Perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of motherhood with chronic illness is helping your children understand what is going on with your body and encouraging acceptance about how your illness may impact them. How can you help them develop empathy about what you’re experiencing, especially if your illness is invisible? Where’s the line between being honest and making them worry? What’s the best way to address their concerns in kid-friendly language? This is a topic that will likely need to be an ongoing discussion in your family – and sometimes reading a book together can help! Why Does Mommy…
Author: Mariah Z Leach
Mariah Z Leach
Mariah is a writer, patient advocate, and mom of three living with rheumatoid arthritis and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. After learning firsthand how challenging and lonely it can be to face pregnancy and motherhood with chronic illness, Mariah became passionate about supporting women with chronic illness who are or want to become mothers. She launched Mamas Facing Forward in 2015 as a private Facebook support group, followed by this website in 2018.
In this RheumatoidArthritis.net article, Mariah Leach introduces Gary Chapman’s “5 Love Languages” – and shares how she and her husband used this tool to improve their communication and relationship.
It may seem uncomfortable or embarrassing to contemplate, but if you’re struggling with your sexual health – and your doctor hasn’t proactively asked you about it – it’s a good idea to try to initiate the conversation yourself. Here are some things to keep in mind as you consider how to approach your doctor on this topic: You have a right to your sexual health Did you know that the World Health Organization (WHO) considers sexual health to be a human right? The WHO defines sexual health as “a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to…
When I was first diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), I was 25 years old and in the middle of law school. I felt like I was just starting out in my life – and my mind kept racing trying to figure out what this diagnosis would mean for my life goals. Would I be able to graduate? Travel? Start a family? Stay active? What about all the things that were important to me? What about my life goals? The uncertainty that comes with diagnosis of a lifelong chronic illness can make it feel really difficult to plan in advance. But…
Because there are only a few books available that specifically feature a parent who lives with a chronic illness, we’re branching out to books that focus on other types of illness, books that focus on children with illness, and books that talk about feelings. Hopefully these reviews will help you determine whether any of these books might be a good fit for your family discussions! The Perfect Shelter by Clare Helen Welsh Two sisters are building a shelter out in the woods – the perfect shelter – but the little girl notices that something isn’t right with her sister. Her…
Because there are only a few books available that specifically feature a parent who lives with a chronic illness, we’re branching out to books that focus on other types of illness, books that focus on children with illness, and books that talk about feelings. Hopefully these reviews will help you determine whether any of these books might be a good fit for your family discussions! The Invisible String by Patrice Karst The twins are sleeping in their bedroom when suddenly there is a loud clap of thunder! Frightened by the storm, they run down the hall to their mom. That’s…
Perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of motherhood with chronic illness is helping your children understand what is going on with your body and encouraging acceptance about how your illness may impact them. How can you help them develop empathy about what you’re experiencing, especially if your illness is invisible? Where’s the line between being honest and making them worry? What’s the best way to address their concerns in kid-friendly language? This is a topic that will likely need to be an ongoing discussion in your family – and sometimes reading a book together can help! Mommy Has To…
Because there are only a few books available that specifically feature a parent who lives with a chronic illness, we’re branching out to books that focus on other types of illness, books that focus on children with illness, and books that talk about feelings. Hopefully these reviews will help you determine whether any of these books might be a good fit for your family discussions! The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld Tyler is building something new and special with his blocks, and he’s feeling very proud of it – but then his amazing structure gets knocked down! His animal friends…
Mamas! I’m not sure why it took me so long to write this book review! I read this book quite a while ago (and have since gone back for a re-read!) and I can honestly say that it has made a huge difference in how my husband and I manage the load of caring for our busy household. It’s high time that I share my thoughts with you! We all know that running a household and parenting kids requires endless emotional, mental, and physical effort. Unfortunately, without an explicit negotiation of how the workload should be split, research shows that…
Because there are only a few books available that specifically feature a parent who lives with a chronic illness, we’re branching out to books that focus on other types of illness, books that focus on children with illness, and books that talk about feelings. Hopefully these reviews will help you determine whether any of these books might be helpful for your family as you continue your discussions about having a parent with a chronic illness. In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek Learning to understand, identify, and process different types of feelings is an important skill for…