Mother May I

Introducing our new kids line.. My Reason! We’re so excited we were able to get these finished JUST in time for Christmas. Overalls and sweaters size 6M -4T available at Joyne and on our online shop and as always, all proceeds go towards maternal mental health initiatives. #myreasontosmile

Thanks Life is Worth Living Foundation Inc. for this powerful post.

A little something we’ve been working on... INTRODUCING THE LIMITED EDITION MOTHER MAY I BEANIE! Just in time for Christmas, this beanie is available cuffed or not cuffed, and like always all proceeds go towards maternal mental health initiatives. Now available in our online shop! Big thanks to Motif for bringing our vision to life!

My goal here is to raise awareness for two stigmatized conditions; mental illness and infertility because so many women struggle silently. I’ve always been open about my OCD. When I say my OCD, I mean exactly that. OCD manifests itself in different ways. It’s not just the stereotypical fear of germs and washing hands, it’s much more complex. My OCD is called magical thinking. My OCD would have me believe that my thoughts, feelings and actions can somehow influence the ou...tcome of certain events. It’s superstition on steroids, it’s knocking on wood 24/7. Example; as a teenager I would say a specific prayer anytime I heard the word death to prevent anything from happening to my loved ones. My logical brain knows how ridiculous that sounds, my OCD brain begs to differ. I’ve been with my husband since we were in high school and we both wanted kids. We did everything you’re supposed to do; go to university, get married, get a good job. The next step was to have children. Except it wasn’t that easy. Months of trying to conceive turned into years of trying to conceive. All our friends were having kids. We were happy for them, but longed for that to be us. The endless pregnancy announcements on social media felt all consuming. The countless 2 week waits and negative pregnancy tests, each of them soul crushing. We were diagnosed with unexplained infertility. It’s the medical term for we don’t know why you can’t have kids. I had a hard time grasping that concept. I believed there was something wrong with me. My OCD would have me believe that I didn’t deserve to be pregnant because I was angry at people that were able to have kids. This was my karma and she was a bitch. After countless fertility treatments, appointments, injections and procedures I finally was able to see that positive sign. Those 2 parallel lines. I took multiple pregnancy tests just so I wouldn’t forget that feeling. It was finally my turn. The elation of finally being pregnant soon wore off, as my OCD tried to convince me that I didn’t deserve this pregnancy. I was convinced that something bad was going to happen because this pregnancy wasn’t natural. (Continued in comments) See more

Mothers Empowering Mothers is having an online Christmas auction! Mothers Empowering Mothers Inc. is a Saskatoon Non Profit Organization. The goal of the organization is to reduce the amount of barriers mothers face when looking for support after the birth of their baby. Reducing the incidence of perinatal mood disorders like postpartum depression and anxiety. Providing at cost and subsidized freezer meals, peer support groups virtually and in person, free educational events, subsidized lactation support and more. MEM relies on donations and fundraising to keep doing all the amazing things they do for women and families in our community. This organization is near and dear to our hearts. Check out the event page: Online Auction for Mothers Empowering Mothers on facebook.