Childbirth is a universal experience, shared by women around the world since the world began. At the same time, it is a vastly different experience for women in different parts of the world, from the woman who delivers in a hospital room with a doctor in North America to the woman who crouches in a […]
Prenatal Costs: What Medical Expenses to Expect During Pregnancy
If you’re pregnant for the first time, you’ll soon realize pregnancy isn’t as simple as lounging around the house waiting for baby to arrive. Unfortunately, there will be many visits to your doctor or midwife, ultrasound appointments, blood tests and so much more. Depending on where you have your baby and what insurance coverage you […]
Embrace Grace: Love in a Box for Young Single Moms
Pregnancy is hard. Taking care of a new baby is hard. Doing that without support is even harder. That’s why I’m really excited about Embrace Grace. This is a pro-love initiative launched to help save babies by helping their moms get plugged into local churches for spiritual, emotional and physical support. Three of my four […]
Two Keys to a Healthy Pregnancy
Books, magazines, and friends throw a hundred different pieces of advice at a pregnant woman. Do this. Don’t do this. This may help. That won’t help. In the middle of all this advice, pregnancy may seem complicated and confusing. But sometimes, the simplest pieces of advice are overlooked. What is the best thing you can […]
St. Margaret of Antioch, Patron Saint of Childbirth
At times, it’s easy to see why the lives of the saints are treated with doubt by non-Catholics. Many of the early saints are shrouded in history, their lives glorified by implausible legends. We may know little about them besides their names, patronage, and perhaps where and when they lived. St. Margaret of Antioch, a […]
Top 10 Posts of 2015
This year has been a busy year for my blog. In May, I was nominated one of Vancouver’s Top 30 Mom Bloggers by VancouverMom.com. In June, I changed my blog name from the Koala Bear Writer to the Koala Mom and updated my logo, URL and social media channels. In August, I celebrated nine years […]
Best Books of 2015
Ah, it’s that time of year again—time to look at the books I’ve read and think about which ones I’d like to read again someday. That has become my marker of a “good book,” because there are always so many more books to read! The ones that I really like end up on my bookshelf, […]
3 Natural Ways to Prepare Your Body for Labour
When I was pregnant with Sunshine, my husband and I read a book that compared labour to a marathon. The author asked, “If you knew you were going to run a marathon in 9 months, wouldn’t you prepare for it?” He was talking primarily about physical preparation for labour, but his advice has stuck with […]
The Mindful Mom-to-Be by Lori Bregman
When Fernanda from Raincoast Books heard a few months ago that I was expecting, she said, “I have some books to send you!” I’ve enjoyed several of Raincoast’s kids’ books but never checked out their adult selections, so I was intrigued to see what she picked. When the books arrived, Lori Bregman’s book The Mindful […]
Welcome Baby! Dispelling the Myth of Sibling Jealousy
My friend and contributor Anna Eastland and I have spent the last nine months growing babies together. Her due date was just after mine, but her son arrived a bit early, at the beginning of November. Soon after his arrival, she shared this post with me, which totally resonates with what I’ve seen in my […]
