For the last few years, the March of Dimes has invited me to go to California’s Capitol Day, an annual event where staff and volunteers from March of Dimes travel to Sacramento to lobby legislators on behalf of moms and babies. It’s very similar to what Mike and I did six years ago in Washington,…
Health and Pregnancy
My Day As A Lobbyist
May 21st, 2015Comments: 9
I Am A Preemie Parent
November 10th, 2014Comments: 53
Madeline, four days after she was born. She’d just had her forehead IV removed, and was on a ventilator, IVs, umbilical cath, pulse ox, chest tubes, and was extremely swollen from the fluids being pumped into her body. The first time I was told my child was going to die, I was about seven weeks…
Helping Someone On Bed Rest
August 6th, 2014Comments: 55
I don’t know how it’s possible, but I’ve never written a post on how you can help a friend who’s on bed rest. I get asked all the time for ways to help, so I went through all of my emails and put this together. Between Madeline and Annabel’s pregnancies, I’m a bed rest veteran…
Love Was Not Enough For Me
February 4th, 2014Comments: 16
In the summer of 2002 I lost a lot of weight. I did it by not eating well (or really…at all), and went from a size six to a double zero in only three months. I got compliments, I got a boyfriend, but mostly, I got lucky – I didn’t do any lasting damage to…
Post-Baby Weight
September 24th, 2013Comments: 60
Now that I’m done with that whole Baby-Having phase of my life, I’m working on getting my health and body back. My hyperemesis is gone, although I have some lingering effects in my hair, teeth, and nails. When it was all said and done, I lost twenty-seven pounds, which would normally be a really exciting…
The Language Of Breastfeeding
August 5th, 2013Comments: 156
I think the way breastfeeding is spoken about in this country has to change. When you are a new or expecting mom, you are bombarded with all sorts of messages about breastfeeding: Breast is best It’s beautiful and natural. Your body was made to do it. It shouldn’t hurt. You will love it. It’s the…
Time For Your Check Up
August 1st, 2013Comments: 28
I took James and Annabel to Dr. Looove’s office this week for check-ups. James needed his two-month well baby visit, and Annabel needed a check-up before preschool started. The morning of the appointments, I told Annabel what we were about to do and she flipped. Not because she was scared, but because she was excited….
Medical Mysteries
July 25th, 2013Comments: 119
Even though Mike and I are certain we are 100% done having kids, we were not ready for me to take the permanent step of a tubal ligation during my c-section. I drove Dr. Risky crazy, though, because I’d make jokes like, “Feel free to take out my uterus when you’re in there, I won’t…