Pregnancy
Surrogate Mothers: The 6-Step Process to Carrying a Surrogate Pregnancy
Have you ever wondered about the process of using a surrogate to carry a baby? We mostly hear about it with celebrities, but it’s a very real-life thing, as those of us who have experienced recurrent miscarriage and infertility know. In this article, we welcome Petra Hollosi, a former IVF nurse who now works for […]
How to Prevent a Miscarriage (Debunking the Myths!)
When our editor saw that we were publishing an article about preventing miscarriage, she was understandably confused. After all, I spend more waking hours than I can imagine counting reminding women that their losses were not their fault. Nothing they could’ve done, I insist, could have prevented a miscarriage. So why would I—someone who has […]
Lower Back Pain and Cramping in Early Pregnancy: When to worry
Early Pregnancy Cramps Quick! Think about early pregnancy signs…what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Morning sickness? Missed period? Fatigue? While each of these side effects is one of the better-known early pregnancy signs, they’re not the only physical indicators an expectant mother might be feeling. Cramping and lower back pain in early pregnancy […]
Ideas to Have the Perfect Drive-By Baby Shower
It was no surprise to me that my friend Christina, a gynecologic oncologist, waited until she was nearly 20 weeks pregnant to tell me she was pregnant. But I let the excitement get to me–even in a socially distant, pandemic world, I let myself hope for the best and planned (along with other hostesses) a […]
Why Racial Disparities in Maternal Mortality Make Patient Empowerment Essential for Black Mothers
Have you ever been in a medical situation where you wish you’d known how to advocate for yourself? Speak up? Be heard? This is why patient empowerment is so important. As women, many of us have stories we could tell about moments when we wished we’d spoken up for ourselves in doctor’s offices and in […]
Pandemics, Pregnancy, and Planning: What You Need to Know from an Expert
Let’s be real right now. Pregnancy is a weird and scary enough process in the best of circumstances. Throw in a global pandemic, and many mamas are even more anxious than normal. Who can blame them? They’re growing humans! Anxiety abounds. As a result, we’ve gotten lots of questions from women at all stages of […]
Black Maternal Mortality Rates Left This Mom in Fear
I am writing this for my rockstar son, Chase, one of the most magnificent beings. And for everyone who has endured the trauma of delivering a child early, or of a medical system where black maternal mortality rates are astronomically high. Chase was born very early, at 30 weeks and 1 day. I experienced both […]
When to Announce a Pregnancy: A Different Opinion
Here’s my unpopular opinion about when to announce a pregnancy. I don’t think you should wait until 12 weeks! In fact, I don’t think you should follow any set rules at all. Because pregnancy is real and raw and scary. And it’s personal how you handle it, just like the choices you make through your […]