The internet is teeming with advice for people living with chronic illness, and there are so many books and websites dedicated to pregnancy and parenting, but when it comes to the unique challenges faced by parents who are living with chronic illness, the resources are few and far between. Mamas Facing Forward is dedicated to addressing this very important unmet need.
While not meant to replace the advice and guidance of doctors, Mamas Facing Forward endeavors to be a “one stop shop” for questions and concerns about pregnancy and parenting with chronic illness. We want to make existing resources easier to find, and work towards creating additional resources where they are needed. We want parents with chronic illness to know that they aren’t alone, and that help is available.
Our Mission
To provide resources, encouragement, and community for parents and parents-to-be living with chronic illness.
A note to those who aren’t mamas!
We recognize that not every parent or pregnant individual identifies as a “mama!” Mamas Facing Forward was launched in 2015 with the original intention of supporting women and moms, because that is the lived experience of our founder (who, as a lifetime overachiever, was wary of biting off more than she could chew!)
Today, we hope that our content can be useful to all parents or parents-to-be who are living with chronic illness, regardless of how they identify. But we also recognize that everyone deserves resources, encouragement, and communities that reflect their own lived experiences. If you don’t see your experiences represented on our website and would be interested in sharing your story with us, please reach out to us at info@mamasfacingforward.com. And we are always open to suggestions for how we can work to be more inclusive!
History of Mamas Facing Forward
Mamas Facing Forward was launched by Mariah Z. Leach, a mom of three who has been living with rheumatoid arthritis since the age of 25 and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis since age 5. After learning firsthand the challenges of pregnancy and parenthood with a chronic illness, Mariah became passionate about supporting people with chronic illnesses who are or want to become parents.
Our Facebook group was created in 2015 and our community there continues to grow and thrive, connecting thousands of parents living with chronic illness from all over the world and offering a platform to ask questions and share experiences. If you’d like to join our Facebook community, please note that you’ll need to answer three screening questions before you can be approved.
This website launched in September 2018, and is intended to advance our community by serving as a database of useful resources for parents with chronic illnesses. If you’d like to share a resource with us, please email info@mamasfacingforward.com.
Funding
This website was launched in 2018 with help from a $5,000 grant from the inaugural HealtheVoices Impact Fund, a program that supports innovative efforts by health advocates to serve and assist patient communities. In 2023 and 2024, we received a total of $2,500 in grants from PhRMA, an organization working to drive patient-centered progress in innovation, affordability, and access to life saving prescription drugs. This funding was used to expand our educational resources. Mamas Facing Forward also provides limited, relevant links as an Amazon Associate. All other funding for this project has been provided by Mariah Z Leach.