“It’s really hard sometimes. I’m frantically trying to mix the bottle and he’s really hungry and upset and I could comfort him so much more quickly if I could just breastfeed him. I wish I knew why they didn’t do what they were supposed to. Why didn’t you work?!” She looked down at her chest […]

I was busy all weekend doing what I love: teaching expectant families all about how to get a baby out (Saturday – Express Class) and where to go when the baby is actually coming out (Sunday – Maternity Tour). It was a gorgeous, sunny, not-too-hot weekend and I was stuck inside both days catching glimpses […]

It is my girl’s birthday today. She has turned 11 years old and I wonder, “How in the hell did that happen?!” Last night, she feigned interest in listening to me read some Harry Potter to her younger brother, attempting some wacky dance moves instead. But she gave herself away when she shared, “I love […]

I’ve been away from my blog for almost two weeks. I could claim that my absence from writing is a result of being on a family vacation. I could claim that even though I’ve been home for five days, I’m still struggling with a serious case of jet lag. I could also claim that I […]

Last week, I wrote about wanting to clone myself because I have so many things I’d like to do and just not enough “me”s to get it all done! I just want more time to help women process their birth stories, is that so wrong??? But because cloning is not possible, I’ve tried to do […]

That is the question… Well, not really. I’ve often wished that I could clone myself – not for any weird reasons, I think there really should only be one unique version of us in the world. It’s just that there’s an awful lot I’d like to accomplish in this one, wild life I’ve been given […]

It’s 5:03 am Chicago O’Hare time and I’m trying to find some free Wi-Fi that actually works. I passed a Starbucks on my way to the gate and I can imagine my chai tea latte (extra hot!) in about an hour, when the place finally opens. I’m able to sit and write uninterrupted for the […]

“How’s the book coming?” Why does such an easy question inevitably lead to such a complicated answer? Yesterday morning, I told my visiting mother-in-law that I was going downstairs to try and write for “just a little bit.” Which prompted her to ask me about “the book” and “how it was going.” I felt compelled […]

I’m having a conversation online about how feminism might have screwed us. But before everyone gets all worked up, let me plead my case. We’re supposed to be able to “do it all” but too many of us (all of us?) are finding that it’s impossible to live up to that ideal in our mothering, […]

Yesterday, I came upon my 10 year old daughter in deep discussion with two of her schoolmates about the upcoming sex ed discussion that would be starting next week. Now, if you’ve read any of my previous posts about this subject, you know that my kid is not going to hear anything new. Sex education […]

Member Spotlight: Barb Buckner Suárez Meet Lamaze member and 19-year childbirth educator veteran, Barb Buckner Suárez, BA, LCCE, FACCE, who teaches Lamaze series classes for two hospitals in Portland, Oregon. One of Barb’s goals as an educator is to help families “embrace vulnerability, as opposed to trying to run away from it, so that the […]

Not so long ago, I had the pleasure of working with a room full of Health Educators for a training session I’d developed to help these professionals increase the level of engagement they have with their students. No pressure, or anything, but when the title of your presentation is: “Teach to Reach: Six Rules of […]