Gemma Hartley

Sometimes, I think back to all the ridiculous things I did for boys when I was younger and cringe.

The insecurities about my age pushed me over the edge, making me work myself to the bone trying to be what I thought society would deem as a “good mom.” So I wish people understood that it’s never OK to comment on a mother’s age — young or old. Because the judgmental connotation is always there, no matter how innocent the intent.

I wish I had realized there was no such thing as being too young to have mental health issues. That there was nothing shameful about postpartum struggles.

When I made the decision to become a stay-at-home mother, the choice was an easy one.

A breakup, Mom, a cheerleading competition, and Valentine's Day...

Last week, the internet went into an understandable uproar when a Christian woman decided to take to Facebook to talk about how she is

It probably isn’t the sort of parenting moment that is supposed to make a mother proud — the hitting, growling, and otherwise uncivilized decorum... But I couldn’t help feeling a deep satisfaction with my daughter.

You are a professional. You want to handle your business with a certain air of sophistication. You want to tell them "f*ck no," but want to do so graciously, tactfully — you are, after all, a wordsmith.

But I was yet to face the cold, hard fact that my lack of acceptance for my own body, was really a lack of acceptance for all the bodies I had falsely embraced for so long. Could I really love someone else’s ample stomach, when I could not love my own?

To be honest, it’s exhausting, and I am ready to shed this pesky baby weight once and for all. I mean that literally.