Happy Friday!
How is everyone this week?
We are getting ready for our kids to head back to school and I am excited to have everyone back on a schedule. Our child who had surgery 5 weeks ago is off crutches (yay!) and now doing PT for a few months to strengthen up his leg and hopefully prevent this from happening again. The problem with osteochondritis is that it varies significantly case to case and it can become a chronic issue.
I got teary eyed seeing all those in pink who went to stand in front of the courthouse yesterday. It is such a shame that it took a case like this for those to start thinking about how abysmal postpartum mental health care is in this country and the very least we can take away from this case is that it needs to get better…..yesterday.
Also, if you’ve been deep into the Lindsay Clancy case - look into Latarsha Sanders who was also a mother from MA. She is currently serving two life sentences for the murders of her two young sons in 2018. Those convictions were just vacated by the MA Supreme Judicial Court and she was granted a new trial (Just about a week ago….). Her defense was insanity because she too, had postpartum psychosis. The original judge kept most of her psychiatric history from the jury and she didn’t get a fair shot during the trial.
I added more items into my Poshmark this week and more to come in the next few weeks!
I wanted to create this space to raise awareness, awareness to what mothers face, especially in this country. How common trauma is. How little support actually exists. How many of us are white-knuckling it through things we didn’t know were normal until we said it out loud. I want a place to put those facts, plainly, without softening them for anyone’s comfort, because I think the hardest parts of motherhood stay hard partly because we don’t talk about them.
About 700 women die each year in the United States from pregnancy-related complications.
Roughly 2 out of every 3 U.S. pregnancy-related deaths are considered preventable.
Perinatal mental health conditions (depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder) affect more than 1 in 5 (over 20%) of people during pregnancy and the year after birth.
The United States is the only high-income country without national paid family leave, and one of only about 7 countries worldwide with no paid leave for birthing parents.
Where paid family leave exists, it is linked to longer breastfeeding, lower postpartum depressive symptoms, reduced preterm birth and low birthweight, and lower infant mortality.
The Lindsay Clancy case really has me thinking so much about postpartum care and specifically everything I personally struggled with. Even though I think we talk much more about our struggles than our own mothers did, it’s still not enough. We need to change the course of how we are treated and cared for. I highlight more in the post I wrote last week…..
What SHOULD Postpartum Care Look Like?
·
Aug 13
I spent nearly 9 years of my life breastfeeding or being pregnant. Both of which interfere with your hormones significantly (don’t even get me started with perimenopause - that’s for another day). I remember having a telehealth visit with a perinatal “expert” in psychology after my 4th and telling her about my intrusive thoughts, anxiety and depression.…
Monday: Easy Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti
Tuesday: Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos with Mango Corn Salsa and Avocado Crema
Wednesday: Slow Cooker Ramen Noodles with Ground Beef
Thursday: Baked Chicken Wings in Sticky Honey Garlic Sauce
Friday: leftovers
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TOPS: Old Navy Snug Crop Tank, Quince Relaxed Oxford Shirt
SHORTS: Athleta Salutation Shorts
SHOES: APL Slides
ACCESSORIES: COROS Watch, Woman Power Necklace, NOYZ Only Human Perfume Scent, Goodr Sunglasses
Target Household Items Sale: $15 Gift Card with $50 purchase
My Picks: My favorite laundry detergent pods AND dryer sheets are part of this (get the Australian Sandalwood), Mrs. Meyers Clementine Dish Soap, & The Pink Stuff Multipurpose Cleaner
GAP: Friends & Family 40% off
My Picks: Easy Wide Leg Pants (these are incredibly comfortable and can be dressed up or down), Denim Oversized Jacket, Knit Relaxed Track Pants, Rollneck Sweater, Barrel Utility Pants
Ruggable: up to 30% off - a bunch of their bestsellers were just added to the sale list!
My Picks: Rowan Rug - Pimpernel Jade Rug - Cynthia Rose Gold Rug - Verena Tufted Rug - Sundara Rug
For sale updates - you can subscribe to my “sale alert” substack here.
TOP: Old Navy Snug Crop Top
PANTS: Drapey Trousers
SHOES: AE Raffia Ballet Flats
ACCESSORIES: Ettica Pendant Necklace, Ana Luisa Earrings, Madewell Shoulder Bag
TOP: Long Sleeve Boxy Tee
PANTS: Mango Balloon Pants
SHOES: Braided Ballet Flats
ACCESSORIES: Raffia Hair Clip, Ana Luisa Earrings, Gold Layering Necklace
READ || Mad Mabel | Sally Hepworth → I just started reading this book for book club this month and I am loving the audible version so far!
READ || 85 Of Our Favorite Back To School Dinners | How Sweet Eats → This is an awesome resource for when you don’t know what to cook. I know that I really despise using any brain space for meal planning and I have this website bookmarked!
READ || Ritu in the Sun | Moniza Hossain→ A great read for those of you with smaller kids. The main character, Ritu, adores the sun in every part of her day but her Nani worries all that light will darken her skin. The book follows Ritu as she gently pushes back on that fear and tries to show her grandmother that every skin tone including Nani’s own is worth loving.
READ || How to Disagree With Your Kids Without Fighting | Raising Good Humans With Aliza Pressman → I really enjoy this Substack and this article was one that hit home. Summer is awesome but it also means more fighting since we are all together ALL the time.
“If a parent’s disagreements are always delivered with total certainty, children learn that being right sounds like being loud and never budging. If those disagreements include a little hedging — I think this, but I could be missing something — children learn that conviction and open-mindedness aren’t opposites.”
If you are looking for a bra lift - this is a new addition to the EBY line!
Apparently the Costco 680 cotton sheets are where it’s at - even better than Brooklinen, have you tried them?!
I just found this substack and Kika is such a beautiful artist! My favorite are these block prints.
I finally got a chance to try this out and dare I say that it is like getting a facial without having to leave your house? What a great way to pamper yourself at home and perhaps a great thing to ask for as a gift?! You can actually see the impurities being removed as you use it. I was worried about using it on my skin because I tend to get red and blotchy but it didn’t have that effect on me. This is the more affordable version of the system they had prior to this with the depuffi option. They simply took out that part and decreased the price which is great if you don’t need that (which I don’t).
Run an ozone machine in your car or any other place that has a smell. You can run it in your car with the windows up for about 2 hours.
This rug is stunning! Loving those deep colors.
What a cool way to hang coats!
Large rattan basket to hold all your throws in your living space
Channel-tufted chair
Large wire and fabric hamper
Stackable highball glasses
Still reflection framed print
Digging these “Fight for Science” tees!
Really loving these trousers - love the baggy feel to them at the bottom!
This cream is great for eczema or dry areas.
I have heard awesome things about this book and it’s on my next to read list.
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