Table of Contents
Introduction xi
Part I Maternal Instincts When Nothing Else Makes Sense 1
1 Kota Bear 5
2 Binge 19
3 A Baby Story 31
Dropping Jewels: Repairing Maternal Instincts Interrupted by Disease, Drugs, and Poverty 43
Part II Community as the Fish and the Loaves of Bread 47
4 Liquid Gold 51
5 Reaching Out to My Othermothers 57
6 Creating Community Through Social Media 67
Dropping Jewels: Advice for Families Who are Feeling Alone 75
Part III My God, My Faith 77
7 A Family That Prays Together 81
8 Custom-Fitting Faith for My Young Adult Years 91
Dropping Jewels: Keeping the Faith Through the Valley of Shadows 109
Part IV Therapy to Heal My Energizer Bunny 113
9 One Year, Two Babies 117
10 Doing What You Have to Do 125
11 Postpartum Times Two 131
Dropping Jewels: How to Turn Off the Energizer Bunny and Get Help 139
Part V Peeling Back the Layers 143
12 Girl Meets Boy 149
13 Seeking My Missing Father 157
14 Paternity Crossroads 163
15 True Father 171
Dropping Jewels: Create Tour Own Mold of a Good Father 181
Part VI A Retreat to Reconnect My Womb to My Body 185
16 Finding Myself and Mom in Red Rock 189
17 Closing the Gap 201
18 Dakota's Voice 207
19 My Voice and My Mother's Voice 217
Dropping Jewels: Reconnect to Heal from Loss 227
Acknowledgments 231
Resources 233
References 235