Renee Bracey Sherman and Regina Mahone proudly share their abortion stories, which led one of them to realize she wanted to be a mom and confirmed for the other that she didn’t. Plus: the problematic ways we talk about “readiness” for parenthood… and sex after abortion.
Feeling enraged lately? Dr. Kameelah Phillips gives us the facts about perimenopausal mood swings — and gets personal about her own. (Red lipstick while listening is not mandatory, but highly encouraged!)
Laura Kavanagh knew she would encounter challenges as the first female fire commissioner of the FDNY. But she didn’t anticipate the false rumors that she slept her way to the top — or the nastier rumors about her supposed pregnancy. Now, for the first time, she shares what was actually going on in her reproductive life when she ran the fire department.
Xyla Foxlin started flying as a teenager. By her twenties, she was piloting her own plane and building another from scratch. But when a private health crisis went public, she wound up in a battle with the FAA that could ground her for good.
Ali Yarrow thought her childbirth experience would be hers to guide. Instead, she found it was guided by the American obstetrics system — a model that was designed by men.
Cyndie Spiegel built a career on optimism — inspiring audiences with messages of hope and positive thinking. But in 2020, as she faced mounting struggles with family and health, she found that the affirmations she once preached were no longer working and she’d have to find a new way forward.
When comedian Kulap Vilaysack decided to resolve questions from her family history, she did it in the most extreme way possible: by directing a documentary about her own life.
This week, two different essays about the wounds our moms can leave us with — and what, if anything, can be done to start the healing.