The Longest Shortest Time

EPISODE #7: Nurse, Get the Handcuffs

Thirty-four years after having me, my mom breaks down for the first time over not being able to breastfeed me.

EPISODE #4: Don’t Make Me Be Your Miracle

After having her first child, a woman experiences heart failure and is told she has less than a 50 percent chance of surviving another pregnancy. Through a surrogate, she finally gets her “miracle” baby and is surprised to discover he’s just a regular old baby.

When I Say Childbirth, You Say . . .

On the first day of our natural childbirth class, our teacher, Michelle, asked us to go around the room and say the first word that came to our heads when she said “childbirth.” We began with a skinny goateed guy who paused for effect before saying, “Miracle.” That’s where we started. Miracle. How can you […]

The Longest Shortest Time

Nine months ago, during the last storm of the snowiest winter in Philadelphia history, my stomach began to gurgle loudly like a draining bathtub. It took about an hour to realize what this meant: my daughter finally wanted out.