Are you a feminist?

Are you a feminist? Or is this a trigger word for you? I have struggled with this word in my youth, in my adulthood, and in my motherhood.

In my youth, I would say I adopted the more commonly understood definition of what being a feminist is—that is, equal rights for women, aka, women can do anything men can do. I wanted a seat at the table—at any table— and was definitely not going to let being a woman be a limitation.

As I became more knowledgeable and mature in my understanding of concepts like the feminine genius, and that fertility is part of my unique power as a woman and not something to be feared. I began to understand how irreplaceable mothers are to their children and the unique role a mom has in the home.

But as I built a television career (I used to be on HGTV) and was open to babies whenever they came, it became clear to me that the practical application of both these statements above was going to look VERY different than I pictured, and that it was going to require a tremendous amount of prayer, skill, mindset work, flexibility and support to make reality. How do you physically show up to “the table” when you have a breastfeeding infant in your arms? How do you juggle multiple babies and multiple priorities?

That’s why when I met Leah Jacobson, MA, IBCLC, RLC , I felt like we were kindred spirits. Unbeknownst to each other, Leah and I were on independent journeys figuring out what this looked like, raising now 7 and 9 children with one on the way respectively. We both wrote books on this topic (The Possibility Mom: How to be a Great Mom and Pursue Your Dreams at the Same Time for me, and Wholistic Feminism: Healing the Identity Crisis Caused by the Women’s Movement for Leah).

And now we have teamed up at the Guiding Star Project to help spread a message of a new kind of feminism: a feminism that does not alter or suppress a woman’s natural body, and a type of feminism where a woman does not need to fear her fertility but instead feels empowered by it, and has enough knowledge to navigate it effectively.

On June 24, 2023, close to 200 supporters of this new kind of feminism gathered in Brainerd, Minnesota, to join the hilarious Jen Fulwiler, comedian and mom of 6, along with surgeon, soldier and sister, Sr Dede Byrne for an evening of inspiration and empowerment. Guiding Star has a mission to expand to 50 centers, offering life-affirming healthcare to women in all 50 states within the next ten years and we need your help to do it. Catch the replay of this incredible evening or watch our fundraising video to learn more about our mission.

Written By: Lisa Canning