A Mother’s Outrage
If you’re a white mother reading the headlines or watching Minneapolis burn and you’re not outraged, ask yourself one question: Why not? On this blog I’ve established that I’m not someone who cries very often: a couple of times a year, perhaps; on the other side of giving birth, for sure. It’s not that I […]
ACOG: Optimizing Postpartum Care
Well, it’s about time! I always have this reaction when ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) publishes a new Committee Opinion that, even though it’s a step in the right direction, should have been the standard decades ago… This move has been prompted, I’m sure, by the recent stories appearing in the media drawing […]
A Call to Action: Mommas UNITE!
Okay, I’m not opening myself up for a debate about who works harder, or whose children benefit more, or any other divisive angle you can think of in the world of Mommas… I’m just stating the obvious: being a Momma is hard work — regardless of whether you’re juggling the demands of full-time employment outside […]
#metoo… What This Hashtag Means for Pregnant & Birthing Women
(NOTE: This post will be discussing sexual violence, which might be triggering for some readers. If you feel you might be triggered, please skip this post and choose a different post from the archives, instead.) Tarana Burke is the woman behind the “Me, Too” movement — but not the hashtag social media phenomenon that just […]
I Believe…
This is the famous quote from author, Marianne Williamson. I read this for the first time printed in The Oregonian on a random page apropos of nothing – it wasn’t part of a larger article or a highlighted quote. Someone, for some reason, spent what would have been a bit of money back in the […]
World Breastfeeding Week – But Is It Always Happy?
“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 […]
34 = A Spring Chicken, But 35 = An Old Bird?! I Cry Fowl!
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 […]
Hopelessly Devoted to You…
de·vot·ed /dəˈvōdəd/ adjective adjective: devoted 1. very loving or loyal. “he was a devoted husband” synonyms: loyal, faithful, true, staunch, steadfast, constant, committed, dedicated, devout; fond, loving, affectionate, caring, admiring “a devoted follower of the writer” 2. given over to the display, study, or discussion of. “there is a museum devoted to her work” I […]
I’m a Literary Mama!
Today is the day! I received the official news from the editors at Literary Mama that my essay I submitted to them in late Summer, which eventually went through six revisions, has gone live! I’m so excited for this “origin story” to be out there in print. It tells how I came to be a […]
Bridge-Building Activism – Is That a Thing?
Sometimes I wonder where my place is in the world of birth. There are so many people who have come before and paved the way for where we are today. Some would argue we have so much farther to go, and they’re right. There are a lot of people who work in my field who […]