Regret, anxiety, guilt, or ambivalence: are these normal feelings as a parent?

The psychiatrist behind matrescence explains why we feel like we need to hide the full range of feelings of pregnancy and parenting.

One time, when my baby was just a tiny thing, I forgot to change the diaper for hours. Blurry with sleep deprivation, I could not figure out why he was crying. Hours later, when I realized the tiny poop smear had given him a massive diaper rash, I smacked my forehead.

“I’m so sorry, sweetie,” I whispered to him. I felt so bad.

We’ve all made mistakes as …