050: Trending: Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis, the case for phone-free childhoods & a high-tech menstrual pad
Plus: Beyoncé’s mom anthem, why the ‘Eva Mendes-is-a-stay-at-home-mom’ headlines are problematic & two new parenting reports
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:
Kate Middleton has cancer, is undergoing ‘preventative chemotherapy,’ and is asking for privacy
New book says cell phones are ‘hostile to human development’ and makes a compelling case for phone-free childhoods
Florida is the first state to ban social media for kids under 14
The recent deaths of two Black mothers further expose the troubling truth of healthcare disparities and put a spotlight, again, on the Black maternal health crisis
Last week, the Supreme Court heard arguments about restricting access to the abortion pill mifepristone, but a decision may not come until June
Takeaways from two big parenting reports
A menstrual pad with a removable strip for collecting blood samples to carry out medical tests just gained FDA clearance
Listen: Beyoncé’s ‘Protector’ song from ‘Cowboy Carter’ is all about a mother’s love
Postpartum wellness hits WWD
Eva Mendes stepped back from acting to raise her kids, prompting “stay-at-home mom” headlines; here’s why titles in motherhood can be problematic
A mom reveals her medical bills totaled over $4 million after giving birth to quadruplets
And, as always, our list of maternal mental health resources
1. Kate Middleton has cancer, is undergoing ‘preventative chemotherapy,’ and is asking for privacy
Following extensive speculation and conspiracy theories regarding her whereabouts after the announcement of a planned abdominal surgery in January, The Princess of Wales said in a video on March 22 that she has cancer and is undergoing what she referred to as ‘preventative chemotherapy.’ It’s unknown what type of cancer Middleton has or what type of treatment she’s undergoing. (“Adjuvant chemotherapy” is a type of chemo that is often used as a follow-up treatment after something like surgery to lower the risk of cancer returning.) “This, of course, came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” Middleton said. “It has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte, and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them and to reassure them that I am going to be okay.” We send our love and support to the Princess and to anyone navigating cancer.
» Explore more: Marcella Kelson’s ‘Motherhood Through Cancer’ Substack offers an empowering community for mothers navigating cancer treatment and survivorship
2. New book says cell phones are ‘hostile to human development’ and makes a compelling case for phone-free childhoods
In a buzzy new book (and its accompanying articles and interviews; see below), social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, Ph.D., makes a strong case for phone-free childhoods that has us thinking even more about the dangers of social media, technology, and cell phones for kids. This subtitle sums it up: “The environment in which kids grow up today is hostile to human development.” If you want to explore this subject matter more…
Start with: ‘The Terrible Costs of a Phone-Based Childhood’ in The Atlantic [gift link].
Listen to: this new episode of Radio Atlantic. Hanna Rosin juxtaposes theory with lived experience as she speaks to both Haidt and her child, Jacob: “You’ll hear a mother…wrestle in real-time with the consequences of parenting decisions as Haidt makes the case that we should collectively agree to rescue our kids from this experiment.” [gift link; transcript available]
Subscribe to:
’s newsletter, . He just launched a new series called ‘What Parents Can Do Now.’ It starts with this: ‘How To Delay the Age at Which Kids Get Smartphones’ by Melanie Hempe, founder of ScreenStrong.Go deeper: For the full deep dive, buy the book: The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.
3. Florida is the first state to ban social media for kids under 14
In related news, Last week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that would ban kids under 14 from using social media. The bill, which will take effect in January 2025, makes Florida the first state to enact such a law. Some say it’s a step in the right direction for a technology so damaging to young brains (the House of Representatives passed a bill that could lead to a TikTok ban).
» Connecting the dots: David French, in an opinion piece for The New York Times, wrote about Haidt’s impressive work on the very real and damning impacts of social media on kids, noting he’s “persuaded” that smartphones are a “prime mover in teen mental health in a way that television, games and music are not”… and he stated that he’s “wary of government intervention to suppress social media or smartphone access for children,” noting that the “people best positioned to respond to their children’s online life are parents.”
4. Last month, two Black mothers died from entirely separate health-related complications; their deaths further expose the troubling truth of healthcare disparities and put a spotlight, again, on the Black maternal health crisis
On March 20, Krystal “Krissy” Anderson, a former Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader and yoga instructor, died following a stillbirth. Her husband, Clayton Anderson, reported that shortly after giving birth, his wife came down with sepsis, which led to organ failure. The tragic story shed even more light on the Black maternal health crisis in this country, in which Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women.
On March 11, YouTube influencer and mother Jessica Pettway passed away from cervical cancer after being misdiagnosed with fibroids for months on end. Research suggests Black women are 41 percent more likely to develop cervical cancer than white women and 75 percent more likely to die from it. We found these Reels from OB/GYN Jessica Shepherd, M.D. to be helpful and informative in understanding the situation:
As Dr. Shepherd writes: “So much to digest with this tragedy. Black women need to be heard, we need to educate more on our health and how to prevent these diseases and ALSO health care disparities that is also seen as racism in the health care system.”
» For more on this topic, including ways take action yourself, see our issue 004: Tragic and preventable: 5 ways to help address the Black maternal mortality crisis
Special thanks to Perelel for powering this issue of Two Truths: Trending. Perelel is fighting to fund women’s health and get mothers access to the care they need and deserve; you can learn more about the $10 million Perelel Pledge here.
Discount alert: Readers can use the code twotruths for 20% off a first-time purchase at perelelhealth.com. (Tip: Don’t miss this limited-edition “fund women’s health” tee.)
5. Last week, the Supreme Court heard arguments about restricting access to the abortion pill mifepristone, but a decision may not come for months
“Justices appear skeptical of call to restrict abortion pill,” reports Politico. “A decision that sides with the Biden administration — likely to come in June — would be a major victory for the FDA’s authority to regulate prescription drugs and for abortion-rights advocates who have sought to protect access to mifepristone, the drug used in roughly two-thirds of abortions in the U.S.”
Nonetheless, the “challenge to the Food and Drug Administration’s regulatory authority sets a potential precedent for conducting other de facto second reviews of FDA-approved products by judges who don’t have the requisite scientific expertise,” reports Forbes.
» Learn more about mifepristone in our issue 046: Trending: Big news for abortion & birth control, the fairytale of Montessori & the motherhood penalty
6. Takeaways from two big parenting reports
Parenting and pregnancy publication The Bump just released a new ‘Future of Parenting Report’ outlining “four major trends shaping how parents of today and tomorrow will raise their kids”: empowered parenting, modern families, mini adulting, and green households.
Motherly’s annual State of Motherhood report is also out. It details the need for “sustainable practices now, starting at home,” says mental health is “mom’s biggest worry,” and highlights ever-present issues such as the intersection of care work, work for pay, and the mental load.
7. A menstrual pad with a removable strip for collecting blood samples to carry out medical tests recently gained FDA clearance
Much like the placenta is too often treated as medical waste, menstrual blood, too, has been overlooked by healthcare:
But the manufacturers of Q-Pad—a pad “designed as an alternative to traditional intravenous methods of drawing blood for a typical blood test”—believe menstrual blood is a viable source of important biomarkers for a number of conditions, including diabetes. “With the first-ever FDA-cleared menstrual blood health test, Qvin is paving the way to important new opportunities for women’s health and this is just the beginning,” said Sara Naseri, co-founder of Qvin, Q-Pad’s manufacturer.
» Read more: I Tried a Diagnostic Menstrual Pad to Learn More About My Health — Here's How It Went
8. Listen: Beyoncé’s ‘Protector’ song from ‘Cowboy Carter’ is all about a mother’s love
In the song, Beyoncé switches between using the words “protector” and “projector” to explain the dual responsibilities of protecting children and helping them shine. The singer’s six-year-old daughter Rumi also makes an appearance on the track, asking, “Mom, can I hear the lullaby, please?” (Try not to cry.)
9. Postpartum wellness hits WWD
We love to see mom things in one of fashion’s most well-known trade magazines, Women’s Wear Daily. In ‘Postpartum Health: How Wellness Brands and Services are Catering to This Underserved Category,’ reporter Emily Burns talks about doulas, postpartum retreats, and mom-focused tech startups like Mavida Health.
10. Eva Mendes stepped back from acting to raise her kids, prompting “stay-at-home mom” headlines; here’s why titles in motherhood can be problematic
In a new interview with Today, actress Eva Mendes (a mother of two with actor Ryan Gosling) said this about her decision to stop acting: “I’m so lucky, and I was like, if I can have this time with my children — and I’ve still worked, I just didn’t act, because acting takes you on locations, it takes you away.” Some headlines about the interview highlighted Mendes’s role as a “stay-at-home mom” (a title that’s typically reserved for mothers who do not work for pay), despite Mendes’s explanation that she continued to do other forms of work besides acting (she’s the co-owner of kitchen essential company Skura Style). The semantical discrepancy is yet another reminder that all moms work; that “stay-at-home” moms don’t always stay at home; that working inside and outside the home is often fluid and evolving; and that restrictive (and often polarizing) titles like “stay-at-home mom” and “working mom” rarely capture the true reality of what moms do.
» Explore more: Neha Ruch’s Mother Untitled platform offers a wealth of information about the “gray area” where working (or not working) and motherhood meet.
And we’ll leave you with this:
“Under no circumstances should a parent have to quit their job to afford childbirth. Under no circumstances should a parent have to pay millions to keep their newborn alive. Something has to change.”
‘Send Me the Link’
It’s Earth Month! Sunniemade is including a complimentary wildflower seed packet for all orders placed throughout April
The goal: more wildflowers spread all over the country. Says the company: “Simply distribute the seeds on a sunny stretch of soil and in a few weeks new blooms will support pollinators, enhance biodiversity and brighten days. If you do not have access to outdoor space, you can place the seeds directly in one of the brand's compostable boxes.” *Places order now.*
» Want more reccs for stuff you’ll love? Subscribe to Two Truths here to receive full issues of ‘Send Me the Link,’ a new feature of the newsletter where we share the products and purchases worthy of your click. Check out recent issues here and here.
✨ 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.