birth

In childbirth, choice is a luxury. There is no “should” — only what is.

Natural Childbirth Is Great But Let's Stop Pretending It's A Matter Of Choice

We are already so hard on women, and women are so hard on themselves. We shouldn’t set them up to feel like any birth that ends in a healthy child is a failure.

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image credit Ker-Fox Photography

To The Photographer Who Thinks Cesarean Birth Isn't "Real" Childbirth

"Cesarean birth is beautiful, powerful, strong, and brave."

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Nothing could have prepared me for either of my births.

My Birth Stories: The Blooper Reel

What I was not prepared for was this. When it was time to give birth to the placenta, gross thing really, it just kind of flops out and they drop it into a bucket. Splat.

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You are not your trauma.

6 Ways To Cope With Trauma

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Listen, a vagina is not an artificial waterway for babies to be born.

Let's Talk About Genitals: The Term Birth Canal Is The Actual Worst

The way we as a society discuss genitalia is already messed up and confusing. When the word “vagina” is used to mean everything from, well, “vagina” to “vulva” to “the entire female reproductive system — yes, even including the ovaries,” it’s no freaking wonder we don’t know how to talk about this stuff.

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Pregnancy demands a lot from the body.

Pregnancy Helped Me Appreciate My Body

I was lucky enough to avoid a great deal of body negativity growing up.

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So much of my pregnancy and delivery were marked by fear and anxiety, rather than acceptance and a growing confidence in my body’s abilities. (Image: Thinkstock)

Does Body Confidence Have An Effect On Pregnancy And Labor?

In the final weeks of pregnancy with my second child, I went to a group appointment alongside other mothers-to-be and their partner

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We receive mixed cultural messages about antidepressants and pregnancy. (Image: Thinkstock)

Should You Take Anti-Depressants During Pregnancy?

When my husband and I began trying to conceive, I was anxious about how my antidepressant medication would affect a pregnancy, especially after reading terrifying pseudo-scientific articles and judgmental, paranoid commentary lurking in The Seventh Circle of Hell known as mommy boards.

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