048: Trending: The breast cancer test Olivia Munn credits with saving her life, separate waiting rooms for miscarriage patients & the rebirth of Babies “R” Us
Plus: How Lily Allen says her kids killed her career, the rise of ‘concierge’ moms & a troubling trend in addiction
Welcome to Two Truths, a bestselling newsletter & media brand exploring the many truths of motherhood from journalists & maternal health advocates Cassie Shortsleeve of Dear Sunday Motherhood & Kelsey Haywood Lucas of Motherspeak. Two Truths is rooted in the healing & affirming principle that two (or more) things can be true. It’s a “best parenting Substack” per Motherly; also seen in The Skimm, Vox, The Bump, Popsugar & more.
This is Two Truths: Trending, a regular feature where we read the internet so you don’t have to. Two Truths: Trending delivers a digest of motherhood-related highlights & headlines — all curated & contextualized with maternal mental health in mind.
In this issue:
Olivia Munn has breast cancer — and credits a 5-minute questionnaire given by her OB/GYN with saving her life
Moms are calling for separate waiting rooms in hospitals and OB/GYN offices for those experiencing loss
Lily Allen said her kids killed her career — but her words got taken out of context
Women’s health took center stage at Marie Claire’s Power Play summit
Some parents are hiring ‘concierge moms’ to help their kids at college
The rebirth of Babies “R” Us: 200 shops to pop up within Kohl’s stores across the U.S.
Four political updates from this week & last
Sad but true: No equality for working women worldwide
Overdose deaths tripled for pregnant and postpartum women 35-44 from 2018 to 2021. This feature explains the troubling trend
Woman becomes mother with the help of her two sisters — one who donated eggs, and one who acted as a surrogate
And, as always, our list of maternal mental health resources1
1. Olivia Munn has breast cancer — and credits a 5-minute questionnaire given by her OB/GYN with saving her life
Recently, the actress announced on Instagram that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Munn said her OB/GYN gave her what’s called the Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool, and after a high score, she was sent for imaging. The tool takes into account medical and reproductive history (including the age at which you first gave birth2) as well as family breast cancer history. It estimates the probability someone develops breast cancer. Munn is encouraging other women to ask their doctors about the tool. We liked this NPR article, which talks a bit more about the tool, noting, namely, that the five-minute questionnaire is helpful in IDing risk, imperfect in many ways (“the tool may underestimate risk in Black women with previous biopsies and Hispanic women born outside the U.S.,” the piece states), not the only tool out there, and, like most things regarding health, likely best to tackle in tandem with your doctor. Sending our love to Olivia and her family.
2. Moms are calling for separate waiting rooms in hospitals and OB/GYN offices for those experiencing loss
Recently, an influencer named India Batson went viral for calling on maternal health providers to provide separate waiting spaces for those experiencing loss in its many forms (early pregnancy loss, ectopic pregnancies, stillbirth). She called out the painful process of not just loss in and of itself, but also being surrounded by those with healthy pregnancies while experiencing loss. This outcry is particularly topical in light of the fact that reproductive rights in this country are currently under fire. If you’re experiencing loss and feel passionate about this topic, we’d like to point you toward an organization called Jane’s Room, a non-profit founded by a mother who — after experiencing a stillbirth herself — went on to work with medical establishments to create waiting ‘rooms of respite’ at major healthcare facilities around the country for those experiencing loss.
3. Lily Allen said her kids killed her career — but her words got taken out of context
By now you’ve probably seen the quote plastered on your IG feed: While discussing motherhood and work on the podcast Radio Times, the British star and mom of two joked: "I never really have a strategy when it comes to my career, but yes, my children ruined my career. I love them and they complete me, but in terms of pop stardom, totally ruined it.” The comments — and Allen herself — received plenty of criticism, and the situation sparked a nuanced conversation about the complexity of mom-ing and working and trying to “do it all.” We liked this Vogue piece by Nell Frizzell, which provides a bigger-picture view, some history around the concept of “doing it all,” and more context to the singer’s words — like the fact that she also said: “I chose stepping back and concentrating on [my children], and I’m glad that I’ve done that because I think they’re fairly well-rounded people, fingers fucking crossed.”
[partner content]
4. Women’s health took center stage at Marie Claire’s Power Play summit
This week, a wide range of female founders, entrepreneurs, activists, and change-makers converged at Marie Claire’s Power Play summit — a multi-day mix of events and panels celebrating and exploring women in power. On one stage, Perelel co-founders Alex Taylor and Victoria Thain Gioia joined Marie Claire editor-in-chief Nikki Ogunnaike to shine a light on women’s health funding. “We don't know enough about how our bodies work,” said Taylor. “We have to fund and fuel research, and also drive awareness about this gap in body literacy.” Catch up on more highlights from the event here.
If you’ve read recent issues of Two Truths, you know that Perelel is doubling down on the fight to fund women’s health and get mothers access to the care they need and deserve. (Learn more about the $10 million Perelel Pledge here.)
» Special thanks to Perelel for supporting Two Truths. Readers can use the code twotruths for 20% off a first-time purchase at perelelhealth.com. (*adding this “fund women’s health” tee to our carts*)
5. Some parents are hiring ‘concierge moms’ to help their kids at college
“The services stretch beyond medical attention, such as if a child is stuck at school for a holiday or if they need assistance getting their belongings sent home or put into storage after a semester. The list of needs is ongoing and can be acquired for a rate of $49 per month or $450 for the entire school year,” reports CBS News. Some experts say services like this (see: Mindy Knows) could hinder college kids’ growth; some parents hail it as a savior.
6. The rebirth of Babies “R” Us: 200 shops to pop up within Kohl’s stores across the U.S.
After shuttering all stores in 2021, Babies “R” Us — the behemoth baby gear box store (and sibling to Toys “R” Us) — has found a new home within Kohl’s. The “shop-in-shop” concepts (similar to the mini Ulta stores within Target stores, or the mini Sephora stores also within Kohl’s) will start rolling out in August in dedicated spaces averaging 1,500 square feet. Shoppers can expect a sampling of “baby activity, bath, furniture, feeding, and safety products.”
7. Four political updates from this week & last:
Biden signs executive order that advances study of women’s health via The AP.
“Congress passed and President Biden signed full funding for WIC, which will cover critical access to nutritious foods and breastfeeding support for millions of pregnant & postpartum women, infants, and toddlers for the remainder of the year” via MomsRising.
Every new mom in Flint, MI, will get cash aid for one year. “Flint’s new cash transfer program, Rx Kids, starts during pregnancy. The first payment is $1,500 to encourage prenatal care. After delivery, mothers will get $500 a month over the baby's first year,” via NPR.
ICYMI: Biden’s State of the Union address (full of promises regarding protecting reproductive health) and Senator Katie Britt’s Republican rebuttal (plus Saturday Night Live’s parody featuring Scarlett Johansson).
On the radar: On March 26, the Supreme Court will decide the fate of mifepristone — an FDA-approved drug that’s commonly used for medication, abortion and miscarriage care, and is proven to be safe and effective. Learn more and take action here:
» TAKE ACTION: Click here to add your name to Planned Parenthood’s petition calling on the Supreme Court to protect access to mifepristone.
8. Sad but true: No equality for working women worldwide
That’s per the 10th edition of the Women, Business and the Law report, which was released Monday. “While 95 countries enacted laws on equal pay, only 35 had measures in place to ensure the pay gap was addressed. Globally, women earned just 77 cents of each dollar earned by a man,” per an article on the report by The Guardian.
9. Overdose deaths tripled for pregnant and postpartum women 35-44 from 2018 to 2021. This feature explains the troubling trend
What we’re reading in print (don’t worry, it’s online, too): This deep dive from Cecilia Nowell in Women’s Health: The Face Of The Opioid Crisis Is Changing, And Treatments Need To Catch Up. “Women face more and different and complicated stigma for their drug use,” Sheila Vakharia, deputy director of research and academic engagement at the Drug Policy Alliance, told the mag, which noted that this is especially true for pregnant people or parents.
10. And we’ll leave you with this…
✨ Thanks for reading! To support this work (done between naps, after bedtimes, and before school pickups), please consider upgrading to a paid subscription (it’s just $5/month or $50/year to get the premium experience — every single issue, exclusive content and giveaways, access to the full archive of content, and more). You can also hit the heart button to tell us you enjoyed this issue, share it on social media (don’t forget to tag @twotruthsmotherhood on IG), or forward it to a friend. We appreciate you. —Cassie and Kelsey
Resources and Support For Maternal Mental Health
Emergency assistance is available 24/7 at 911
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 at 988
The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline (1-833-TLC-MAMA or 1-833-852-6262) provides access to a trained counselor 24/7 and is available in Spanish and English
Postpartum Support International provides educational resources on PMADs, free support groups, webinars, advanced trainings for providers, and more
Postpartum Support International’s provider directory includes a list of thousands of trained professionals organized by state
The Motherhood Center offers counseling, support groups, and webinars
The Postpartum Stress Center offers educational resources, counseling, a referral list of trained providers, and advanced training for providers
SUPPORT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH WITH POSTPARTUM SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL (PSI). PSI is a global champion for perinatal mental health that connects individuals and families to the resources and support needed to give them the strongest and healthiest start possible. Visit postpartum.net for information on perinatal mental health disorders, access to 30+ free, online support groups, an online provider directory, the PSI HelpLine, local support coordinators, a perinatal mental health discussion tool, specialized support resources, and more. Call the PSI HelpLine toll-free at 1-800-944-4773 for basic information, support, and resources. Support via text message is also available at 800-944-4773 (English) and 971-203-2773 (Español). Remember: You are not alone. You are not to blame. With help, you will be well.
Women who are older than 30 when they first give birth have an increased risk of breast cancer than those who are under 30.