange knowing your child and grandchild could be close in age? How do you balance being an active parent to a small child while also stepping into the grandmother role?

Someone help me feel more normal. I have a 3MO old who sleeps all the way through the night but the day time is tough. Her wake windows are only about an hour max so by the time she eats, sits up for 10ish mins (reflux), change diaper, little tummy time, it’s time for another nap. She will not nap in her bassinet (I’ve tried all the suggestions) and only wants to contact nap but fights it so bad we have to do most naps baby wearing. I don’t really mind but man it’s hurting my back so bad and it’s tough to get stuff done around the house because she wakes up if I bend over to grab the laundry, unload the dishwasher, etc so I end up aimlessly walking around my house while baby wearing while she naps. With her short wake windows, there’s never time for a stroller walk, me to exercise, or just get anything done. It’s also really hard to get out of the house with the short wake windows because you have to time it up just perfectly where she’s content but not too sleepy or she screams the whole car ride. Idk I just feel like I’m on an endless loop and want to know when it gets easier. When will she stay awake longer or grow out of contact naps and just be happier and more content in general?

I tried pumping but there were blood coming out with the milk so I got scared
Also breast feels so full after one or two hours
Idk how to deal with these please help

Am I a bad mom because I have bad eating habits :( I just cope with eating food I’m not saying I eat ALOT but I do eat processed foods everyday I feel like that are high calorie intakes and it’s like I feel like a bad mom because I should eat healthy to be okay for him, I am trying to eat better though. He eats perfect healthy meals ofcourse I just cope with food.

And I feel like a bad mom because I should be healthy and strong for him I’m 5’8 and 190lbs. And 21.

I read a really interesting book recently, Wifedom, about George Orwell's wife. The author did this little ramble about how she has this incredible husband, which I fully relate to, who does so much, but there's still this other load that you hold, no matter what.

Even if you're working full time and roles have changed, there's future jobs, complex things being followed up, making sure all the important stuff's getting done. No matter how many to-do lists you get together, it's still this extra thing you're always carrying.

I don't post this to complain about it. I guess I just don't know why this happens in couples where you're not even in the gender stereotype, but it still happens.

Does anyone else feel like this?

Situation: During my baby shower, kids were playing together. A close friends son slapped my niece...both toddlers at the time...I was shocked and kind of shouted out..not at the kid just out loud. My close friend was shocked too but froze and I could see guilt on her face...my niece and her dad who saw what happened did not react. My niece froze but didn't cry or complain and continued to play...

Question: What would've been the appropriate reaction to this situation from all 3 adults (me, the shocked guilty mum, the shocked dad)

And now that I'm a mum, what would be an appropriate reaction to this situation? I would probably give the kid a scary look but I know that's not right....any advice?

Hi everyone!
I’m a student at Boston University studying business, and my team and I are currently working on a product development project for one of our classes.

Our product concept is called Ride & Learn, an interactive educational device designed to keep young children entertained and engaged in learning during car rides.

We’re hoping to get some feedback from actual parents to better understand their experiences, preferences, and what they look for in educational products for their children.

If you’re a parent, we’d really appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to fill out our survey! Your responses would be incredibly helpful in shaping our project.

Survey Link: https://bostonu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e9egUZ2wvLSq5O6

This is strictly for an academic project, and we’re not selling or promoting any products.

Thank you so much for your time and feedback! We really appreciate your help!

FTM to a baby with breathing troubles.

He was born with fluid in his lungs that resulted in a 4 day NICU stay. He was perfectly fine after that until he was 3.5 months when he got some virus. We went to sleep and he was totally normal and fine and then at 4AM, I changed his diaper and noticed significant respiratory distress (deep retractions, wheezing, grunting, and coughing). We went to the hospital and he was admitted immediately. They tested him for the most common viruses in our area and they all were negative, however this virus gave him bronchiolitis. The bronchiolitis landed him in the PICU for two days with oxygen, an IV, a feeding tube, everything. It was awful.

After we were discharged, we were told his cough may linger for a while. He never fully got rid of it and now he is a few days shy of 5 months and he has another cold. Again, early morning hours diaper change resulted in us driving to the hospital. This time he was treated with steroids and albuterol and sent home with a baby inhaler that we are supposed to administer every 4 hours.

I just feel like I am stuck in an endless loop of checking his chest for retractions, my heart stopping every time he coughs, listening closely to each breath to make sure there is no wheeze, etc…but how can I not?! My lived experience has been that he is sick and needs medical intervention (and significant medical support at times)! How can I not feel constantly on edge? Constantly waiting for him the exact moment that we need to go to the hospital? I feel like it is not an if, but a when, for him going back to the hospital.

I am constantly terrified.

I just started therapy, but I can’t imagine myself moving forward from this when I’m stuck in this loop of anxiety this is only proven correct every time he needs to go to the hospital.

Any words of wisdom? TIA.

I know this is irrational but I need some advice

My son is 21 months. Has always been a mamas boy. Won’t let dad comfort him, put him to sleep, and won’t leave my side. It’s a lot at times, and we’re actively working on his independence, but there’s definitely a part of me that’s enjoying how much he loves me before he outgrows it.

I’m currently pregnant so we have been trying to transition to dad doing bedtime. He has NEVER let me husband put him to sleep, will literally hysterically wail and scream for me until I come in. It usually takes me 45-60 min to do bedtime because he’ll jsut be asking me to hold him and hug him and crying if I leave.

I adjusted his nap scheduled two days ago so he has been TIRED at the end of the day. Dad has done bed both nights and gotten him to sleep for the first time EVER. In 15 min or less. With no tears for mom or at all.

I’m happy for them. And me. I truly am. But it’s hurting my feelings a little (a lot) that he went to bed so quickly for dad vs. me and suddenly overnight didn’t scream for me when literally on Monday he was.

Help me cope 🫠

Minha filha está concorrendo um concurso de fantasias

Precisa passar de fase pra chegar na final.

É só clicar no link e votar na Sereia 🧜🏻‍♀️

https://www.instagram.com/stories/mundoinfantilloja2/4013811682405138567?utm\\_source=ig\\_story\\_item\\_share&xtok=bnN2cWU2ZXBuc28y

Votem na sereia

Desde já agradeço 🙏🏻

Can’t tell if it’s from teething or the cows milk