Romper

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.

Let's Not Make Shaming Moms Who Wear Makeup After Birth A Thing

It is one British icon pitted against another, as Keira Knightley critiques Kate Middleton’s three postpartum photo calls on the steps of the Lindo Wing — an appearance that Knightley describes as an attempt to hide the "reality" of motherhood in a…
By De Elizabeth

How A Daycare Teacher, A Pediatrician, & A Mom of Four Avoid Getting Sick All The Time

There is nothing ruder than a cold on a 90-degree day. But for those of us in charge of multiple sets of sticky fingers, colds are just as likely to arrive in August as they are in the depths of January. And when it comes to common illnesses, it…
By De Elizabeth

They Do Grow Up So Fast, & We Need To Stop Acting Like That's A Bad Thing

There are a handful of comments that I’m used to hearing about my baby on a regular basis (many of which are from complete strangers, much to my overwhelming exasperation). But one stands out to me, as though it’s on an endless loop, because I’ve…
By De Elizabeth

The Intrusive Questions Don't Stop After You Give Birth

When I was pregnant, I felt like I couldn’t go anywhere without someone commenting on my belly, asking a personal question, or generally turning my body into a conversation piece. (I can recall one particularly frustrating encounter during my third…
By De Elizabeth

I Thought I Was *So* Psyched to Wean, But It Turns Out I'm Not Ready

“I can’t wait to be done with breastfeeding.” A sentence I must have thought, or said aloud, at least a hundred times since my daughter was born last summer and I made the goal of breastfeeding her for at least one year before weaning. In the…
By De Elizabeth

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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
By De Elizabeth