I woke up at 3am, 39 weeks 6 days pregnant, feeling intermittent cramping and a bit unwell—that feeling you get at the onset of a fever—hot/cold, shivering, aching. I was excited because I thought this might be it, but the timing of the contractions was inconsistent so I tried to go back to sleep. I…

My body had already been shaking for a while by the time I noticed it. This is normal, I thought, you’re not panicking. It’s the epidural. It’s fine. But it wasn’t fine. As I was wheeled from the delivery room to the OR, I didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want to move from the…

My partner and I struggled with infertility for three years before getting pregnant and it was an extremely difficult time on both our mental and physical health. I felt betrayed by my body. Instead of this experience bringing me closer to other women, I felt isolated. When I did finally have my son, I felt…

We struggled with infertility and pregnancy loss when trying to grow our family before our first child was born. I experienced so much pain, guilt, shame, grief and fear which occupied the space for joy and excitement while expecting and adapting to life as a parent. When our son was born, things were great for…

My whole pregnancy was a nightmare for me, all because of doctors’ neglect. First I would like to tell you this all happened 45 years ago, 1977. I was only 17 years old when I got pregnant. I missed two periods, so I went to the doctor and told him I thought I might be…

My journey to motherhood was fairly simple—we decided we were ready, and I soon after got pregnant. We were absolutely over the moon and I felt absolutely ready to take on parenting. Giving birth was slightly more dramatic as my daughter was born via C-section after 27 hours of labouring. However, I recovered well and…

In the mid 1980s my then husband and I were on our way to our dream: two kids and a white picket fence! We were sad when a pregnancy did not come right away. In late 1984 I got my period again and then continued to bleed for a few weeks. After consultations I was…

When I was three, I had a nightmare. I was shopping with my mom in a department store, as we often did when I was little. We were walking toward the perfume counter when she stepped onto a grate that was built into the floor. I was terrified of those drainage grates—they looked like trap…

I often imagine a world where one human sits in front of another human, openly sharing the grief, the pain, the loneliness and the experience of what it is to be beautifully messy. It includes uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure. What would we call this? I crave a name. Brené Brown calls it vulnerability.  If…