Why Does IVF Make Me Feel Like My Body Is Failing Me?

Written by Lauren Ratliff, LCSW, PMH-CLauren Ratliff is an Illinois-based certified perinatal therapist, mother of three, and founder of Matrescence Therapy.Learn more about Lauren updated 7/10/26 If failed IVF has left you feeling like your body is failing you,...

Why Is My Second Pregnancy Harder Than My First?

Written by Lauren Ratliff, LCSW, PMH-CLauren Ratliff is an Illinois-based certified perinatal therapist, mother of three, and founder of Matrescence Therapy.Learn more about Lauren updated 7/10/2026 If your second pregnancy feels harder than your first, you’re...

Bonding With Baby: Why Don’t I Feel Connected to My Baby?

Written by Lauren Ratliff, LCSW, PMH-CLauren Ratliff is an Illinois-based certified perinatal therapist, mother of three, and founder & owner of Matrescence Therapy.Learn more about Lauren updated 7/9/2026 Bonding with a baby is the emotional connection that...

How Can I Cope with Perimenopause Symptoms?

Written by Lauren Ratliff, LCSW, PMH-C Lauren Ratliff is an Illinois-based certified perinatal therapist, mother of three, and founder & owner of Matrescence Therapy. Learn more about LaurenUpdated: 7/9/2026 Perimenopause symptoms can feel like your body and...

When You Realize You’re Parenting Yourself Too

There’s a moment that catches many mothers off guard. You’re doing something ordinary — comforting your child after a nightmare, telling them it’s okay to cry, sitting with them through something hard without trying to fix it immediately — and...

How to Cope With Daycare Drop-Off Guilt (Without Spiraling)

You held it together through the goodbye. You handed them over, said something cheerful, maybe waved from the door. You walked to your car with reasonable composure.  And then you sat in the driver’s seat and fell apart — crying in a parking lot at 7:45 in the...