Category: Support

— Birth Trauma, Childbirth, Mental Health & Support, Support, The Birth Chat, Trauma, Women's Issues —

Advocating for Yourself During Childbirth After Sexual Trauma: Understanding Your Rights, Choices, and Coping Tools

March 31, 2025

Childbirth is a deeply personal experience—but for survivors of sexual trauma, it can also bring unexpected triggers, fear, or vulnerability. If you’ve experienced sexual trauma, know this: you are not alone, and your voice, body, and choices matter—especially during labor and birth. This post is here to remind you that you have the right to… Read More Advocating for Yourself During Childbirth After Sexual Trauma: Understanding Your Rights, Choices, and Coping Tools

— Birth & Baby, Mental & Emotional Health, Mental Health & Support, Mood Disorders, Postpartum, Postpartum PTSD, Postpartum Support, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Health, Support, The Birth Chat —

Rattled: A Must-Read for Every New Mom Navigating Anxiety

March 26, 2025

An in-depth look at Dr. Nicole Pensak’s groundbreaking guide for navigating motherhood with compassion and science Motherhood can be beautiful—and it can be overwhelming. For new moms who find themselves anxious, uncertain, or not quite like themselves, Dr. Nicole Pensak’s book, Rattled: How to Calm New Mom Anxiety with the Power of the Postpartum Brain,… Read More Rattled: A Must-Read for Every New Mom Navigating Anxiety

— Anxiety, Family Conflict, Support, Toddlers, Women's Issues —

Work-Life Balance for Moms with Toddlers: Real-Life Tips for the Working Mama

March 21, 2025

If you’re a full-time working mom of a toddler, you know the juggle is real. Between daycare drop-offs, work deadlines, laundry piles, tantrums, and maybe remembering to eat lunch—it’s a lot. At The Birth Chat and Barksdale Missions, we believe in honest conversations and practical support. We see you trying to do it all, and… Read More Work-Life Balance for Moms with Toddlers: Real-Life Tips for the Working Mama

— Ask for Help & Advice, Baby, Baby Health, Baby Sleep, Bottle Feeding, Breastfeeding, Childbirth, Doula, Info, Postpartum, Postpartum Support, Pregnancy, Support —

What No One Tells You About Being a First-Time Mom

March 7, 2025

Are you a first-time mom? Maybe you’re currently expecting? Or perhaps you’re trying to conceive? No matter where you are on this journey, it’s never too early or too late to start thinking about the joys, challenges, and surprises that come with becoming a parent. Everyone has their own opinion about how you should feed… Read More What No One Tells You About Being a First-Time Mom

— Support, Teens —

The Power of a Visual Timesheet: Reclaiming Balance in Your Daily Life

February 10, 2025

Life is full of responsibilities—work, family, personal goals, health, social commitments, and self-care. With so many demands on our time, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, stretched too thin, or stuck in a cycle of burnout. If you’ve ever felt like there just aren’t enough hours in the day, you’re not alone. The truth is, we… Read More The Power of a Visual Timesheet: Reclaiming Balance in Your Daily Life

— Child, Support, Teens —

Navigating Life with ADHD: A Parent’s Perspective

January 29, 2024

Life can be incredibly challenging for both parents and children impacted by Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Many children with ADHD are unfairly labeled as “bad” kids, leaving parents and caregivers feeling frustrated, judged, and often defeated. As an adult with ADHD and a mother of children who also have ADHD, I’ve experienced my fair… Read More Navigating Life with ADHD: A Parent’s Perspective

— Blended Families, Child, Siblings, Stepchild, Stepparent, Support, Teens —

Bidirectional Relationships in Stepfamilies: Mutual Impact Between Stepparents and Stepchildren

May 10, 2019

The was written as an assignment for FS468 Parenting in Contemporary Societies at Mississippi University for Women in Spring 2019. Bidirectional Relationships in Stepfamilies: Mutual Impact Between Stepparents and Stepchildren Ashley BarksdaleMississippi University for WomenApril 10, 2019 Introduction In the United States, approximately 9% of married couples and 12% of cohabiting households contain resident stepchildren… Read More Bidirectional Relationships in Stepfamilies: Mutual Impact Between Stepparents and Stepchildren

— Our Village: Shared Journeys in Parenting —

Matters of the Heart – Heart Defects in Infancy (Part 2)

February 10, 2018

February is Congenital Heart Defect awareness month. 1 in 100 babies is born with a congenital heart defect.  In the United States, nearly 400,000 babies are born with a congenital heart defect each year.  [Read Part 1 Here] Providing Support to the Family Symone was discharged from the hospital on Friday, September 16, 2005. We… Read More Matters of the Heart – Heart Defects in Infancy (Part 2)

— Our Village: Shared Journeys in Parenting —

Matters of the Heart – Heart Defects in Infancy (Part 1)

February 2, 2018

February is Congenital Heart Defect awareness month.   1 in 100 babies is born with a congenital heart defect.  In the United States, nearly 400,000 babies are born with a congenital heart defect each year.  [Read Part 2 Here] In 2005, my oldest daughter was the 1 in the 100.   Like my first pregnancy, all tests… Read More Matters of the Heart – Heart Defects in Infancy (Part 1)