Category Archives: Life as a Black Mom

The Hardest Part of Recovering from Postpartum Depression Was Learning to Speak Up for My Own Needs

After being ravaged by postpartum depression for most of 2015, my 2016 goal was to retain sanity — by any means necessary. Things had fallen apart soon after I gave birth to my daughter, with the pressures of work and new motherhood driving me to depression and sleep deprivation. To overcome this I was willing…

Leila

About Leila

Leila is the founding editor of Baby and Blog. She splits her time between editing hair and culture site, Black Girl with Long Hair, whipping up butters at BGLH Marketplace, and writing here. She adores her husband and two kids, her parents and her friends. But she hates Chicago weather although she is slowly coming to peace with it...

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Why I Reclaimed My Relationship with the Outdoors as a Black Woman and Went Camping

I had always been curious about camping. Something about a tent, a fire, and marshmallows sounded like a lot of fun, but when I brought it up, no one in my family wanted to sleep on the ground outside when we had perfectly good beds inside. With a child’s eye, I began to notice that…

About Alicia B

Alicia lives and took a semester of photography in a small college town that often challenges her resolve to live as simply and as stress-free as possible. When she’s not working, rereading the same children’s books, cooking, or wondering how crunchy she’s become, she’s busy updating her site, liciabobesha.com. You can follow her on facebook.

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New Studies Show the “Crack Baby” Was a Media Myth Designed to Frighten Whites and Criminalize Black Children

When you hear the term “crack baby, ” you might picture the movie Losing Isaiah with the screaming baby suffering due to his mother’s drug habit. He was the classic crack baby: disruptive, troubled, and fictional. Crack babies aren’t a real thing Yes, some children were exposed in utero to cocaine, but there is no…

About Alicia B

Alicia lives and took a semester of photography in a small college town that often challenges her resolve to live as simply and as stress-free as possible. When she’s not working, rereading the same children’s books, cooking, or wondering how crunchy she’s become, she’s busy updating her site, liciabobesha.com. You can follow her on facebook.

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I Sacrificed My Professional Dreams to Become a Mother 7 Times Over

www.encouragegrowingfamilies.com I wish I could paint this fairytale picture that where I am now in my life is what I’ve always wanted, but that’s the furthest from the truth. With a Bachelor of Science in International Business, I thought I was going places. It didn’t matter that I didn’t land my dream job fresh out…

Kim

About Kim

A Christian Wife and Stay at home mom to 7 beautiful children whose names all start with an M. I enjoy writing with my husband about our FAITH and all things FAMILY as we grow in the Lord. You can learn more about my family and I at www.encouragegrowingfamilies.com

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9 Ways I Survive as a Black Woman Mothering Without a Village

Carrie Mae Weems : The Kitchen Table Series, 1990 From seeking advice about teething and feeding,  to getting help with the laundry and babysitting,  family members and friends make up the village most women depend on to help them bring up their child(ren). But, the reality for some of us is that we have made our homes in foreign countries or other locations that make it hard to see our loved ones regularly. Some of us are in this…

Didan Ashanta

About Didan Ashanta

Didan Ashanta is the author of "Jamaican Green Smoothies" and a LifeDesigner who blogs about eating your way to vibrant health at DidanAshanta.com. A native of Jamaica, she currently lives in the Tokyo, Japan with her husband and 3-yr-old daughter.

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Black Fathers Who Babywear!

By now you might have heard about the controversy over baby carrier company Baby K’Tan’s marketing for their sling. One box features a white mother and baby, with her partner standing behind her, the other features a black woman and her baby standing by themselves. Many feel that the packaging furthers the perception that black…

Leila

About Leila

Leila is the founding editor of Baby and Blog. She splits her time between editing hair and culture site, Black Girl with Long Hair, whipping up butters at BGLH Marketplace, and writing here. She adores her husband and two kids, her parents and her friends. But she hates Chicago weather although she is slowly coming to peace with it...

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Why I Gave My Daughter a Black Name — Despite the Perceived Consequences

As an African-American woman with an unusual name (Dara Tafakari), I know all too well that America is unkind to difference. People have always butchered my name mercilessly. When I got pregnant with my daughter, I considered naming her as my first act of motherhood; I could not afford to mess it up. Black parents…

Leila

About Leila

Leila is the founding editor of Baby and Blog. She splits her time between editing hair and culture site, Black Girl with Long Hair, whipping up butters at BGLH Marketplace, and writing here. She adores her husband and two kids, her parents and her friends. But she hates Chicago weather although she is slowly coming to peace with it...

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What Strangers Shouldn’t Say to My Interracial Family That Doesn’t “Match”

  By Alicia Barnes, liciabobesha.com When I was pregnant, I felt sorry for my husband. I knew our child was going to be brown, lighter than me but still brown like me. I knew he was going to have thick curls that turned into an afro before he could even hold his own head up….

About Alicia B

Alicia lives and took a semester of photography in a small college town that often challenges her resolve to live as simply and as stress-free as possible. When she’s not working, rereading the same children’s books, cooking, or wondering how crunchy she’s become, she’s busy updating her site, liciabobesha.com. You can follow her on facebook.

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Pregnancy Ruined My Hair in a Major Way

It’s been almost two years since I had my baby, and my hair is still recovering. Sure, I had heard about the postpartum shed, but I never thought about how it’d impact my thin, easy to break, super slow to grow natural hair. The hormones of pregnancy disrupt the normal shedding cycle of hair. This…

About Alicia B

Alicia lives and took a semester of photography in a small college town that often challenges her resolve to live as simply and as stress-free as possible. When she’s not working, rereading the same children’s books, cooking, or wondering how crunchy she’s become, she’s busy updating her site, liciabobesha.com. You can follow her on facebook.

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Stunning Photo Series Celebrates Black Mothers Who Breastfeed

The Out of Africa photo series by Georgia-based Blue Sky photography celebrates black mothers who breastfeed, and the photos are just gorgeous! Click here to view the full photo series. About LeilaLeila is the founding editor of Baby and Blog. She splits her time between editing hair and culture site, Black Girl with Long Hair,…

Leila

About Leila

Leila is the founding editor of Baby and Blog. She splits her time between editing hair and culture site, Black Girl with Long Hair, whipping up butters at BGLH Marketplace, and writing here. She adores her husband and two kids, her parents and her friends. But she hates Chicago weather although she is slowly coming to peace with it...

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