​The internet bullies are at it again! This time, they are laser-focused on mom-to-be Ashley Tisdale. Tisdale, who is expecting her 1st child with husband Christopher French, sparked controversy by sharing a video of herself drinking coffee. She captioned the post with "When you've been up since 4am it's coffee time." 

The post triggered mom-shamers to question whether she should be drinking coffee while pregnant. The social media "doctors" then told her that caffeine is "dangerous" for fetuses, and that she is a "bad person" for drinking caffeine. 

Here's the real truth: while excessive caffeine intake is frowned upon by ACTUAL doctors, they say that pregnant women are allowed up to 200mg of caffeine a day. That allows tired moms-to-be one 12oz coffee a day. 
Some pregnant women find a way around the rule, and either drink decaf (which has a tiny amount of caffeine in it), half-caff, or watered-down coffee. 

We don't know what was in her coffee cup. She could have been drinking half-caff, or decaf. Even if it was regular coffee, it was in a 10-12oz cup. 
I don't see the problem here. 

When I was pregnant, I watered down my coffee. I drank decaf tea, and if I had a craving for chocolate, I cut my coffee intake in half (chocolate has caffeine in it). I measured every mg and every ounce during my pregnancy. 
I did stay away from raw fish, food with vitamin A in it, and alcohol when I was pregnant with my son. 

Ashley Tisdale doesn't strike me as being a reckless person. I'm sure she is following her doctor's orders. 
People need to stop judging her. You got this, Ashley Tisdale!

​Growing up, I heard "You will have a kid that is just like you, only worse."
​My mom wasn't the best judge of character, so I didn't pay it any mind...until I heard other grown ups saying it. With all the stories I heard about my time as a toddler, it was enough for me to turn away from the idea of having children. 

Then...I had one. 

In 2018, I gave birth to the absolute greatest gift in the world: my son. I knew that life was going to different, chaotic, and a wild ride. This child had a strong personality from the moment he was born. As he grew, so did his personality. He became sillier, strong-willed, mischievous, and a slight prankster. I'm sure you're all thinking: "Babe, all toddlers are like this. What makes yours special?" Simple! He's my kid, and he literally pulls a 'me' on me every single day. One of his latest moments occurred at dinnertime. I asked him if he was (I signed) 'all done' with eating, and he started to give me his leftover chicken nuggets. He was about to drop them in my hand, when he turned his hand away and stuffed a piece in his mouth. He did this 4 more times. After doing this, he erupted in a fit of laughter.

Another thing he likes to do is gross me out (apparently, I did the same thing to my parents when I was a toddler). My son LOVES to put his hand in his bath water, and then lick the palm of his hand. Grosses me out every time. I tell him "Ewww, no thank you."
​He cracks up: Every. Single. Time. 

​I feel like I literally gave birth to myself. 
Aside from the silliness, he is exceptionally loving. At school, he comforts friends who are sad and he tries to make them laugh (which is a total 'me' thing. I did the same thing back in the day, and I still do it now). 

When I look at my son, I encourage him to be silly, strong, loving, nurturing, and I encourage his desire to learn. Another trait of mine that he has is his love of books. He loves to skim through the pages, looking at pictures, and he loves to be read to. 

I may groan when he grosses me out or pulls a fast one on me, but he is exhibiting the best parts of myself. This needs to be encouraged, as well as anything healthy that he shows an interest in, going forward.

Jamie Otis and her husband Doug welcomed their son Hendrix in May. Jamie has been extremely transparent with her journey to parenthood, her miscarriages, and more. The transparency has made her a beacon of hope to many women who have gone through miscarriages. 

Recently, Jamie Otis shared a part of postpartum life that isn't always talked about: Postpartum hair loss. 

For anyone in the public eye, it is important to always put your best foot forward. For a small group of public figures, they believe in being completely real. Jamie Otis is a public figure who has been 100% real since we were introduced to her, many moons ago (don't forget, she was on The Bachelor in 2012).  
Otis, 34, posted a video on Instagram, showing her 'bald spots.' She also shared her experience with postpartum depression. She had days where she didn't get out of bed (girl, so relatable!).

​She didn't talk about her depression at first because she didn't want people to think she was looking for pity. She is hoping that her journey will help others as they navigate postpartum life. 

Jamie's struggle is incredibly relatable. After I had my son, my hair fell out in clumps! No one warned me about the hair loss. I was also somewhat ill-prepared for the postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety that crept up on me a few weeks after I had my son. On top of all that, my son had colic for the first 3 months of his life. I was a tired, depressed, anxiety-ridden, balding first-time momma!

Eventually, the hair loss subsided, as well as the postpartum depression and anxiety. The last time I was at the hair salon, which was this past June, my stylist said I had baby hairs coming in (2 and a half years after giving birth to my son)!

Ladies, if you are experiencing hair loss, the hair does grow back. It takes a while, but it will come back! Also, the depression doesn't last forever either. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Even if you think you are failing as a mother, your baby will tell you otherwise. You are their superhero! You are feeding them, bathing them, changing their poopy diapers, playing with them, and teaching them on less than an hour of sleep a day. Give yourselves a round of applause for being rock stars!

I want to thank Jamie Otis for being so inspirational to struggling mamas. I've been following her since she was on MAFS, and she is so engaging with her followers. She has helped so many mamas out there. 
Keep on being a fierce goddess, Jamie! We love you!

PS- I love how real Jamie is with postpartum bodies. Her body birthed 2 legends (and a guardian angel), and I think she is fabulous! Work it, mama!