"Yes, it was exhausting having a kindergartener and fourth grader doing impromptu distance learning while I was barely keeping up with work. And it was frustrating to be stuck home nonstop, scrambling to get in grocery delivery orders before slots filled up, and tracking down toilet paper. But I was still doing well because I thrive in high-stress emergency situations." 7 ways to pull yourself out of despair and live your life by Tara Haelle for Medium Elemental

"Here’s a little word-association game that many parents are doing this year: September. School. Homeschooling. Fear. Yep, it’s a brave new world for many, and the personal expectations to become a flawless teacher as well as maintain that role of being the perfect parent are on most everyone’s mind... Homeschooling is just a fancy word that allows you, a parent, to have some fun with your kids." 

" Here I was, in a new country, with a different culture and language trying to make friends. Soon after, we started a family, and free time for making friends was in limited supply. So I did what most moms do: I joined Facebook groups to chat and vent with women who were in my shoes. Little did I know, I would meet my new best friend in one of those groups – a woman who has changed my life forever in many positive ways." - Green Child Magazine

The impacts of the coronavirus on our parenting will be lasting, and we are all in this for the long haul. I am strapping myself in for the ride and have decided to give myself permission to simply feel. I indulge in my own personal pain when I need to, and I do my best to maintain perspective when I can. While others may hurt far more, I must allow myself to hurt as well and without judgment. As a pediatrician, and mother, I give all parents permission to do the same.

"So what can parents do to help bolster their mental health in this time of difficulty? Lucy Rimalower, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Los Angeles, recommends asking yourself: What kind of self-care is realistic for you now, not six months ago? The old coping mechanisms you had may not be available any time soon, so if you can even take a tiny break for yourself every day, that’s better than nothing. “Is that a five-minute yoga video on YouTube? Is it a five-minute text exchange with an old friend?” Rimalower said."

"My six-year-old has gotten into the habit of coming into our bedroom to lie next to me when he wakes up on weekend mornings. He’ll snuggle his little body against mine as he waits for the digital alarm clock to show 7:00—the cue that he can go downstairs. When he came in a few mornings ago, there wasn’t enough room at the edge of the bed for him to climb in next to me. He gently touched my arm and whispered “Make room for me, Mommy.”"

For Bailey Rollins, the owner of a Brooklyn-based doula service, the maternal mortality crisis informs every aspect of her work. Rollins is a doula, a non-clinical birth worker who guides and supports women through pregnancy, labor and postpartum.

"Breastfeeding is the cornerstone of infant and young child survival, nutrition and development and maternal health.

Babies — whether pandas, puppies, or people — nurse. This bond is precious; this process, a natural art. Luminous illustrations and lyrical text will inspire conversations about caretaking in the natural world.

"Therefore, I believe normalizing breastfeeding and bringing images of black women nursing specifically in African-American communities will foster breastfeeding awareness and empowerment, and encourage women to make an informed decision to breastfeed. Essentially, Black Breastfeeding Week is about ensuring the health equity of future generations." Jabina Coleman, 34, mom of 2-year-old Nyla

Breast milk has long been referred to as “liquid gold,” and new research reveals the moniker has been well-earned. A study from researchers in Australia found that targeting exposure to certain allergens through breast milk may be the key to fighting food allergies in some children.

Every year, Black Breastfeeding Week proves how important it is to celebrate and uplift Black maternal health. My breastfeeding journey was not easy. I was uneducated and felt embarrassed that I could not grasp how to nurse my baby. But after consulting with doulas and lactation nurses, I finally got the hang of it and now, almost 22 months later I'm glad I stuck with it. But my journey wasn't always peaches and cream.

Breastmilk is the first food that we consume and is a critical part of a sustainable food system. On the other side feeding with Breastmilk substitutes from farm-to-table affects the environment and climate due to its production, packaging, distribution and preparation methods. The main ingredient of most Breast Milk Substitutes is cows’ milk.

"Many of our kids have been told that they are the problem. Helping them to understand that what’s going on in their bodies is actually a normal response to the abnormal circumstance that they find themselves in, giving them tools to understand how to calm themselves down, how to keep themselves safe, how to connect with nurturing relationships—I’ve seen it be life-changing and life-saving." ~ Dr. Nadine Burke Harris