Like most decisions we make about our health and well-being, there are both risks and benefits to breastfeeding. There tends to be a polarizing perception that an infant is either breastfed or bottle fed, and not necessarily a combination of both methods of feeding. It may be helpful to keep in mind that it doesn’t necessarily have to be breast or bottle, but can be a combination of both depending on what best suits the family.

Managing infertility is challenging, but during the holiday season it can feel as though the challenges are on another level. Whether it’s increased time with loved ones who are well-intentioned but can feel interrogative about your conception journey, or the focus on children (and the constant sharing of that on social media) during the holiday season. Regardless of what the stressor is, the holiday season can be especially painful for those who are childless and trying to conceive.

Recent MRI studies show that there are structural changes (decrease in volume of gray matter in the brain) that occur following pregnancy. This is likely a result of the many hormonal, physical, and emotional changes that one undergoes during pregnancy. And this tends to be true for those that conceive naturally or via assisted reproductive technology such as IVF.

You’ve probably heard more times than you can count to “get as much sleep as you can before the baby gets here.” If only it worked that way and we could “bank” our sleep for times when we really need it. While sleep deprivation is to some degree, somewhat normal during the newborn stage, there are ways that we can ameliorate the negative effects of sleep deprivation. Sleep is especially important because when we don’t get adequate sleep, we put ourselves at increased risk for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. While the newborn phase surely won’t be a time when you get your best sleep there are ways to get better sleep than you might imagine.

Perhaps one of the most challenging things about birth is, in fact, that it often doesn’t go as planned as there is no surefire way to make it so. We’re often so busy making plans that we don’t set forth some expectations that things may not go as planned. I like to think that this is one (of many) sources of traumatic birth. Others may involve medical complications, need for emergency treatment, or a NICU stay, to name just a few. To quote trauma expert Katie O’shea, trauma can be defined as “anything for which the mind is not adequately prepared.”

Motherhood is often depicted as a blissful time filled with newborn snuggles, bonding with baby, and joy as you watch your baby grow and meet new developmental milestones. Unfortunately, for many new mothers, that’s not often the reality of what motherhood feels like.