Guest Blogger

For fourteen years now, I’ve been “Mom.” Rachel’s mom, Sammi’s mom, Piper’s mom, soccer mom, cookie mom…you know the drill. And since 2011, I’ve had the privilege; well, I’ve PAID for the privilege, of calling myself “dance mom.” You may...

My husband and I both enjoy a variety of outdoor activities: camping, hiking, biking, walking to the park and going to the beach. What do these activities have in common? We can't do much of them during the cold...

Write it down. Just grab a pen. Just take two minutes to write it down. You’re going to forget. This was a recurring voice in my head. Throughout pregnancy I needed to write, but barely did after the first trimester....

I can remember playing “school” with a friend during my childhood years. I wanted to be a teacher from a young age. Today, that friend and I are both elementary teachers. I graduated from Luther College in 2008 with...

Ashley Smalley, MS, RD, LD, Dietician, Mercy Hospital When you're pregnant, you need to eat the right foods. After all, you're supporting a growing life. During pregnancy you'll need lots of extras. That includes extra protein, iron, calcium and folic acid. You’ll...

November has many things to be thankful for (gobble, gobble), but it is also National Adoption Awareness Month. An entire month dedicated to raising awareness for the mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, grandparents and others who choose to love their...

I have 3 main roles in my life: mother, wife, and scientist.  Believe it or not, my career as a researcher in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UIHC is actually a good blend of all 3 roles. I...

We are a Hawkeyes through and through. My husband, James, and I met freshmen year in the only class an engineering major and music major would have in common: Rhetoric. Our first dates were strolls through campus followed by...

I'll be the first to say it: planning a pregnancy is not easy.  Our journey of “planning to plan” started three years ago, when I was 22 and my then fiancé, now husband, was 26.  The medicine that I...

I am not a mom. Nor do I play one on TV. I did, however, write a book about one. Her name was Shelly Bridgewater, and I know you’d like her. Everyone did. She was only technically a mom...