New Parenthood
Articles on New Parenthood
Writing about the identity shift of becoming a parent, including the experiences nobody warned you about. Honest accounts of the first hard months.
New Parenthood Overwhelm: You're Not Failing
The books did not cover this part. New parenthood can feel like losing yourself. What the overwhelm actually is and why it does not mean you are failing.
What a Baby Does to a Relationship — The Honest Version
Couples are told a baby will bring them closer. For many, the opposite is true, at least at first. The relationship strain of new parenthood is common, significant, and almost never talked about honestly.
When You Don't Feel the Rush of Love
You expected to look at your baby and feel an overwhelming flood of love. Instead you felt something else. Or maybe nothing much. This is more common than you think, and it doesn't mean something is wrong with you.
Matrescence: The Identity Shift No One Warned You About
Becoming a parent changes who you are at a fundamental level. There is a word for this. And understanding it might be the most useful thing you read this year.
New Dad Depression Is Real and Almost No One Talks About It
Paternal postpartum depression affects roughly 1 in 10 new fathers. It does not look like maternal depression. And most men who experience it have no idea what it is.
First Mother's Day Postpartum When You Do Not Feel Like a Mother Yet
The world is celebrating you as a mother. And you are not sure you have found her yet. The first Mother's Day postpartum can feel like a holiday you have not earned.
When New Parenthood Feels Like More Than Overwhelm
There is a difference between the hard, disorienting adjustment of early parenthood and something that needs professional support. This is how to tell the difference, and what to do if you need more than peer connection.