Gemma Hartley

Back when I had my first child, back when he was still a baby, I imagined us moving to the mountains. I was thinking about having three more kids, living off the grid, and soaking up every last bit of their wild childhood. It was a fantasy, through and through.

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.

At Santa Rosa Christian School, dancing was a gateway drug. The gyrating, the slow romantic swaying...

Getting pregnant after postpartum depression may have stolen a lot from me, but it gave me a lot more.

There is a time to be prudent and fair to “many sides” of an issue, but dealing with Nazis is not that time.

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.

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

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

Feminism should empower all girls — not just those who buck the system. Do I have my preference for what I would like her to do? Yes, but what I envision for her isn’t as important as what brings her joy and helps her find fulfillment.

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