meet the experts more than pregnancy care

CARE—CONTRACEPTION WOMEN LACTATION SERVICES PROBLEM

Health

Smile

Healthy MOM with Kanya DelPozzo, MSN, CNM, page 6

KANYA DELPOZZO, MSN, CNM, IBCLC EMILY DOWNING-MOORE, MSN, CNM

ANNE ZIEMBA, MSN, CNM

Beyond the Bin with WasteWise Lane County in collaboration with Realtor Carolyn Stepp, page 7

Something to Smile About with Dr. Erin Estep, page 10

Kanya Delpozzo, Dana Cummings, MSN, CNM

Emily Downing-Moore, MSN, CNM

ANNIE SNYDER, DNP, CNM

DANA CUMMINGS, MSN, CNM

Support

Support for Families with Audrey Benson, page 18

Pets

Pets are Family with Dr. Emily Kalenius, page 8

Say Cheese

Say Cheese with Dr. Brad Chvatal, page 30

Vacation

Vacation MOM with Donnita Bassinger, CTC, MCC, page 20

Focus

Focus on MOM with Dr. David Hackett, page 9

Published by GO Creative, LLC

263 29th Avenue SW

Albany, OR 97322

Editor-in-Chief

Managing Director

Audrey Meier DeKam audrey@mommag.com

Mid-Valley & Lane County

Business Development Manager

Linda Blair linda@mommag.com

541-231-7250

Salem Advertising

Representative

Kim Leighty kim.leighty@mommag.com

503-510-9036

Designer

Sean Carver s.carver@oregonwebpress.com

Because I said so!

MOM Magazine is sustainably delivered throughout the community thanks to pedalersexpress.com

MOM MagazineTM is produced by GO Creative, LLC. © 2023

All rights reserved. Any reproduction, in whole or part, without written permission of the publisher, is prohibited. Information in the magazine is provided for general information purposes only with the understanding that none of the content constitutes professional advice.

Opinions expressed by the writers or advertisers are not necessarily the opinions of the magazine or the publisher. Inclusion in the magazine does not constitute endorsement of information, products or services.

For decades in my writing career, the phrase “grow a thicker skin” has been bandied about as the only way to protect yourself from the soul-crushing rejections of a tough industry. One must go through these rites of initiation, I was told time and again, to become a real writer. Take your licks. Get knocked about by the industry until you’re as hardened as an armadillo.

In my 20s and 30s, I drank the Kool-aid of this maxim, constantly berating myself to toughen up, not take it so personally, let all of it roll off my back… But there’s a big fat flaw inherent in this that didn’t gel in my mind until my mid-40s, and it came up while working on this issue’s article, “So you want to write a book.” The ideology of “it was rough for me, so it should be rough for you too” has unpleasant notes of damaging, bro-built culture. It all smacks of hazing.

And it’s rampant in many many industries, not just creative ones. For decades in physician training, working 100+ hour weeks was the gauntlet new doctors had to run, all while maintaining an unemotional mask. This was terrible for patients, workers and basically everyone. No one wants an exhausted robot doctor.

I’ve been called sensitive all my life and made to feel less than for it. But here’s the thing: it’s my super power. My thin skin is exactly what allows me to understand the motivation of a person or character. Why should I feel less when my very business as a writer is to feel and then translate those feelings into words and stories? It’s the very essence of authenticity. In fact, that authenticity is good for all occupations, if you ask me. It’s called humanity.

The ones who buy into the tear-you-down first, then build-yourself-upagain mentality? Hurt people hurt people. Teach your kids to reject it. Even Elsa gave up on the conceal-don’t-feel bit.

If you’re like me, you do not need a thicker skin. What we do need is to stop feeding the outdated, harmful psychology of that phrase. Keep your thin skin. It’s perfect.

Audrey Meier DeKam Editor-in-Chief