Category Archives: Choosing your CARE and SUPPORT

Share your experience…especially when you don’t feel like sharing

I coach and encourage expectant moms to do only what works for them during their pregnancies. This is the core focus of the work that I do. That being said, there are some general suggestions that I make. One is that you share with others about what you’re experiencing…especially when you don’t feel like sharing. …

Are you asking for what you need?

It can be tough to admit when we need to ask for something. It’s easy to think we’re not as together as we should be or that we’re a whiny or wimpy pregnant woman. Please, please let’s give ourselves the gift of gentle compassion and the permission to ask for what we need. It can…

What’s your perspective?

When I spoke with Leslie, she was a 44 year-old who had fairly recently got divorced. A life approach of Leslie’s was to make the next choice that worked for her. She continually asked herself, “If I could design it any way I wanted, what would I want?” So, when she was no longer in a…

What pregnancy books do you recommend?

The other day a dear friend asked me what pregnancy books (besides my forthcoming one) that I recommended. I didn’t have a “go to” list for her. Depending on what kind of experience you want to have and what kind of information most interests you and soothes you, the books you’d most enjoy might differ….

Setting aside what we know

When Michelle got pregnant, it seemed as if every woman she’d ever known who’d been pregnant had experienced back pain – or at least some back discomfort – in the third trimester. So, she figured that she was destined to have some problems with her back. It felt inevitable to her. The only questions seemed…

What if your body doesn’t cooperate?

What if your body, that you’ve been with for decades and might know pretty well, starts responding to pregnancy in ways you hadn’t expected? Many women, going into pregnancy, have a bit of an idea of the sorts of physical challenges they might expect to face. I’ve talked to women who’ve had an “Oh, I…

Even though we now choose something different, it doesn’t mean our first choice was “wrong”

After the birth of her first child, Denise felt great about her choices, and, simultaneously, she wondered what else was possible. Her first birth experience was great. She had what she’d call a “regular” hospital delivery. She went with the standard protocols her doctor’s practice prescribed. It didn’t feel uncomfortable in the moment and upon…

No one knows what it’s like to be the pregnant you

Unfortunately, no one knows what it’s like to be you, the pregnant you, in this moment. Even those who have experienced many pregnancies don’t know. (In fact, I’ve heard it said that the more data points we have, the less we actually know.) What this means is that it rests on your shoulders to let…

Choosing your care providers

There are increasingly more options out there for those of us who want to intentionally choose the type of people who will support us during our pregnancy and childbirth. The initial options that come to mind include a doctor, a midwife, a doula, and a birth partner. And, there are other practitioners you may choose…

Self-Care: What’s the best thing you did for yourself during pregnancy?

We all hear it: It’s important to take good care of ourselves during pregnancy. And, too often, us women, who are used to taking care of everyone else, don’t do the best job with self-care. There are many forms self-care can take from carefully selecting the care professionals who are most aligned with our perspectives to making…