De Elizabeth
De is a Boston-based writer and editor. She's passionate about coffee, perfect winged eyeliner, and is obsessed with taking photos of her kid — but not in an annoying way. In addition to writing features for Romper and Bustle, she also works as the Weekend Editor for Teen Vogue. Feel free to get in touch at http://de-lightful.com.
Recent Articles
Why Moms Suddenly Have Super-Human Strength When They Need It
When you become a parent, the instinct to protect your child is almost a given. Pretty much every person in the world who has children would say that they’d do anything — yes literally anything — if it meant keeping their little one from danger. That…
By De Elizabeth
Why 'Tully's' Plot Twist Is So Difficult For Moms To Take
It only takes a few minutes watching Tully to realize this is not your typical Hollywood portrayal of motherhood. From the glimpse of mesh underwear at the hospital to the flickers of frustration and exhaustion that play across the face of Marlo (Cha…
By De Elizabeth
Here's How Much Money I Had To Spend To *Finally* Get My 5-Month-Old To Sleep
When it comes to being a new parent, one of the most challenging, frustrating, and straight-up mysterious issues is definitely a baby’s sleep habits. Before I gave birth to my daughter, I had the naive misconception that she would simply sleep when s…
By De Elizabeth
You Might Think My Flu Prevention Strategy Is Extreme, But We Need To Do More
A few days ago, a friend of mine asked if I wanted to have a get-together with our babies at our local mall. “Maybe in a few weeks,” I told her. “Or, actually, maybe later this spring.” It’s not that I had other plans, or that my schedule was too jam…
By De Elizabeth
Moms Should Get A Raincheck On Plans For An Entire Year, Don't @ Me
I gave birth to my first child in September 2017, and since then, I can count on one hand the amount of times I left the apartment without a diaper bag in tow. And, on all of those occasions, my “outing” was simply a solo trip to Target or a quick co…
By De Elizabeth
Why Are Women Checking Out Of The Maternity Ward Early?
Paula, a mother of two, gave birth to her second child at 5:30 in the evening. Five hours later, she was home with her family — and, looking back now, she knows it was the right choice. “It was so much nicer being home,” she tells Romper. “It was abs…
By De Elizabeth
Dear Kylie and Khloe, Please Be Honest About Your Postpartum Bodies
The other other shoe dropped on Sunday as Kylie Jenner released a birth announcement video, confirming her pregnancy by presenting the story of its grand finale. Kylie's pregnancy was defined by a choice to shelter from the intrusive gaze of the medi…
By De Elizabeth
The Life-Saving Piece of Advice Moms Quietly Give to Other Moms
There’s no shortage of advice that new moms receive — and a lot of it is often garbage. “Sleep when your baby sleeps” has never proven to be helpful to me, and “put your baby down to sleep ‘awake but drowsy’” has often resulted in more tears than nec…
By De Elizabeth
These Moms Think You Should Be Talking Consent With Your Newborns
Julie often narrates her actions when touching her three-month-old son. “I’ll say to him, ‘I’m going to take off your diaper,’ or, ‘I’m going to undress you for the bath,’" she tells Romper. "He may not be able to respond yet, but I want him to under…
By De Elizabeth
Is Your Mom In The Birth Plan? These Women Had 4 Different Answers
A lot has changed about giving birth over the years, especially when it comes to who is in the delivery room along with the expecting mother. Prior to the 20th century, midwives were overwhelmingly present at birth, along with female relatives. It wa…
By De Elizabeth
I Always Judged New Moms Who Gave Away Their Pets, & Now I Am One
I’ve been a cat person all my life. I remember crying tears of joy as a little kid when my mom surprised me with my first kitten; it was probably the first time I ever for-real cried out of happiness. As I got older, I wanted to save every cat I met,…
By De Elizabeth
Experts Warn That The DockATot Is Dangerous, But It's Been Lowkey Miraculous For Me
Before my daughter was born this September, I did what all first-time parents probably do: research the most popular baby items on the internet. While googling for that elusive miracle baby sleep product, I kept coming across one device that was tout…
By De Elizabeth
If You're A Mom, You're Part Of The Whisper Network & You Probably Don't Even Know It
This was the year the allegations finally stuck. On October 5, in a triumph of what was dubbed Rose's Army (McGowan), or a secret whisper network, The New York Times published a damning exposé that revealed decades of sexual harassment and assault al…
By De Elizabeth
A Transcript Of Every Question I Asked My OB-GYN When I Was Pregnant — Guys, We Got *Into* It
I found out that I was pregnant with my first child on Christmas Day last year. Almost instantly, my mind was flooded with panic-laced questions. Is labor and delivery the worst pain imaginable? What do I even need to do to take care of myself while …
By De Elizabeth
I've Trained Little Kids To Respond To Active Shooters & It's Infuriating
"In retrospect Sandy Hook marked the end of the U.S. gun control debate," the catch-cry goes, "Once America decided killing children was bearable, it was over." You've probably seen some version of that sentiment on Twitter, where it is attributed to…
By De Elizabeth
I Thought Exclusively Breastfeeding Was Hard, But Exclusively Pumping Is Legit *The Worst*
Before my daughter was even born, I had formed a solid plan in my mind: I’d exclusively breastfeed her for at least six months, but hopefully more like a year. It’s not that I was militantly pro-breastfeeding; it was more about wanting that bonding t…
By De Elizabeth
I Followed The Safe Sleep Guidelines To A Tee — And It Was Almost Impossible
Like all parents-to-be, I basically earned an uncredited bachelor's degree in mom-dom while I was pregnant. I’ve always prided myself on being a pretty good student. In high school, I was the girl who color-coded my notes, made hundreds of flash card…
By De Elizabeth
Pregnancy Hemorrhoids Are Hell On Earth, & We Need To Talk About It
If I had a dollar for every time I googled “pregnancy + X symptom + normal?” I would probably be very rich — or at least reasonably wealthy. The point is, there are a lot of things that happen to our bodies when we’re growing another human, some of w…
By De Elizabeth
The Super Simple (& Delicious) Cure For Your Morning Sickness
Anyone who has ever experienced morning sickness would probably agree that “morning sickness” is a really, really stupid term for one simple reason: it doesn’t just take place in the morning. It happens all day long. And while some people only experi…
By De Elizabeth
I Tried The Toothpaste Pregnancy Test, & It Worked, Sort Of
When it comes to taking a pregnancy test, the options can be a little overwhelming. There are so many on the market these days (and some of them can get fairly pricey). When I was trying to get pregnant, I remember standing in the CVS aisle, wonderin…
By De Elizabeth
