Gemma Hartley

As a freelancer who works from home, I get the best of both worlds as a parent.

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

When my son was little, I used to let him win board games a lot.

I want to live my best life and, honestly, it's exhausting. Sometimes I wish I could just take a break and say I'm content with where I'm at.

I went on to drink a small glass of wine or two per week throughout my pregnancy once I got over the initial shock of it being unplanned. Once I had adjusted to the fact that I was going to bring another baby into the world, I was still overwhelmed by the stress it brought on. I had suffered from postpartum depression after the birth of my son and we had decided not to have any more children. I didn't want the risks or the horrible anxiety that came with pregnancy. Yet here I was, facing all that uncertainty again. Damn right I needed a drink.

The money is great, but it is not the best part of becoming a working mom. Having my own career has shifted the power balance of my relationship.

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

Becoming an adult didn’t magically open me up to their world and their psyche as I thought it would. Even having children of my own did little to unravel the mystery of my parents, because I wasn’t really interested in exploring honestly. I have always been concerned with who my parents were in relation to me, not who they were on their own.

If you were to walk into my house on any given day, you wouldn’t know that I am an efficient and organized person.