January 18, 2012

Postponing Motherhood: Is It Possible To Build A Family and A Career?

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I was 27 when I married the man with whom I created two children—at the height of my career as a political reporter-turned-journalist and just as my first book made its way to store shelves. Two years into our marriage, we decided to have children. Each of them was made ...

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January 3, 2012

He Will Not Be A “Junior”: A Black Father Reveals the Mindset Of A Man Expecting A Son

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By JAMAL FREDERICK As I write this, my beautifully pregnant wife has about three more weeks until she gives birth to our second child, a boy to complement our 3-year-old girl. Most assume that my son is what I’ve been waiting for the whole time—that having a boy was my ...

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December 22, 2011

Beyonce’s “Maniac” Work While Pregnant: Please, Baby—Slow Down!

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If the counting and the sonogram is correct, Beyonce will be giving birth sometime in the next month to a sweet baby girl—but even this far into her pregnancy, the superstar is working on her fifth studio album, promoting her Beyonce Live at Roseland DVD, following husband Jay-Z on his ...

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December 13, 2011

Photos Of Mariah Carey’s New Post-Baby Body! Let’s All Feel Craptastic We STILL Have Our Baby Weight!

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Years ago when she had a new album out and was still in love with Jermaine Dupri and her brother Michael was still in the land of the living, I interviewed Janet Jackson for a feature story in Essence. On stage and in magazines she’s an absolute glamour doll but ...

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December 5, 2011

Going It Alone: Survey Says Black Mothers Get Little Help, Services & Support While Giving Birth

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A groundbreaking survey of African American mothers on their pregnancy and birth experiences reveals that black moms have little support before, during and after birth—a void that may explain why African American babies are disproportionately underweight and suffer high infant mortality. The first-of-its-kind survey of 245 Black women in Oregon ...

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December 1, 2011

It’s In the Jeans, Not the Genes: Understanding—and Curbing—Childhood Obesity

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From Shelly Chapman @ EatRelateLove—  My friend introduced me to the genius of Bruce Lipton and after watching this video, I had an A Ha! that I had to share. How often have you heard women say: “it’s in my genes” “my mother/father was this way, too” “it runs in ...

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November 28, 2011

Beyonce Showing Off Belly Bump In “Oh Baby” Video = Total Cuteness

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While stupid gossip blogs continue their (really weird) conspiracy theories about Beyonce faking her pregnancy, the proud mommy-to-be showed off her baby bump and her sense of humor in an adorable “Oh, Baby!” video making the rounds across the innanets. In the video, Beyonce, who was six months pregnant when ...

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November 17, 2011

Erykah “Badoula” And The Business of Birthing: Can Midwifery Help Stem Black Infant Mortality Rates?

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I’m not gonna lie: When those labor pains kicked my groin like they came from the hooves of a giant, honery, angry mule, I practically walked into the hospital spine up, ready for the needle-full of juice that would make the pain just, like, go away. Sure, my Lamaze class ...

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November 15, 2011

Daddy Denied: Jay-Z Says Fatherlessness Made Him Delay Becoming A Dad

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While practically anyone with access to a computer and wi-fi is writing titillating stories about every… single… morsel… of information about Beyonce’s pregnancy—She’s craving waffles! It’s a girl! Auntie Kelly bought her yet-to-be-born niece a $5,000 hot pink crystal bath tub!—GQ, one of my favorite go-to magazines for in-depth profiles ...

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November 10, 2011

Motherhood Denied: The Dark Legacy Of North Carolina’s Eugenics Law, Through the Eyes of a Black Mom

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I’ve made no secret about my support for a woman’s right to choose—been very clear that I firmly believe it is solely a woman’s decision to settle on when and if she’s ready to hand over her body to pregnancy and her life to motherhood. So there’s no confusion, let ...

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