Across the globe, millions of women are reaching their mid-forties without having had a child.

Something people need to understand is maternity leave is not a vacation. Motherhood is a MASSIVE, UNDERESTIMATED job within itself and a lot of companies do not offer paid leave, or leave in general.

I had six weeks paid maternity leave, but I took an additional four weeks off unpaid as I didn’t feel ready to come back to work yet. I did miss work, as it felt good to be needed or important to something outside of being a mom. When I did go back to work though, I felt like my life was chaos.

My husband and I have this beautiful baby boy, who despite all the challenges, we could not imagine our lives without. But, our relationship, the two of us, was challenged in a new and complex way. 

Having a baby with Chris made me love him on another level, but honestly the first year of Benny’s life was probably the worst year for our marriage. This isn’t uncommon.

My life after giving birth was shifting, and it was altering in ways I never would have expected.

Not only did I move and said goodbye to my carefree fun city life, I was also saying goodbye to my friends. I was the only one married, and now the only one with a baby in my group. I figured I wouldn’t see them as much but I didn’t expect to feel so different from them. 

They can’t relate to what I was (am) going through, and even though they listen at times to news about the baby, it’s like we’re speaking two different languages.

I was told my life was going to change, but I didn’t know exactly how it would change.

The months following the birth of my son Benny was the toughest period in my life. It’s a time that no one really talks about -- that fourth trimester. 

Yes, I heard a few stories about a few common challenges, the lack of sleep being the biggest one, but it was always laughed off like it wasn’t that big of a deal.

Let me be the one to tell you, it is.

It’s 3 a.m. and I can feel my eyes burn from exhaustion. 

I’ve already been up four times — feeding, burping, changing diapers. 

My son, Benjamin Allen, born five weeks early, is finally at home. We’re slowly adjusting to our new roles. 

His, new to the world. 

Me, a new mom.

The health issues that come after giving birth are often overlooked.

Lisa Druxman is a mom on a mission! It is her hope to inspire all moms to live a healthier life.

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It was January 24, 2002, just seven weeks after her adoption and beginning her new life in America, that my daughter Alena was diagnosed with Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS). 

I felt as if I’d been run over by a train. It was the worst day of my life. I had no idea that her runny nose, her slight heart murmur, her small statute, her little hands, her big blue eyes, and that button nose held anything that could not be corrected or fixed. 

And, I did not know or understand the magnitude of what was to come.

Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and what better way to celebrate mom than to give her a few gifts that will help her to feel her best and encourage her to practice self-care. 

A little bit of self-care can go a long way, especially for a mom! It’s easy for moms to get lost in motherhood and forget about taking care of themselves. Self-care looks different for different types of moms -- whether a busy working mom, athletic mom, new mom, pregnant mom, or foodie mom.

This is the perfect time to focus on moms, and I have some amazing gift ideas for different types of moms, all under $20. 

As a mom of two little girls, ages three and five, I find that self-care can be a challenge. One thing I would like for Mother’s Day would be to have the entire day to myself. The ultimate gift of self-care! An entire day to do anything… alone. Even if that means puttering around the house or running errands; a trip to Target or just sitting at the coffee shop for a few hours diving into a good book with a hot latte in hand -- “hot” being the key term, because if you’re anything like me, it’s a treat to drink a hot tea or coffee. That is, if you even remember you made it. 

If having the day off all to yourself isn’t an option or not something you’re interested in, I’ve come up with a few easy, accessible and inexpensive self-care gifts for the mom in your life, as well as for YOU. Go ahead and treat yourself to a little something this Mother’s Day. You deserve it! 

Here is a round-up of gift ideas and activities for each type mom, so you’ll be sure to find a few ideas perfect for you (or that special mom in your life).

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I recently read a blog about how childless women – particularly married childless women in their 30s – often take a lot of shit for not having kids.

I was like, “Whoa... this woman has something to say.”

And, I was right.

I get it all the time. People will ask me, “Do you have kids?” This question typically follows my reveal that I live in L.A. most of the time and my husband lives in Minnesota. My answer is always, “No kids; just cats.”

That’s me, trying to put light on the conversation that undoubtedly will turn to sympathy. Or judgment. Or confusion. Or all three of the above.

Or any number of thoughts.

I recently had a women, no joke, say to me: “That makes me so sad. That you won’t ever have children.”

WTF? When did my uterus become an issue of your concern?

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Many pregnant and breastfeeding women may be deficient in iodine, which is essential for their babies’ development.

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