I’m Tiff, and This is My Story
I grew up in a suburban neighborhood in New Jersey, just across the bridge from Philadelphia.
My parents met at their senior prom in 1967 and got married in November 1970. They had me three years later, and my brother 22 months after that. They’re still married.
Growing Up with Traditional Gender Roles
My parents’ relationship followed traditional gender roles, which drove me insane growing up — watching my mom do everything while my dad slept on the couch.
Let me be clear: my dad wasn’t lazy, and he wasn’t misogynist. He worked his ass off — in the heat, in the freezing cold, often seven days a week for months — to give us a life I’m forever grateful for.
I don’t know how they did it. My dad, a union bricklayer, and my mom, an educational assistant, managed to take us to Disney World three times. They always drove new cars, paid for our college educations, and bailed us out when we needed it. (We’re both divorced now.)
My Dad Made Me a Feminist
He would probably disagree, but I’m a feminist because of him. He raised me not to take any shit from anyone — especially dudes. He taught me that if a boy could do it, so could I. And probably better.
My Own Marriage
So when I woke up one day to find myself in a marriage dripping with traditional gender roles, it was confusing.
I had always wanted to be a mom. I even wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, though I doubted we could afford it.
On my last day of teaching, I told my students I’d see them in six months. (No, actually — I said, “I’ll see you Wednesday,” because I was going in for an external cephalic version to flip my breech baby. Long story short: he didn’t flip, and I ended up having a C-section that day instead of waiting for a planned home birth.)
Postpartum Hit Hard
Six months later, I still hadn’t slept more than an hour or two at a time. I was barely hanging on, learning to be a mom while managing a home, being a wife, stressing about money — it was a lot.
I couldn’t nurse all night, get the baby and myself ready, help my husband get ready (because yeah, those traditional gender roles were that strict), and then get to work by 7:45 a.m. to teach 11-year-olds about the Roman Empire. And my son wouldn’t take a bottle, wouldn’t go to anyone but me, and wasn’t calmed by anyone else.
I was deep in postpartum anxiety and didn’t even know it — I just thought I was failing at motherhood.
Accidental Stay-at-Home Mom
I never went back to teaching. I cashed out my pension, gave up my health insurance, and walked away from a salary that today would be $101,000 — all to stay home with my baby, because I knew I couldn’t leave him and handle both roles.
I wasn’t resentful of my husband’s freedom. I was resentful that the partnership we’d agreed on had disappeared. I was nursing every night in a dark room, while he played video games with friends. Partnership was gone, and I was left alone in postpartum chaos.
What Went Wrong?
How did I allow this to happen? What could I have done differently? What skills was I missing? Why did I end up full of postpartum anxiety, eventually divorced, struggling to pay my bills?
I’ll answer those questions in this blog — not just to vent, but to help you avoid the same pitfalls.
Planning for Postpartum — Including Placenta Encapsulation
Even though I can’t get a do-over, you can plan ahead. That’s where intentional postpartum planning comes in — including options like placenta encapsulation for moms in South Jersey, Central Jersey, the Jersey Shore, Philadelphia, and Delaware.
Placenta pills aren’t magic, but they help stabilize mood, boost energy, and support milk supply — all key areas that many postpartum moms struggle with. Adding this as part of a holistic postpartum plan can help you feel more supported, grounded, and able to manage the chaos.
I want you to stand in your power before postpartum hits. To build the life you imagined — one you can manage, enjoy, and even love. Because postpartum doesn’t have to be a storm you survive alone.
Thank you for hearing my story. And always remember — this is temporary, you are not alone, and you will survive.
If you’re curious about placenta encapsulaiton and would like to add placenta pills to your postpartum toolkit, click here to complete a short inquiry form and I’ll send you some info.
