If there is once thing I know for sure, it’s the fact that every couple has to experience change. Even if your relationship is happy and healthy, change will occur. It’s inevitable. But change is not a bad thing. Change is a natural part of life. What determines your level of happiness and success is not your ability to avoid change, but your ability to manage it. What do … [Read more...]
7 Phrases Every Pregnant Woman Really Really Needs to Hear
My husband and I are expecting our first child next month. I’m waddling. I can no longer see my feet, and wearing shoes with laces is no longer an option. (Chile, bending down to tie shoe strings just requires too much effort!) Aside from all the changes happening with my body, there is so SO much to think about and consider: Will our baby be healthy? Will I be a good … [Read more...]
5 Useful Tips to Help Couples Cope with Life’s Bad and Unexpected Moments
What makes life interesting is also what makes life so painful at times; we are never certain what’s around the corner. The cornerstone of our existence as human beings is that life is unpredictable. Things happen that we didn’t anticipate, and how we react and cope determines the quality of our lives. If you know a married couple that’s been married for a long time, they … [Read more...]
Snip! Snip! Snip! 3 Fear Free Reasons Why Husbands Should Get a Vasectomy
BMWK family, I don’t always get personal about my marriage because as much as possible I try to write while keeping our business out of the street. However, today I need to speak on a debate that has been simmering in my home: my husband’s vasectomy, or more accurately, the vasectomy that he refuses to get. Now, in actuality, he has never openly refused. He agreed to it … [Read more...]
What Heart Failure After Pregnancy Taught Me About My Post-Baby Body
Even though I ignored it, the first sign that something was wrong appeared on Mother’s Day, 2014. The day before, I had come home from the hospital with my third child, an 8lb, 3 oz baby boy, after a problem-free pregnancy and delivery. I felt good after delivery and was excited to get home with my baby and start the process of dropping the baby weight I had gained. I had been … [Read more...]
No One Told Me I Had to Get My Wife a Mother’s Day Present…
Why I'm NOT Getting My Wife a Mother's Day Gift... Me: Do I have to get you something for Mother's Day? Her: Well I would probably expect a small token...at least a card or something. Me: Ummm....oh ok. Okay so before you wonder why that conversation was so awkward, it's because my wife and I don't currently have any children but we are expecting our first in about … [Read more...]
6 Chic & Comfy Maternity Style Options that Keep Your Pockets Happy!
One of the questions that has been coming up lately is how to stay stylish while you're pregnant. Everyone knows that growing a human is hard work and the last thing a woman needs is to look or feel a mess during that time. So for all my preggos, here are 6 tips to keep you looking fly while you prepare to bring your little bundle of joy into the world. 1. Stay true to … [Read more...]
2-Year-Old Takes His Remarkable First Steps
A video posted on NFL quarterback Michael Vick's Facebook page recent went viral, and we can certainly see why. According to young Kayden's mother, her son was born with omphalocele, a rare condition that causes several complications, including a child being born with some organs on the outside of their body. Despite doctors recommending that she terminate her pregnancy, … [Read more...]
NJ Judge Rules That Pregnant Women Can Ban Child’s Father From Delivery Room
The first ruling of its kind in the nation, last week a New Jersey judge ruled that mother's can decide that they do not want the child's father in the delivery room. According to nj.com the judge is cited as saying, "Any interest a father has before the child’s birth is subordinate to the mother’s interests," Mohammed wrote. "Even when there is no doubt that a father has … [Read more...]
Melissa Harris-Perry Welcomes Baby Girl on Valentine’s Day
On February 15, MSNBC host and political commentator, Melissa Harris-Perry, tweeted a picture of her and a baby girl with a caption that read, "Best Valentine Ever! @JamesHPerry and I welcomed our daughter yesterday!..." In an editorial piece on MSNBC titled, "How we made our miracle," Harris-Perry shares the journey it took to get her little one here. At age 28, … [Read more...]
Proposed Legislation Could Provide Paid Maternity Leave to More Women
While there are companies that offer maternity leave for women in the form of Family Medical Leave or short-term disability, there is still a large number of women who must take an unpaid leave after giving birth. There is a possibility this could change. The “Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act" or FAMILY Act, proposed by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) earlier this month, … [Read more...]
Parents of Four Welcome Home Quintuplets
Evonne and Deon Derrico of Las Vegas, NV have a 7-year-old daughter, a 3-year-old son and 1-year-old twin boys. On September 6 their family grew by five when Evonne gave birth to a healthy set of quintuplets without the use of any fertility drugs. They always wanted a big family, but didn't expect for it to grow so much so soon. The couple initially thought they were having … [Read more...]
3 Times When “It Just Happened” Isn’t An Acceptable Answer
"It just happened!" Raise your hand if you are tired of hearing these three words yet. Oh no volunteers? Well, keep reading anyway! The more I coach clients this continues to be a consistent theme.... That is, until I break it down! I believe that many of the issues that arise and grow in dating and relationships are rooted in the lack of accountability we take for our actions. … [Read more...]
The Road to Reproduction: For the First Time, I Felt Empowered
Note: Read the last article in this series here: Che was able to postpone his work trip for a month so that he could be home while I recovered. I was incredibly grateful that he could be there. He would be the person to drop me off on the day of surgery and pick me up when I returned home. Dr. Haney does over 100 of these surgeries (pre-pregnancy TAC) a year, so I wasn't at … [Read more...]
The Road to Reproduction: A New Womb Mate
Every woman is taught that everything is fine with your pregnancy once you make it past the first trimester. My name is Donnie Smith and I'm a wife, High School English Teacher, scrapbooker and a stepmother. I'm also a dreamer, a planner and a recovering worry addict. My husband Che "Rhymefest" Smith is a grammy-award winning writer, hip hop artist and a community activist. He … [Read more...]