The Garbage Collectors Club (5/6/2021) - As a six year old, I was allowed to roam our very safe neighborhood. I would spend my time picking up trash from the bushes on the outskirts of our street. My hobby turned into a club at age seven when I invited my two best girlfriends to join in the fun. During recess, we headed into the woods behind our school and picked up trash, then sorted out recycling and left our bags for next time. I will never forget the look of sheer surprise on our teacher’s face the day we came out of the woods, held up… Read More
The Unexpected Friend (5/6/2021) - The summer after my sophomore year of college, I participated in an internship abroad program and wrote for an English-language newspaper in Honduras (I learned to speak Spanish quickly!). About halfway through the program, I sprained my right thumb playing volleyball and was unable to write or type. My sprained thumb quickly became my best excuse to travel and explore Honduras. I was headed from Tegucigalpa to La Ceiba and stopped in San Pedro Sula to change buses. Yes, San Pedro Sula is a dangerous city, and I was alone yet unafraid. Across the street from the bus station there… Read More
The Meditator (5/6/2021) - When I was 21, I lived in Northern California in the foothills of the Sierras with old hippies and young activists. In the small rural community where I stayed nestled amongst the Yuba river, a longstanding May Day festival took place. The event was held in a large open meadow surrounded by forest with a small pond off to the side. Toward the end of the day’s celebrations, a group of us women wove reeds into baskets and sang by the pond side. The sun was beginning to set and like a cat chasing a mouse, we chased the sun… Read MoreDichotomy of Stress and Bonding (10/18/2019) - Welcome to B. Love family festival’s audio recordings. B. Love was held in Burlington, VT at Railyard Apothecary October 5, 2019. Experience kind-hearted fun for all ages. Thanks to our gold level sponsor, Bluebird Botanicals. Music by Kuf Knotz and Christine Elise. This recording features Dr. Sarah Wylie of Red Blossom Medicine based in Middlebury and Burlington. Sarah speaks about bonding and stress hormones, the human endocannabinoid system’s role in self-regulation, and medicinal use of CBD. My name is Shaina Levee, I’m the event producer and co-founder of Birth Love Family. Thank you so much for listening, I hope you… Read More
#MomBoss at B. Love (10/13/2019) - Welcome to B. Love family festival’s audio recordings. B. Love was held in Burlington, VT at Railyard Apothecary October 5, 2019. Experience kind-hearted fun for all ages. Thanks to our gold level sponsor, Bluebird Botanicals. Music by Kuf Knotz and Christine Elise. This recording features #MomBoss, an interview with Mieko Ozeki of VT Womenpreneurs, Rebecca Rey of REY Architecture & Interiors, and Arealles Ortiz of Curly Girl Pops on being a mom and entrepeneur. My name is Shaina Levee, I’m the event producer and co-founder of Birth Love Family. Thank you so much for listening, I hope you enjoy the… Read More
LunaSpeaks with Peggy Cohen, Midwife (7/11/2019) - Peggy Cohen, Midwife, discusses midwifery in Vermont and developments within her practice Full Spectrum Midwifery. Learn about homebirthing from Peggy - she has been in practice as a midwife for 25+ years, and has been attending homebirths for over 30 years. Homebirthing is a safe and a valid method for birthing children in Vermont and beyond. Learn more about Peggy at http://www.fullspectrummidwifery.com and like her on facebook and instagram @fullspectrummidwifery. LunaSpeaks is a video presenter series featuring birth and family professionals, produced by Birth Love Family. Join us October 5, 2019 for B. Love Family Festival in Burlington, VT. Visit… Read More
LunaSpeaks with Jessilyn Dolan (2/23/2019) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjBeNHWyMBU&feature=youtu.be Audio only: Read More
Why Is Birth Sacred? 10 Tips to Grow a Thriving Family. (1/10/2019) - Birth is widely discussed amongst Westerners as a sacred experience. There is a felt sense to it, and many parents arrive at this conclusion simply through living it. Likewise, traditions around the world have and continue to revere birth, which further validates the notion. So what exactly makes birth sacred? These ten tips help to explain why birth is sacred, and why a sacred birth is a necessary ingredient to grow a thriving family. Birth is about change. Change is an undeniable fact when it comes to birth. From growing a baby to becoming a parent, these changes offer… Read More
Why Herbalism, Why People, Why Midwifery (1/5/2019) - In many ways, I know my peers and family see me as a strong woman. Outspoken, hard headed, and committed. However, there is always this little corner nagging at me, dragging my confidence down, turning me away from difficult conversations, and sending my own head into doubt. The truth is, I’m afraid of being perceived with all my truest beliefs out and shining, because I know that still, in our culture, that which I am could be labeled a witch, a woo-woo practitioner, a hippie spiritual freak. I am afraid of these words enough to not fully embody my passions. … Read More
BLF Reviews: Landscape with Headless Mama (12/9/2018) - Jennifer Givhan’s debut collection of poems, Landscape with Headless Mama kicks off with lines in the vein of “I was a grave/digger then. A rat fleeing ship. Mama,/who hadn’t sung to me since I was a baby &/never would again, was the lynchpin—/I’m still turning & turning the screw” and continues to mine the vein of family and the longing for it, the relational dynamics of motherhood and daughterhood, markers and destroyers of identity, all layered around its central theme of fertility/infertility. Givhan addresses these themes with an unflinching eye and a brave language. This material is ripe for cliché… Read More
Shooo Eeee Breath (11/12/2018) - Here's a simple idea for when you feel anxiousness and stress building in yourself or see it building in your little one. Sometimes we don't even realize we're a ball of stress, so this practice is great to use on a regular basis, to soothe, calm and ground ourselves, even when we may not think we need it. I've used this breath for myself A LOT - and I've taught it to my boys - who have found it helpful when they are upset, have hurt themselves or feel sick with a stomach ache or headache. If your babe… Read More
A Midwife Assistant’s Journey as a Dog Midwife (11/2/2018) - We’re not your average dog owners.Our six-year-old white German Shepherd mix is cared for by a rotating group of people: me, my fiancé Nicholas and his first girlfriend Savanah, with whom he got Akira five years ago.Akira loves her many parents and we’ve been there for all the parts of her journey into motherhood. Savanah and Nicholas have always wanted Akira to have puppies, as they imagined (rightly so) that she would make a noble alpha dog matriarch. Over the years, however, finding the right mate, and the right mate at the right timing, had not proven easy. This past… Read More
Birth Story Telling with Katie Schmidlen (10/23/2018) - “Birth is about crossing over the bridge of what we can imagine about ourselves and our lives, it is about letting go of the constructs we believe to be true and opening ourselves up to what is given to us. It is about becoming a child again, about seeing with fresh eyes and being accepting and open to everything, meeting it with curiosity rather then judgment and fear. For me this meant some of my walls being broken down, which was truly painful but like any real growth experience, the best thing that ever happened for me. Vivian means “life”… Read More
B. Love Family Festival Recap (10/18/2018) - What a day! The sun came out to play, and so did SunCommon with their bounce house and all the little ones who loved nothing more than jumping and having their faces painted by Shastina Rose at Railyard Apothecary! Myra Flynn's performance was so moving that tears were shed - what a rare and precious experience for all of us. Our CBD & Herbs for Raising VT Families panel discussion was a big hit!! The panel featured Dr. Sarah Wylie, a naturopathic doctor and trained midwife who has prescribed CBD for treating postpartum depression; Ashley Reynolds, owner of Elmore Mountain… Read MoreMyra Flynn on B. Love (10/5/2018) - Myra Flynn discusses her upcoming plans and performance at B. Love Family Festival. https://youtu.be/SCm-04c0LkE Check her out at B. Love Family Festival, 2017 (below)! Read More
CBD & Herbs for Raising VT Families (10/5/2018) - Contact: Shaina Levee FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Email: birthlovefamily@gmail.com Website: www.birthlovefamily.com Facebook: /birthlovefamily Instagram: @birthlovefamily CBD Use During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Now that it’s legal, does that mean it’s safe? 5 local experts seek to find out. BURLINGTON, VT, September 6 - A panel discussion on CBD use during pregnancy, labor, and raising families features 5 local experts. The panel consists of Dr. Sarah Wylie, a practicing naturopathic doctor based in Burlington and Bristol with experience prescribing CBD to treat postpartum depression; Jessilyn Dolan, R.N., a former labor and delivery nurse, UVM opioid use researcher, nationally renowned expert on substance abuse… Read More
The Dreaded Postpartum Mother (9/18/2018) - Throughout pregnancy I wasn’t my best self. I was terrified of labor, threw up multiple times most days, and felt disconnected from my changing body. In the beginning, I was so excited to call my providers’ office after my first missed period. At my first prenatal appointment, I sat excitedly in the waiting office and looked longingly at the growing bellies of the women around me. I smiled knowingly at them, feeling like I was now a part of this special club. I almost expected a hug or balloons from the provider. She was kind, but didn’t give a hug.… Read More
Family Reunion (8/22/2018) - Every year, during the first weekend in August, my partner Chris’s family gathers at a cabin in West Virginia for a family reunion. Theirs isn’t just any family, though. His mom comes from a family of twelve children, and when her mother died, her father re-married a woman with seven children of her own. So, all together there are 19 of them. There have been newspaper articles written about The Ryans. This is a stark contrast to my family here in the states (my mom has a large extended family in Austria, but we only see them once a year),… Read More
B. Love Family Festival (8/1/2018) - BUY TICKETS HERE!! B. Love Family Festival with Myra Flynn celebrates Vermont families. Panel discussion and workshops led by local birth and family experts. Dynamic kids activities. Yoga, massage, live music, bounce house, art, face painting, and storytelling! Vendors, swag bags, door prizes and more!!! We are a community of creative VT families and professionals living inspirational lives - think environmental sustainability and stewardship, locally grown and organic foods, holistic medicine, entrepreneurship, yoga and meditation, mindfulness, decolonization, essential oils/ herbs/ bodywork, and perhaps most important - raising our children with these cultural values. Tickets cost $25 for Adult General Admission… Read More
Mama Blessing (7/26/2018) - This past weekend I traveled to Philadelphia for a dear friend’s Mama Blessing, which I helped plan and organize. After celebrating and uplifting the new mama, I’m returning to Vermont with a renewed passion for honoring the rite of passage into motherhood. It’s important to specifically do so in a way that makes the new mama feel held by her community. Without this acknowledgement and invitation to include the community, it’s easy for a mother to feel more overwhelmed and intimidated than necessary. I’m reminded that we truly cannot do it alone, and should never feel like we have to.… Read More
Voices Of Wisdom: Birth, Relationships And Renewal From Peruvian Masters (7/17/2018) - Article published in Kindred Media, July 7, 2018. Link to original article at bottom of blog. “Anthropology gives us insights into how relational experiences and communication patterns within different cultures directly shape the development of the mind,” wrote Daniel J. Siegel in his book The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are. As a Western woman given the unique and rare opportunity of integrating with an indigenous family from the Q’ero tribe, I can sincerely attest to Siegel’s statement. Q’ero descend from their Inkan ancestors in the Peruvian Andes, where I lived between… Read More
The Postpartum Doula (7/17/2018) - “What would you like for lunch?” she asked before I rushed out the door, my sneakers and breast pump balancing precariously in my arms. “You make lunch too?” I was almost dumbfounded and a little shocked. I assumed I would scarf down another frozen burrito in between breastfeeding sessions later that afternoon. “Yes,” she smiled. “It will be ready when you come back.” And it was. Two hours later she had left, but she had made a lovely plate and left it by the folded laundry and most importantly next to my happily sleeping baby. In the two hours before… Read More
Sample Our LunaSpeaks! (6/29/2018) - Sample Our LunaSpeaks! Watch Dr. Erin Sepic's LunaSpeaks Live webinar from May, 2018 for FREE! Enjoy the sample of our live webinars with Vermont's birth and family professional community. Join us next month for Dr. Matt Rushford on infant and prenatal chiropractic. https://youtu.be/QBOiRhmeQEA Read More Small Letting Go’s (6/21/2018) - Small Letting Go’s….Noticing, Breathing and Moving with Each One I am a crier – let it be known – tears are how I release my emotion. My kids have learned this about me, especially that tears don’t necessarily mean sad and hurt. For me, tears come from an overwhelming amount of feeling. I also learned, since childhood, to NOT let those tears flow (or emotions show) when it’s not appropriate. I don’t remember experiences when my parents outwardly expressed this belief to me – but it made it’s way into my body regardless. When I hold back an emotion, my… Read More
My Greatest Teacher (6/21/2018) - Just over a year into motherhood things generally feel like they’re going pretty smoothly—or at least as smoothly as they can be on the bumpy road of keeping a little one alive and thriving. I was blessed with an “easy baby”. This has been a true gift in the sense that Theo is fairly predictable and his needs are usually met without a lot of complicated guesswork of what those needs might be. Recently, though, I’ve found that having had such an easy baby from the beginning has started to feel like a double edged sword. I seem to have… Read More
Shaina Levee on Birth Love Family (6/14/2018) - Shaina Levee, M.A. speaks at the Vermont Womenpreneurs Showcase, June 13 in Burlington. She discusses fertility and its role in shaping women entrepreneurship, not to mention her own dream baby, Birth Love Family. https://youtu.be/xfQBMwZXO4k Read More
Leaving the Fourth Trimester (6/14/2018) - In the touching and hilarious memoir “And Now We Have Everything (On Motherhood Before I Was Ready),” author Meaghan O’Connell writes “I did my duty (breastfeeding), which was sometimes lovely but more often not. It was not the most incredible experience of my life...I went to great lengths to do it, for reasons I can no longer relate to. Or none other than this: I so desperately wanted to do the right thing, and I had no idea what that was yet.” Her poignant words echo my thoughts lately. My almost twelve weeks of motherhood have felt sometimes lovely,… Read More
Dynamic Childbirth (6/6/2018) - In June we welcome Sharon Fennimore, M.A. to Vermont’s birth and family community. I first met Sharon through our mutual interest in Zenbarn Studio in Waterbury Center. Sharon is gradually moving her practice to Vermont, and starts teaching with a Dynamic Childbirth class at Zenbarn Studio, June 24 from 11am - 2pm. Learn more and register here. Sharon’s class is unique because it is experiential, meaning hands-on learning. She offers a yoga-based approach to holistic childbirth preparation for pregnant people and their birth partners. Topics covered include practical techniques for labor, birth and beyond including movement, labor positions, sounding and… Read More
A Growing Garden for a Growing Life (5/30/2018) - I planted a garden over the weekend. I enlisted the moral and logistical support of my sis/Birth Love Family creatress, Shaina, who is experienced and confident with plants. After watching her put in the first bed of herbs and tomatoes, and listening to her tips and instructions, I spent Monday in the dirt preparing the beds and putting the rest of the starters (kale, arugula, squash, lettuce, etc) into the earth. It felt amazing! Theo and Chris were out there with me too for part of the time just hanging out on a beautiful day. It was rewarding, physically engaging,… Read More
Birth + Love + Family Fest 2018 (5/24/2018) - In 2017 we held our inaugural Birth + Love + Family Fest, drawing in families from as far as CT to our humble festival celebrating Vermont's birth & family culture. The day was a bit overcast with spotted rain as we gathered in the beautiful mountains of Bolton Valley. Our festival supports education and skills on birthing and parenting. Participants were left feeling transformed - in the words of one participant, she felt "reborn" as she teared up in joy. As the producer of this event, her remark moved me. That was exactly the kind of experience I was hoping… Read More
Co-Parenting: Best Mother’s Day Gift (5/15/2018) - My best friend sent me a “Happy Mother’s Day” text and she wrote “I don’t know if today feels cool or important to you, but…” She was right to wonder. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this “holiday”. I’m not someone who has ever felt like I was born to be a mother, and at times this has made me feel incredibly guilty. I wasn’t sure if Mother’s Day would trigger the ambivalence and doubt I have sometimes felt on my journey as a mother. Another friend recently posted on Facebook that being a mother is something that… Read More
Finding Balance (5/10/2018) - For the whole month of April, Theo was “walking”, even “running”. Up stairs, down stairs, in coffee shops, down by the waterfront, chasing the dogs, chasing his dad, chasing his shadow. This was so much fun for him—as evidenced by joyful laughter and squealing—and always seemed to make him happy. The problem was, he had completely skipped crawling. Of course, as his mom I thought he was advanced and precocious, and enjoyed receiving this feedback from strangers as well. Let’s be honest, it’s always a Mama Ego Boost to hear that your child is advanced for his age. I was… Read More
A Maiden Mock Funeral (5/3/2018) - Yesterday, on the evening of the full moon, I gathered with four other women (along with two young girls and two 6-month old babies) for a Maiden Mock Funeral. The circle was called by Hannah, a beautiful and inspiring mama who I first met at her home last summer for one of BLF’s Birth Story Sharing sessions. When I read about her intentions for the evening in her invitation, I felt the synchronicity of the timing on a deep level. With Theo’s one-year birthday fast approaching, I have found myself feeling called to honor my journey thus far as a… Read More
Living Postpartum (5/3/2018) - “She’s been wailing so much and it breaks my heart to see her like this” I recently complained to my mother, choking back my own tears. She laughed and said, “Well, she’s a baby. You’re a mom now. And your heart will break over and over again every time she’s in pain.” I suppose that sums up motherhood for me right now. A little over seven weeks ago I birthed a daughter and nothing has been the same since. Well, I still live in the same house and still will always enjoy rich coffee, dark chocolate and yoga and I… Read More
CBD and Mothering (4/29/2018) - LunaSpeaks Live in April featured Ashley Reynolds, owner of CBD company Elmore Mountain Therapeutics. Ashley's experience as a struggling postpartum mother of two inspired her to try CBD as a natural alternative to pharmaceuticals. The results were so positive, that she went on to start her own CBD company has become an advocate for responsible CBD use in women's obstetrics and gynecology issues. Listen to her story, learn about CBD, and learn about the human body's endocannabinoid system that activates when breastfeeding. *** Also, on April 26, Shaina Levee, M.A. discussed CBD use during pregnancy and breastfeeding at Railyard Apothecary… Read More
CBD & Pregnancy/Breastfeeding (4/26/2018) - We have two great conversations about the use of CBD and cannabis during pregnancy and breastfeeding coming up. Tonight, join Shaina Levee, M.A. at Railyard Apothecary for an event celebrating the Vermont Cannabis Week and sponsored by Kria Botanicals, 6-8pm. Shaina will present a historical review of cannabis and hemp use during pregnancy and breastfeeding citing current research and literature. Join for a story sharing afterward as the group discusses their personal encounters and questions with CBD and cannabis use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Donations are accepted at the door, proceeds support the Vermont Cannabis Alliance. Saturday April 28… Read More
Self-Care (4/26/2018) - This morning, after making a sweet potato and kale frittata for Theo in a mini cast iron pan, I sent a photo and joked to a friend in a text “Theo eats better than I do”. I had only had a couple sips of coffee and half of a banana. Between cooking him breakfast, tending to him when he was fussy, straightening up the kitchen from the night before, making bottles and feeding the dogs, I had already microwaved and forgotten about my coffee at least seven times. This may sound like a silly anecdote, but as I reflected on… Read More
First Steps (4/19/2018) - It didn’t happen like I thought it would. I guess I had this vision of it being some kind of monumental occasion, like it would somehow line up perfectly with a plethora of family and friends around with video cameras (ok, smartphones) to capture the moment and cheer for him. To be honest, I don’t even remember the exact moment. I have a little bit of mom guilt about that, but I’m working on letting go of that in as many situations as possible. Like so many of these firsts, they happen quickly and organically and when we least expect… Read More
Birth Trauma (4/11/2018) - Shaina Levee was featured on the Burlington-based Podcast, A Worldview Apart. Hear her discuss pre- and perinatal psychology and birth trauma. Listen here: http://ericgarza.info/episode-71/ "Shaina Levee is a trauma-informed psychotherapist, educator, and community organizer. She is the creator of Birth Love Family, specializes in birth trauma and life transitions, and has been in private practice for over a decade. She and Eric talk about pre- and perinatal psychology, the impacts perinatal trauma can have on our psychological and even physical development, and the stigma associated with childbirth and how it impacts women’s expectations and experience, among other things. Links &… Read More
VerMamas (4/11/2018) - Last week I wrote about the importance of getting out of the house with a baby, participating in activities and making contact with the outside world to avoid some of the tedium and feelings of isolation that can happen for a new mama staying at home with a little one. Just as it’s important to get out of the house with the little ones and do baby-friendly activities for stimulation, breaks in routine, and community-building, I’ve found that it is just as important for me to get out of the house to do nourishing and community-building activities for myself. I… Read More
Music for Sprouts (4/4/2018) - Spring has sprung (!) may be wishful thinking in Vermont. But at least mud season is here. And with it, the promise of warmer days ahead. I made a commitment to myself this winter, after many months of cabin fever, to plan ahead for the spring and schedule an abundance of activities for myself and my son Theo to do together. One of the lessons I learned this winter was how quickly a new mama (speaking for myself here) can go into a spiral of loneliness, self-doubt and despair (maybe being a little dramatic with that one, but you get… Read More
BLF Reads: Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott (3/28/2018) - Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott landed in my lap, so to speak, at the perfect time. A woman in my new mom’s group recommended it and I ordered it immediately, having read Bird by Bird, Lamott’s wonderful guide to the writing process. I have been feeling the winter blues (yes, in Vermont late March is definitely still winter!) and feeling the heaviness and the struggle of caring for a baby and the postpartum experience, which is very much still a reality even ten months in. Lamott honors the heaviness and the struggle, but juxtaposes it with the lightness and joy… Read More
Fertility, A Wild Beast (3/21/2018) - She is the wild roar of the untamable. She beckons, calling attention to her at all hours. She is present in subtle glances, and pronounced in love’s dance. She is awake - and so are you! A Summary of Me + Fertility My journey with fertility has been full of surprises and growth. Shortly after I became a moon mama (aka got my period), people began to approach me asking if I was pregnant. I enjoyed the attention, and would often stick my belly out further as I responded ‘no’ (I was a young teen). After my first love, and… Read More
Conscious Conception in Ayurveda (3/14/2018) - By guest blogger, Adena Rose Bright. Conscious conception is the practice and awareness of conceiving rather than just ‘leaving it up to chance.’ Ayurveda has a practical protocol to help one prepare to become a parent, which involves preparing both body and mind, and partnership, if applicable. When it comes to creating life, it is in actuality, out of our control. It truly is up to Larger Forces to know when or if we are to become a parent, and perhaps in what way. It is easy enough to write this, but the experience of suffering through infertility is not something… Read More
Ground of Motherhood (3/14/2018) - It’s a March afternoon in Burlington, Vermont. Snowing again, or still. I have a cappuccino by my side and dear friend (shout out to Shaina, of Birth Love fame!) watching my son Theo for a couple hours so I can work on some writing, including this blog. My intention for my writing today was to work on revising some poems I wrote during pregnancy.I have thoughtful notes and comments from my poetry mentor to put towards these revisions, but feel completely lost when I sit down and try to start this process. I’ve noticed how hard it has been to… Read More
LunaSpeaks – Sabrina Leal, MSW (3/7/2018) - Intimate. Vulnerable. There are really no two words that more accurately capture the essence of the postpartum period. Our LunaSpeaks presenter for March is Sabrina Leal, MSW, a Vermont-based social worker who has worked in community mental health for years. She seeks to expand collective understanding of maternal mental health. She will be sharing both from her research and professional-based knowledge, as well as personal experience from her postpartum journey. This will be an insightful and beneficial gathering and an opportunity to share in an intimate, safe space about this vulnerable time. There is this palpable silence I perceive when… Read More
Sisters, Mothers (2/28/2018) - These are photos of me and my sister, taken seven months apart. My sister: my archrival and my biggest ally, depending on the year, depending on the circumstances. My sister, who moved up to Vermont for several months to support me during the end of my pregnancy and the beginning of new motherhood, only to get pregnant herself within weeks of adjusting to life in Burlington, and decide to go back to her familiar environment in Philadelphia to give birth and raise her daughter. Her daughter, who was born this week via healthy scheduled c-section following numerous attempts to get… Read More
LunaSpeaks (2/21/2018) - Much of what is available through Birth Love Family are modern ways of connecting with time-tested practices and ways of being. The hope and intention is that Birth Love Family will act as a village for supporting individuals and families through pregnancy, parenting and growing up. A village is not only composed of relatives and community, but also of abundant resources that support the overall wellbeing of its individuals. One of these resources is LunaSpeaks, a video conference series featuring guest presenters from Vermont’s birth and family professional community. Each conference corresponds with a full moon. Throughout time people have… Read More
A Return to the Village (2/14/2018) - Imagine you’re not one of those women who has spent her whole life dreaming she’d become a mother. Imagine you enter into your first pregnancy while living hundreds of miles away from your family, in the middle of the most challenging year of your life. Imagine feeling that there could not be a worse time to get pregnant, having just made a significant career change one week prior to taking a pregnancy test and incredulously reading the “positive” result. Imagine not feeling entirely positive about that positive, despite being a healthy and fully functional 31-year-old in a loving and supportive… Read More