Invisible Work
The unnoticed work of parenting can make you feel invisible, unappreciated and undervalued. This is the most important work you will ever do – and it is worthy of respect!
Juggling Act
As parents we’re asked to juggle: ALL THE THINGS. Are there any balls in the air that we can allow to drop? Or are they all glass?
Commitment
When you make a commitment to someone else, that’s HUGE. Sometimes I’m amazed at how much time and energy people put into the planning of a wedding, commitment ceremony, or party to celebrate their love — and how very little time and energy goes into what happens the days, weeks, months, and years following. When […]
“Ikigai” — My Reason For Being
Have you ever heard the term “Ikigai”? While you might be tempted to think it’s pronounced, “ICKy guy” its actually pronounced, “I-kuh-guy” and it’s a Japanese concept that means “a reason for being.” I hadn’t heard this term before today. A friend posted on FB an image similar to the one I’ve created for this […]
Supporting Each Other, Supporting Families
“Another study found that only 11% of women attend a childbirth class while pregnant, and many of those take only the class offered by the hospital. Those classes tend to focus on how women should behave as patients, and less on the risks and benefits of various procedures they may encounter during labor.” And there […]
The Best Birth Plan? Letting Go of How Things Must Go
Click here to listen to my conversation with Charlie Gilkey and Angela Wheeler of Productive Flourishing. Finding out what works best for you, instead of holding on tightly to the idea of how things must go might be the best birth (and parenting!) plan. Here’s what they had to say: “Barb Suarez is a health […]
You Matter To Me
NOTE: I wrote this a couple of years ago when a wonderful mentor/colleague/friend of mine was going through a tough time. Today, most of us are going through a VERY tough time. But the birth workers I know – the childbirth educators, support group facilitators, mental health providers, doulas, L&D nurses and all the providers […]
#SolitudeCollaboration
I’m taking part in yet another Quest, put on by my friend and mentor, Jeffery Davis and his team at Tracking Wonder. Usually, I respond to the “instigations” proffered throughout the month of December on the private FB forum created for our group, but the latest has implications for my own readers, so I wanted […]
What About The Book, Barb???
“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 […]
It’s Called Labor for a Reason
Giving birth is hard work – it’s called labor for a reason! Having realistic expectations helps when it comes to coping with the intensity of labor.