We live in a society where baby rolls and chunky thighs are cute, but are looked down upon on a mother who just gave birth. Moms are expected and pressured to “bounce back” after having a baby and are shamed if they haven’t quite yet lost their baby fat. We don’t think about the mental toll of motherhood and that …

It’s hard to believe that it’s been a whole year since my mother passed away. Time has flown by this year, but yet it still feels like it was just yesterday that I was getting the call that she died. But I don’t like to think about that day often, and I know my mom wouldn’t want me to either. …

Overnight, I gained a new identity. I went from being Ivy at 7 PM at my induction, to a mom at 5 AM when my sweet baby girl made her entrance into the world. This identity was unknown to me, even though I had been preparing to become a mom for over 9 months. All of a sudden, you are …

Take a break. You’re worth it. The most true words to be spoken. If you’ve been following along with my recent posts, then you know I’ve been struggling a lot lately. I’ve been putting pressure on myself like no other which has led me to be self-critical and overwork myself. In turn, I’ve felt disconnected, helpless and emotional. I knew …

Sometimes the unexpected is exactly what you need. I had to learn to do a lot of letting go for my birth and for my postpartum journey. The day before I gave birth to Charlotte, I wasn’t feeling much movement and the hospital confirmed my concerns. I was devastated and heartbroken that they said I would need to be induced, …

Enjoy every moment. That’s what they told me when they discharged me from the hospital after I gave birth and became a mom. That’s what friends and family said as they commented on my photos of our cute little addition to our family. A post full of excitement, yet fear of the unknown. You see mothers on social media seeming …

Hi, my name is Leah Brown. I’m a health promotion and education intern here at 1N5. I am a 4th year at the University of Cincinnati, and I’ll be graduating at the end of April. I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety since I was very young, so I’ve really learned the importance of self-care.  Finishing up college has been stressful …

Hello! My name is Meg, and I’m a senior at the University of Cincinnati. I am planning on receiving my degree in psychology with certificates in Deaf studies and pre-art therapy. I hope to continue my studies with graduate school in a few years. Senior year has not been an easy one, and with the added stress of everything happening …

At 1N5 we talk about self-care every day. How do we educate our audiences on how to take better care of themselves? It is a topic that is always on my mind. I try to make it a priority for myself to include some form of self-care every day. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I don’t do so well.  So, …

Christine Browner is the mom of 5 kiddos, wife to an amazing man, rare disease and mental health advocate, nurse, and Program Manager at 1N5.  I kind of feel the same way about the word self-care as I’ve felt about the word pivot since the start of the pandemic. Way overused! I get the importance and significance of each yet …