#MicroblogMondays: Odds & ends

• 
  State of the uterus: okay, but I guess I shouldn't have expected to feel completely back to normal overnight...!  I had a LOUSY night's sleep Saturday/Sunday, so I was very tired and out of sorts all day yesterday. (Plus -- TMI warning -- constipated.  I was told that might happen...!)  Better on that end of things this morning ;) but now I'm spotting a little more. But I don't think it's anything out of the ordinary. Had a somewhat better sleep last night but I'm still feeling tired. Baby steps...! 
• I thought this piece in the Guardian -- from the perspective of an unpartnered childless woman in her 40s -- was really well done. 
• The fallout continues from Lena Dunham's piece in Harper's magazine (which I wrote about here and here).   
• "Live Childfree with Erik & Melissa" has a new podcast episode discussing the infertility community's harsh reaction to Dunham's article.  
• The "Infertile AF" podcast weighed in on the same subject, but from a very different perspective...!  (The hosts did eventually agree that the childless-not-by-choice segment of the infertility community deserves more support and understanding.)   
• By now you've probably heard that the Duchess of Sussex (aka Meghan Markle) had a miscarriage last summer, and wrote about it for the New York Times. It's not just about her miscarriage -- although that's been the focus of the headlines & news coverage -- but a plea for kindness and consideration for each other at the end of this very tough year. 
• Jody Day of Gateway Women was asked to comment on a related story in The Guardian. Of course they cut off the part of her quote where she mentioned that not all women who miscarry go on to become mothers, and how this is missing from the growing miscarriage narrative. (Eyeroll.)  But they did conclude the article with her saying, “This is precisely how taboos are broken – when people choose to speak out despite knowing they will be criticised, attacked and shamed for doing it.”
• On social media, Jody shared a wonderful guest blog she wrote a few years ago for Tommy's charity in the U.K. about childlessness after miscarriage (& other pregnancy losses). 
• Also this week, the other Royal Duchess (of Cambridge, the former Kate Middleton) delivered a major speech on a pet cause of hers:  the importance of the early years of childhood... with a surprising (and very welcome!) nod to the role non-parents play in children's development.  Quote (emphasis mine):  

People often asked why I care so passionately about the early years. Many mistakenly believe that my interest stems from having children of my own. And while of course I care hugely about their start in life, this ultimately sells the issue short.

Parenthood isn’t a prerequisite for understanding the importance of Early years. If we only expect people to take an interest in the early years when they have children, we aren’t only too late for them, we are underestimating the huge role others can play in shaping our most formative years too.

• This article, about creative therapy and sharing after the loss of a child, was shared by a friend on Facebook. The author's daughter was stillborn 22 years ago. Needless to say, all I could think was, "This could be me..." 
• Another friend flagged this story on Facebook:  an arbitrator upheld the reprimand filed against a British Columbia teaching assistant, who told her co-worker -- who is Black, born in Ghana -- "at least I am from here." And (as if the racism wasn't bad enough) she was also reported to have said, "I don't have to respect you. I am a mother and a taxpayer." (Note: the Black woman is also a mother. And a taxpayer.) Does she think that being a (non-Black) mother gives her some sort of edge of superiority?? Or means she doesn't have to show respect for her coworker??  

You can find more of this week's #MicroblogMondays posts here.