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…
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! 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…
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…
Parenting is very demanding – and every stage of childhood presents new challenges. For parents also living with the pain and fatigue of arthritis, parenting can become even more complex. While each family is unique, below you will find a link to an article with seven strategies that might help. 7 Strategies for Parenting While Living with Arthritis (Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance – CAPA)
I told this true story at a Story Collective event held at the Junkyard Social Club in Boulder, Colorado on April 30, 2022. It was some ungodly hour of the morning, before the sun had even come up. I was standing at the nursery window after feeding my newborn for the millionth time. I stood looking out into the darkness, my arms aching as I gently patted his back, when I felt a gush of spit up go straight down the front of my shirt. My firstborn was what they call a “happy spitter.” He wasn’t in any sort of…
In this RheumatoidArthritis.net article, Mariah Leach introduces Gary Chapman’s “5 Love Languages” – and shares how she and her husband used this tool to improve their communication and relationship.
It may seem uncomfortable or embarrassing to contemplate, but if you’re struggling with your sexual health – and your doctor hasn’t proactively asked you about it – it’s a good idea to try to initiate the conversation yourself. Here are some things to keep in mind as you consider how to approach your doctor on this topic: You have a right to your sexual health Did you know that the World Health Organization (WHO) considers sexual health to be a human right? The WHO defines sexual health as “a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to…
When I was first diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), I was 25 years old and in the middle of law school. I felt like I was just starting out in my life – and my mind kept racing trying to figure out what this diagnosis would mean for my life goals. Would I be able to graduate? Travel? Start a family? Stay active? What about all the things that were important to me? What about my life goals? The uncertainty that comes with diagnosis of a lifelong chronic illness can make it feel really difficult to plan in advance. But…