Steph Montgomery

To be honest, I’ve never really been a fan of Thanksgiving. There’s always so much pressure to have a perfect holiday meal with your family, which, in my experience, culminates in at least one person losing their cool or leaving the table in tears.…

For many moms-to-be, the last few weeks of pregnancy can be particularly stressful. While consistent contractions and your water breaking are obvious signs of labor, it's impossible not to analyze every twinge, pain, and symptom as a hint it's "go…

As any parent can tell you, cold and flu season with a toddler generally means coping with at least one stuffy nose or case of the sniffles. Unfortunately, for toddler parents everywhere, finding safe and effective ways to clear your toddler’s…

I've never been a huge fan of Thanksgiving. For me — an anxious vegetarian mom who hates football and fears the judgement of others — I think it's kind of the worst. It's not that I don't love my family, or enjoy spending time with them. I just…

My husband and I were watching a movie the first time I experienced labor. He wanted to head to the hospital immediately, but I made him stay so I could see how the film ended and at least finish my popcorn. He voiced his concern over the…

It seems like all, or at least most, of my friends on social media are over-the-moon excited for the holidays. They're asking people to post their favorite Thanksgiving recipes, they're sharing photos of their Insta-worthy Christmas decorations, and…

The other day I offered my sweet 6-year-old a homemade muffin, only to have him turn it down. He'd eat muffins exclusively if we let him, so I asked if he was feeling OK. He replied, "I shouldn't. My friend told me to lose weight." My son is 6. My…

As temperatures drop outside, many of us rely on portable space heaters to help keep our families toasty and warm. But experts warn that if you use them to heat your home there are certain tips and tricks you should know, especially if you want to…

When I was pregnant with my first I went days past my due date and, as you can imagine, I was frustrated. My daughter had dropped weeks prior, so every day it felt like I was carrying a bowling ball between my legs. But having your baby drop "early"…

Giving birth to my youngest child was an empowering, life-changing experience. Not just for me, either. When my husband watched our baby crown our relationship changed, and in ways I couldn't have possibly imagined. What is often touted as a "gross"…

As I was coaxing my son out of bed this morning he whined, "But I don’t want to go to school." He says the same thing every morning, and it's usually him simply stalling. But today I asked him to tell me more. As a newly minted kindergartner, with…

If you ask any new parent, they'll probably tell you that their little bundle of joy could use more sleep. I mean, babies aren't exactly known for sleeping well, and their parents are likely to suffer from at least a little sleep deprivation…

Representation matters. It’s literally the foundation of our political system, and helps ensure equal protection of the law. The LGBTQ community, however, hasn't really been represented by those elected to serve the American public in office,…

As a first-time pregnant woman I was admittedly worried about how childbirth might damage my vagina. I wasn't concerned in a vain kind of way, but was concerned about the future of my sex life or how I would feel "down there." The idea of pushing a…

As a soon-to-be first-time mom I wanted to be prepared as I could possibly be for childbirth. As a result, I totally over-packed my hospital bag. I didn’t end up using most of the items I thought would be super-important — a birthing ball, breast…

The relationships your kids have with their grandparents can be extremely especial and among the most important relationships in their young lives. Unfortunately, however, some grandparents aren't all that "grand" when it comes to how they treat…

Deciding if and when to have kids is as personal a decision as they come. When I was 26-years-old and newly married I agonized over when my husband and I should try to conceive. I wanted to make the "right" choice, and worried that if I made the…

When I was pregnant I just knew I would be a badass, put-together new mom who ran half marathons, was never late, and undoubtably capable of conquering the world with a baby on her hip. As you can imagine, I was wrong. I learned so much about myself…

As a sexual assault survivor, I find the idea that someone would use the word "rape" to describe anything other than sexual violence horrific. So when I was scrolling through my Facebook feed and found a meme calling for a new #MeToo movement for…

I hear "jokes" all of the time about dads being incompetent parents. From their inability to put diapers on properly to sending kids to school in mismatched clothes and letting them eat candy for breakfast, dads are described as nothing if not…