Pregnancy-Related Migraines Are Real, And They Are Awful
I have been a migraine sufferer since my early 20s, when I started getting migraines with aura. I seriously thought I was having a stroke at first because the aura phase of a migraine is freaking...
View ArticleI Hate You, Fragile X Syndrome
I should have waxed. Or at the very least, trimmed up a bit. That was the first thought that popped into my head as I lay, feet in stirrups, nurse at my head, and a rather obnoxiously large...
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6 Amazing Things About Being Pregnant With Twins
It’s probably not surprising to anyone, really, that most people would prefer a singleton pregnancy to a twin pregnancy. Now that I’m carrying twins, I’m commonly greeted with the comments “You sure...
View Article6 Phases Of Infertility
Phase 1: Blissful Ignorance You and your partner just decided that you’re ready to try to become parents! You are thrilled, madly in love, psyched to find out what kind of weird but adorable spawn you...
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I Was Pregnant, But I’m Not Anymore, And This Is Our Story
Trigger warning: high risk pregnancy, birth defects, abortion “You’re pregnant? Did your doctor talk to you about taking this medication?” the pharmacist asked. “Yes, I am. But I won’t be tomorrow when...
View ArticleMy Birth Plan Failed, And I Delivered My Baby In A Volkswagen
The plan wasn’t to deliver a baby in the backseat of the car. The plan was to have a calm, low-intervention birth at the same hospital we had done our prenatal care. But like many things in our lives,...
View ArticleI Experienced A ‘Code Brown’ During Delivery, And Nothing Else Matters Now
I have high expectations of myself. I also tend to excel in pressure situations. As such, when I was first informed of such a birthing risk, I was completely unbothered and amused. The thought was so...
View ArticleWhat I Wish Our Doctors Had Told Us About Infertility
Last year, we received the news that my husband had cancer. After what we thought was a routine tonsillectomy to deal with his swollen tonsils, he was diagnosed with lymphoma — diffuse large B-cell...
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Welcome To The Future: Fetal Surgery Is Real, And It’s Saving Lives
We’ve heard about fetal surgery. We’ve read stories, seen pictures, known families who’ve had their lives turned upside-down. But have we all thought about how truly incredible it is that modern...
View ArticleThe Reality Of A Rainbow Pregnancy
Trigger warning: stillbirth Being pregnant again after stillbirth isn’t about baby showers and gender reveals, it’s more 2 a.m. hospital visits and crying on the shower floor. Should we conceive again?...
View ArticleThis Is The Annoying Pregnancy Symptom We Never Hear About
I was well aware of many symptoms of pregnancy: the swelling, the achy joints, the moodiness, the hunger, the nausea, the exhaustion. Hell, some people even clued me in on their changing bowel...
View ArticleDon’t Tell Me How To Have A Baby At My Age
As a 46-year-old solo mom, looking back on my arduous path toward motherhood, I remember the confusion, stress, anxiety, shame, and uncertainty I felt while stumbling toward parenthood all too well....
View ArticleNo, Inquisitive Stranger, We Aren’t Having Another Child And This Is Why
“Is he your first?” the mom at the park asks me. “Yes. Just the one,” I reply, already cringing inwardly at the question I know is coming next. “Are you trying for another?” Her tone is casual, not...
View ArticleWhen You Can’t Be A Mother, And Infertility Takes Over Your Life
As a little girl I was going to work at a grocery store and be a mom. Be a teacher and be a mom. Be a Broadway star and be a mom. A brain surgeon and mom. Anthropologist and mom. Writer and mom....
View ArticleThe Postpartum Condition No One Is Talking About
I was wholly unprepared for the chaos of the postpartum world. Sure, throughout my pregnancy I was worried about preeclampsia and gestational diabetes and toxemia, and I’ve always struggled with...
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20 Hilariously Accurate Tweets That Describe The ‘Joys’ Of Pregnancy
There are some women who say they love being pregnant. Personally, I don’t believe them. It’s not that bringing a human into this world isn’t a humbling and incredible process, but it’s filled with...
View ArticleI Announced My Pregnancy Early In Case I Had Miscarriage
There are a lot of social norms around pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing that can seem so obvious for a first-time mom, that you don’t question them, as though the path is so well-worn, you can...
View ArticleI’m Married And I Want An Abortion
I’m pregnant. I’ve been here before. Almost three years ago, to be exact. I was engaged at the time, but I took off my ring if I knew any eligible guys would be around. I was 24 years old and had...
View ArticleLaughing Gas As A Way To Manage Labor Pain? Yes, Please!
No matter how you do it, birthing a baby is going to be one of the most painful, full-body f-you’s that you will ever experience. And because birth can be vastly different for each of us, no one should...
View ArticleI Had A Miscarriage At Work And Pretended Nothing Happened
There are days you walk into work and you really wish you could turn right back around and drive away. Whether the craving is to go back home for another hour of sleep or to play hooky from life and...
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