mother

Is This More Than the Baby Blues?

I have yet to meet a mother, or any parent for that matter, who has described the experience of becoming a parent as easy or exactly what they expected. Bringing a new child into the world, whether it is your first or your fifth, is big adjustment and can bring up feelings that are often… Read more »

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The Myth of a Perfect Mother

This Mother’s Day was the 40th one that I have celebrated as a mother. And it has occurred to me that I have earned the right to answer the question: “What piece of advice would you offer about being a mother?”  I used to think that only perfect mothers were qualified to speak on this… Read more »

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A Challenge to Mothers Everywhere

The other day, a friend of mine texted me a picture of a sign in a shop window that said, “If momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” She probably knew that with Mother’s Day around the corner, I’d most likely be writing something about motherhood and would get a kick out of the old expression…. Read more »

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VIDEO: Dr. Allan Schore Explains How an Infant’s Cognitive Structure is Effected by a Mother’s Depression

Watch an excerpt from PsychAlive’s interview with Dr. Allan Schore. Dr. Allan Schore explains how an infant’s cognitive structure is effected by a mother’s depression, leading to the intergenerational transmission of severe depressive disorders.  Dr. Allan Schore; Essentially what we’ve been talking about here is the inter-generational transmission – the inter-generational transmission of psycho-pathogenesis.  So essentially,… Read more »

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Depression in Mothers

Depression is common among mothers, and many new moms suffer from depression. A 2003 University of Michigan study revealed that one in five women may face depression during pregnancy. Despite the high number of expectant moms struggling with symptoms of depression, few of these women are receiving the help they need. New research from the… Read more »

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Women’s Adaptation to Living in Our Patriarchal Society

…her daughter said that she was angry at her mother because every time the mother and the father argue, the mother gave in.  The daughter is observing this. and she said to the mother, “I’m angry at you for always giving in,” and the mother said, “I felt so humiliated, so ashamed,” because the daughter… Read more »

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Creating a Legacy for Your Children and Grandchildren: An Interview of a Family Historian

Writing life stories has become all the rage. We’re in the so-called Memoir Revolution with volumes written about how to write your life story or memoir and how to produce it into a book. I’ve been journaling for years, and I wrote a memoir and had it published just recently. But a long time before… Read more »

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Breaking the Fantasy Bond with Our Mothers

The other day, I was reminded of reading Nancy Friday’s book, My Mother/My Self many years ago; so I took Friday’s book down from a shelf in my office and opened it, quite by chance, to page 388, where I found this heavily underlined quote: “As we get older and the tie to mother is… Read more »

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How Childhood Defenses Hurt Us As Adults

As adults, we are often asked to reflect on the positive influences, role models, and experiences from our past that shaped who we are today. Just as often, in everything from college essays to job interviews, we are asked to retrace an obstacle we overcame, a challenge we faced head on, or a disadvantage we… Read more »

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Five Things You Don’t Expect When You’re Expecting: How Parenthood Impacts Your Mental Health

If it suddenly feels like anywhere you go, you’re surrounded by heavily pregnant women, it is probably not your imagination. In the United States, there are more births during the months that close out summer and ring in fall than any other time of year. The season marks an exciting and scary time in the… Read more »

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