Pregnancy is a time of such vulnerability.  Your body is on display for the entire world to see - and comment on.  From the sickness of early pregnancy to the cute baby bump of the second trimester and finally "this baby is taking over" feeling of the final weeks before delivery. It's hard to ignore the transformations that occur during pregnancy. 

When I revealed I was pregnant, I thought my pregnancy was about me.  But in many ways, pregnancy is a catalyst for others to relive their journey to parenthood. The stories poured out of people so easily and joyously. Some heeded warnings, others delighted in sharing the intimate details of their experience, and once distant acquaintances, became friends.

In many ways I found pregnancy to be a rite of passage.  I felt like I had entered an exclusive club and just through being pregnant, I had gained a deeper connection to others.  So for me, pregnancy did make me feel more vulnerable but maybe that's the way the heart prepares itself to

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  It was June 25.  My due date had finally arrived! The shear terror about the pain of labor that worried me throughout my pregnancy was gone and I just wanted to get the show on the road and have this baby already.  A week past my due date, baby got an eviction notice (formally known as an induction) and it was time he vacate the premises! 

I was not against the thought of having an epidural but really wanted to experience labor pain so I could understand what my mother had been talking about all these years!  My labor progressed with each passing hour.  I thought I would know the exact moment when I needed the epidural.  The pain would come in waves and I would feel like I was drowning then I would pop up for air and think okay, I can handle this.  Finally, my husband John said, "I don't know what you are feeling but your face looks like you are about to cry.  Why don't you get an epidural now, before you just can't tolerate it anymore?" That's what I needed to hear. I was being a

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Someone somewhere coined the catchy phrase "terrible twos," and although every 2-year-old has their moments (what age group doesn't, including twenty- and thirty-somethings?), I've decided, based on anecdotale evidence and personal experience that the terrible twos are, in my opinion, a myth.  When my first daughter approached that fabled age, I braced myself for the worst, but it never happened.  Although this could very well be atypical, as I have not conducted scientific research on the subject, both my daughters (and several other children I know) actually became exponentially easier to handle upon their second birthday.  I credit communication and ease of mobility for this happier state of mind.  It seemed that once my kids could actually convey what they wanted or needed, and once they could get around well enough to be able to access almost anything their little heart could possibly desire (even the most dangerous of chemicals and objects if not carefully stored and kept out of

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Hello, again.  This is a question I also get asked a lot by friends and family.  (Obviously, my patient don't ask me since they've already chosen me for some reason...HA!) 

How many of you have developed a relationship with your doc only to have to move because of one reason or another?  Most of us.  Some of us more than once! 

It's really hard, right?  Think about it. Childbirth is one of the (if not THE) most wonderful, exciting, nerve-wracking, blessed moments in your life.  Would you trust that to just anyone??  I wouldn't.  You can just look through the yellow pages or your insurance carrier's doctor lists.  Doesn't that feel a bit like shooting in the dark??  It does to me.  After all, every doctor looks the same on paper.  Every doctor got a degree from somewhere and ostensibly has the qualifications to be a doctor.  We all want a "good" one, though, right?

Here's the honest truth.  90% of medical issues are pretty straightforward and can really be handled by just about any board

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Today I would like to share with you the advantage of going in to birth prepared and not just "winging it." Yes, your birth center will provide you and your baby a safe environment.  They will also provide individualized care that  supports  you and your family.  And it's true  the  baby will come out even if  you have not taken any preparation classes but,  the more information you have regarding the process and options of birth the better  your ability to relax and enjoy the  experience. 

The birth of a baby is an event that is etched in a mother's memory her entire life.  Because, giving birth is such an incredible event, it is only right that every woman have the opportunity to a positive birth experience. A positive birth experience is when a mother gives birth in an atmosphere where she feels safe, supported and an active participant in the decisions concerning the care of herself and her baby. Education helps to accomplish this goal. Having knowledge is power and being

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I remember it like it was yesterday.  September 2003, my best friend Mari called to tell me she was pregnant.  Mari and I went to high school and college together, traveled throughout Europe, shared in the many highs and lows of young adult life.  Our lives had paralleled in so many ways. But, now it seemed her life was headed in a new direction.

While my husband John and I always knew we wanted children, we had not started seriously trying to conceive.  I was finishing up my MBA program, he was working hard at his new law practice, the time just didn't seem right.  But, that call from Mari made me rethink all the practical reasons to wait.  I decided to go talk with my sister's OB/GYN for a pre-pregnancy consultation.  I wanted information.  How long should we expect to "try" before getting pregnant?  How do I best prepare my body? Do I have to stop drinking coffee?

After that visit with the doctor and lots of long talks with John we started in earnest to get pregnant.  I was one of

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Hello, all.  This is my first foray into the world called "the blog..."  (Sounds almost like a crazy monster out of a black and white movie, doesn't it??)

 Anyway, a question that I'm asked a lot is "when is the right time to start a family?"  I wrote an article about this is Lacamas Life (It's a magazine in Clark County, in case you don't know!) a couple of years ago.  My answer then is the same as it is now.  There is no right time.

"What??!" 

It's ALWAYS the right time.  (Well, there are a FEW obvious exceptions! HA!) More and more, women are in professional jobs.  Time is often a commodity that is in short supply.  Professionals often say to themselves, "If I can just get through (fill-in-the-blank), I'll have more time."  Of course, we all know after that comes another something that "if I can just finish this..." 

My wife and I thought finishing medical school would be good before having kids.  Then we thought finishing our residency training would be better.  THEN we thought it

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Work From Home Mom.  Although the label describes my occupational circumstances accurately, I have to admit it makes me a bit uncomfortable.  I'm absolutely proud of my paid job (editor and co-owner of Vancouver Family Magazine), but every parent "works," by nature of that sacred title, whether they're being compensated financially or not.  I'm no different from any other parent, regardless of their professional situation. 

I've always considered myself, and been proud to be, a stay-at-home mom.  Even after I came on board with Vancouver Family Magazine in September 2006, it took me quite a while to realize that I had, in fact, joined the ranks of those christened WFHMs.  Perhaps I didn't want to be despised by others who could assume that I didn't make my children a top priority.  Maybe I wanted to make certain that anyone who did assume such was wrong.  At any rate, over the past couple of years, with continued daily effort to put family first and work a distant second, I've

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