March is Autoimmune Awareness Month! While a person’s immune system ordinarily guards against viruses and bacteria, people with autoimmune diseases have immune systems that mistakenly attack healthy body tissue and cells. Examples of autoimmune diseases include: rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Crohn’s disease, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis (MS), and more. Many of the moms in our Mamas Facing Forward private Facebook group are living with autoimmune diseases. Here are some facts about autoimmune disease from the Autoimmune Association: Learn more about autoimmunity here!
Author: Mariah Z Leach
Mariah Z Leach
Mariah is a writer, patient advocate, and mom of three living with rheumatoid arthritis and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. After learning firsthand how challenging and lonely it can be to face pregnancy and parenthood with chronic illness, Mariah became passionate about supporting people with chronic illness who are or want to become parents. She launched her private Facebook support group, Mamas Facing Forward, in 2015. Today the group connects parents and parents-to-be with chronic illness from all over the world. In 2018, she added this website, dedicated to collecting and creating resources that focus on pregnancy and parenting with chronic illness.
Sometimes kids need help understanding chronic illness and disability, as well as recognizing and processing their own feelings. We hope these topics are an ongoing discussion in your family, and we love to review children’s books that may help you along the way! Mommy Has To Stay In Bed By Annette Rivlin-Gutman Mamas Facing Forward purchased a copy of this book to review. All opinions in this review belong to Mariah Z. Leach. In this sweet, rhyming story, a little girl shares all the things she loves to do with her mom – even though Mommy has to stay in…
Sometimes kids need help understanding chronic illness and disability, as well as recognizing and processing their own feelings. We hope these topics are an ongoing discussion in your family, and we love to review children’s books that may help you along the way! Ravyn’s Doll – How to explain fibromyalgia to your child. By Melissa Swanson Mamas Facing Forward purchased a copy of this book. All opinions in this review belong to Mariah Z. Leach. Ravyn’s kindergarten class is learning about health, and each child is assigned to make a paper doll patient to represent someone they love who is…
Sometimes kids need help understanding chronic illness and disability, as well as recognizing and processing their own feelings. We hope these topics are an ongoing discussion in your family, and we love to review children’s books that may help you along the way! The Perfect Shelter by Clare Helen Welsh Mamas Facing Forward purchased a copy of this book to review, and then gave it away in a raffle on Instagram. All opinions in this review belong to Mariah Z. Leach. Two sisters are building a shelter out in the woods – the perfect shelter – but the little girl…
If at all possible, I try to avoid having my kids tag along to my medical appointments. Having kids in the exam room with you can make it difficult to focus, it can be distracting and disruptive, and it can be downright exhausting – particularly if it’s an appointment you didn’t really feel like going to in the first place. But, as a mom living with a chronic illness, I have a lot of medical appointments. And unfortunately finding childcare isn’t always practical or possible. Sometimes I have no choice but to arrive, kid in tow. I think having child…
Sometimes kids need help understanding chronic illness and disability, as well as recognizing and processing their own feelings. We hope these topics are an ongoing discussion in your family, and we love to review children’s books that may help you along the way! How Many Marbles Do YOU Have? Helping Children Understand The limitations of Those With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia By Melinda Malott Mamas Facing Forward purchased a copy of this book to review, and then gave it away in a raffle on Instagram. All opinions in this review belong to Mariah Z. Leach. In this brightly colored…
Mamas Facing Forward Stay Home Summer Camp was a project I first developed during the isolated summer of 2020. For each theme I provide a menu of options to choose from, including: virtual learning resources, easy craft & snack ideas, simple activities, books, and movies/TV to watch. Trust me, whether you do it for a full week or just for a day, there’s something magical about doing a few activities that all share the same theme. In fact, my kids kept requesting “Stay Home Camp” even when we went back to regular summer camp and vacations. I’ve also added “field…
Sometimes kids need help understanding chronic illness and disability, as well as recognizing and processing their own feelings. We hope these topics are an ongoing discussion in your family, and we love to review children’s books that may help you along the way! Gentle Hugs by Lily Guzman Mariah Z. Leach received a copy of this book as a gift from the author. She was not compensated for this review and all opinions are her own. Gentle Hugs, by Lily Guzman, tells the story of a young boy named Alex and the adventures he has with his mom and his…
Sometimes kids need help understanding chronic illness and disability, as well as recognizing and processing their own feelings. We hope these topics are an ongoing discussion in your family, and we love to review children’s books that may help you along the way! Noah the Narwhal: A Tale of Downs and Ups By Judith Klausner Mamas Facing Forward purchased a copy of this book to review, and then gave it away to a reader in a raffle on Instagram. All opinions in this review belong to Mariah Z. Leach. On Monday, Noah the narwhal wakes up feeling fine. He goes…
Sometimes kids need help understanding chronic illness and disability, as well as recognizing and processing their own feelings. We hope these topics are an ongoing discussion in your family, and we love to review children’s books that may help you along the way! Kenzie’s Little Tree by Alison McGauley Mariah Leach received a digital advance reading copy of this book from the author. She was not compensated for this review and all opinions are her own. “Kenzie’s Little Tree” by Alison McGauley is a beautifully illustrated picture book about a little girl whose mom lives with a chronic illness. With whimsical,…