When Mariah was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in her 20s, she never could have known how much her chronic illness would shape her journey into motherhood.

In this episode of The Mama Sisterhood, Mariah shares her experience navigating three pregnancies while living with rheumatoid arthritis at a time when there was much less research and information available about managing the condition during pregnancy and breastfeeding. She talks openly about having to stop her medication, the flares that followed, and how her health ultimately affected her breastfeeding journey.

Mariah also shares what motherhood looks like when you are managing a chronic illness — including the challenges, the guilt, and the need to adjust expectations. Through her experiences, she has learned some powerful lessons about parenting and what truly matters when raising children.

Her own experiences eventually led her to create Mamas Facing Forward, a community designed to support women living with chronic illness as they navigate pregnancy and motherhood.

Mariah's story is a reminder that motherhood doesn't have to look a certain way to be meaningful. Sometimes, living with chronic illness forces us to let go of the expectations we place on ourselves and focus on what matters most.

Find Mamas Facing Forward at mamasfacingforward.com

Important note: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice. Always consult your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider with questions about your health, medications, pregnancy, breastfeeding, or treatment.

As a toddler, Stephanie began noticing that her daughter’s struggles with food went far beyond typical picky eating. But it would be years before she received an official diagnosis of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).

In this episode of The Mama Sisterhood, Stephanie shares her family’s journey through years of uncertainty, therapy, and learning how to understand and support a child with ARFID. Her daughter eventually overcame the eating disorder and is now an adult, but getting there was a long road filled with challenges, questions, and plenty of misconceptions about what was really going on.

Stephanie incorporated her daughter’s experience with ARFID into her fiction novel Sad Perfect, using storytelling as a way to help educate others about the disorder and give readers who may be experiencing similar struggles a chance to see that they are not alone.

Stephanie’s story is a reminder that sometimes what looks like “just picky eating” can be something much more complex—and that understanding, support, and the right resources can make a meaningful difference.

Stephanie's website: https://stephanieelliot.wixsite.com/arfid

Sad Perfect by Stephanie Elliot on amazon.com

Learn more about ARFID: https://www.arfidcollaborative.com/welcome

FB groups Stephanie recommends:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1561802504059071/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/408708434487042

Disclaimer: The Mama Sisterhood is a space for sharing stories, experiences, and information—not medical advice. Always talk with your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional about your individual health concerns and before making changes to your care.

When Krista took her 3-year-old daughter to a busy kids’ play area, she never imagined that she would find herself facing every parent’s worst fear: her child was missing.

Krista initially panicked, but then she remembered a tip she had seen on TikTok several months earlier. She put the tip into action—and it helped her find her daughter.

In this episode, Krista shares exactly what happened, what she did in those frightening moments, and the simple tip she learned that she hopes other parents will remember if they ever find themselves in a similar situation.

Her experience also taught her an important lesson: even when you're watching your kids closely, toddlers can move quickly and do unpredictable things. Rather than assuming it could never happen to you, being prepared for how to respond can make all the difference.

Krista is now sharing what she learned so other moms can have this information in the back of their minds—just in case they ever need it.