Published in Maternity in Uncertainty: Profiles in Pandemic Pregnancy·Sep 18, 2020Seasons of COVID: My Pregnancy and Postpartum JourneyThis week’s story comes from Laura in Washington State. She reflects on her pregnancy and postpartum period surrounding the birth of her fourth child, a daughter, who was born in June. It was a chilly winter afternoon on the preschool playground when I first heard about the novel coronavirus. I…Pregnancy5 min read
Published in Maternity in Uncertainty: Profiles in Pandemic Pregnancy·Sep 11, 2020Anxiety Stole my Postpartum JoyThis week’s story comes from Elizabeth S. in Arlington, VA. She shares about her struggle with anxiety during the postpartum period after the birth of her second child. I have struggled with anxiety for a long time. At first it was a quiet buzz in the background, but the birth…Anxiety5 min read
Published in Maternity in Uncertainty: Profiles in Pandemic Pregnancy·Aug 28, 2020A letter to my COVID-19 babyOur post this week comes from Riley in Wisconsin. She writes a letter to her first son, who was born in June, sharing about one piece of her faith journey and learnings during the pandemic. Baby boy, Oh, what a time it is to be alive! From the start of…Covid 194 min read
Published in Maternity in Uncertainty: Profiles in Pandemic Pregnancy·Aug 7, 2020In 13 years this will be a story we tellToday’s story comes from Heather Flaherty in Bellingham, Washington. She welcomed her first daughter into the world in May. Today Heather shares her reflections on some of the unique aspects (both hard and good) of pregnancy and the postpartum period during the pandemic. …Pregnancy6 min read
Published in Maternity in Uncertainty: Profiles in Pandemic Pregnancy·Jul 24, 2020My Pandemic (Home) Birth StoryI have written previously about our decision to switch from a hospital to a home birth while pregnant with our second child during the height of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. You can read that story here. This post recounts the story of the birth itself. The day…Covid 195 min read
Published in Maternity in Uncertainty: Profiles in Pandemic Pregnancy·Jul 3, 2020What no one told you to expect while expectingToday’s story comes from Lydia in Hoboken, NJ. She shares about the circumstances surrounding the birth of her first daughter in May. When we decided to expand our family at the end of last summer, I truly couldn’t imagine the world as it is now. After so carefully calculating and…Covid 195 min read
Published in Maternity in Uncertainty: Profiles in Pandemic Pregnancy·Jun 26, 2020The Unseen StruggleToday’s story comes from Elyse in Colorado. She shares about her struggle with postpartum depression after the birth of her second child in January. You can find her on Instagram at @songbirdelyse Adjusting to a new baby is hard. Whether you’re a first or fifth time mom. While you are…Pregnancy4 min read
Published in Maternity in Uncertainty: Profiles in Pandemic Pregnancy·May 28, 2020Nothing is the Same: From Hospital to Home BirthIt’s mid March and I’m 34 weeks pregnant with our second child. We live in the Washington, DC area, and I’m planning to give birth in a major DC teaching hospital. The same place where our first daughter was born. The same place I’ve been going for 34 weeks for…Home Birth4 min read
Published in Practically Intentional·Feb 29, 2020Medical Misadventures: It Never Hurts to AskIn case you haven’t noticed, the math of who pays what for health care in our country is a bit convoluted. And messed up. I work in the field and have a relatively in depth knowledge about health care financing, and I still find it mind boggling at times. But…Healthcare4 min read
Published in Practically Intentional·Feb 29, 2020What I Didn’t Buy When PregnantLots of people give you suggestions for what to buy when you’re pregnant. And there are loads of sample registry lists out there — I received a number of helpful lists from relatives and friends. But what is less common (I think) is suggestions for what not to buy. Not…Efficiency5 min read