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Fitness during Pregnancy: The First Trimester

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  Moving Your Body in the First Trimester: Gentle Strength in a Time of Change The first trimester can feel like a paradox. On the outside, little has changed. Inside, everything is in motion—hormones rising, blood volume increasing, energy fluctuating hour by hour. In the middle of that quiet upheaval, movement can become a way to stay connected to your own steadiness. A healthcare professional who knows your medical history can help you understand what’s appropriate for you, and within that guidance, there is room for movement that supports comfort, circulation, and emotional grounding. What Makes the First Trimester Unique Early pregnancy often brings sensations that shape how—and how much—you move. Many people notice: Fatigue that arrives suddenly , making long workouts feel unrealistic. Nausea or food aversions , which can affect timing and comfort. Breast tenderness , making high-impact activity uncomfortable. Shifts in balance and blood pressure , which can cause lighthea...
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Why Do Catholics Gather for Soup Suppers on Fridays During Lent?

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  Walk into a parish hall on a Lenten Friday and you’ll often find the same scene: steaming pots of soup, simple bread, people chatting softly, kids running underfoot, and a sense of gentle community. But why soup? And why Fridays? The answer is beautifully simple—and deeply rooted in the spirit of Lent. 1. Fridays are days of communal sacrifice During Lent, Catholics abstain from meat on Fridays as a small act of solidarity with Christ’s sacrifice. It’s not about dieting; it’s about choosing simplicity so the heart can pay attention to what matters most. Soup—humble, nourishing, and meatless—fits the day perfectly. It’s a meal that reflects the Church’s call to detachment and simplicity during this season . 2. Soup suppers turn fasting into fellowship Lent can be a solitary journey, but it was never meant to be lonely. Parish soup dinners transform a day of penance into a moment of community: sharing a simple meal supporting one another in the Lenten journey creating s...
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When the Mother Has ADHD: How Parenting Compounds (and Sometimes Clarifies) the Struggle

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  For many women, ADHD doesn’t fully reveal itself until motherhood. The structure of school, the scaffolding of early adulthood, and the adrenaline of high achievement can mask symptoms for decades. But parenting—especially the relentless, nonlinear, sensory‑heavy work of raising children—strips away those supports. Suddenly the traits that were once manageable become overwhelming. Recent reports show that many newly diagnosed adult ADHD patients are women in their 30s–50s, and a large share of them are mothers. One analysis notes that the percentage of women newly diagnosed between ages 23–49 has nearly doubled since 2020, with many of these women struggling to raise children while managing their own ADHD symptoms . Motherhood doesn’t cause ADHD. But it exposes it. 🌿 The Collision of ADHD and Parenting Parenting is a job built on executive function: planning, remembering, organizing, regulating emotions, switching tasks, and sustaining attention. ADHD is a condition define...
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