Celebrating Black Maternal Health Week #BMHW25

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Mom and three kids Greetings from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania! Things have been busy. I am still a working mom of three, working full time who is trying to make a difference. I do a lot of things and try to be present so that I can learn from them. I share them on this blog so that we can learn together. Below are some thoughts, hacks, and/or lessons that I have learned from navigating my world. Black Maternal Health Week April 11-17, 2025 I am a Black mom to three wonderful children. I was blessed to have three successful births. While I am an attorney, my third delivery highlighted the potential risks that occur when a physician fails to listen to the birthing person. Initially, I chalked it up to the physician involved and limited it to my personal birthing experience. Then, I learned that I was not special. Overwhelmingly, Black women experience higher rates of birth trauma, birthing complications and negative birth outcomes.  These statistics are what lead to the creation of ...
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The End of School As We Know it, COVID19 Lessons

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Family enjoying picnic

So, the school year is finally over and I am ecstatic! The above photo is of our celebration. Balancing work, school, and the stressors of day-to-day life combined with the additional stress of being Black in America during this time has been quite a lot. (Click here to read about our experience.) 

Still, I cannot help but be proud of my older kids. Considering everything, they are the rock stars. They are the ones who did their work and focused. And, yes, the focus required prodding and there were sometime tears.  Still, they kept at it every day. They dealt with mommy school and they thrived.

Boy graduating Kindergarten

Our daughter completed fourth grade. We began her virtual school five weeks before her school had anything. We did math, language arts and science. We read a novel, did equations, and experiments. We supplemented with YouTube and online classes we could find. In a word, we made it work. She even discovered new talents, which she mentioned in an online interview that was also aired on KDKA. (To see it, click here.) 

Our son completed Montesorri Kindergarten during quarantine, as you can see in the above photo. (I have know idea why he took a knee, but I was proud.) He rallied, with a little help. :-) He was less than enthused about being without his structure, teacher, and friends. We tried to mimic his classroom as much as possible though. We bought Montessori equipment, gave him choices, and had circle time. I know that I am not the teacher that his gifted teacher is. I shouted when I should have smiled. I used bribery and other inappropriate motivational tactics because I was working while teaching. 

If you didn't know. that is a nearly impossible task.   

We went through this like so many other families. However, I am still proud of my brood. We averted failure and tragedy. We learned and loved. We took each day as it came. And like Gloria Gainor would say, "We survived!!! Hey! Hey!" As I mentioned previously, the baby seems to love this new set up.  (To read about the baby living his best life, click here.) While I know that the day of reckoning will come, we shall enjoy this time while we have it.

Here's to summer!


Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA

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