Contributors

Regular Contributors

Cyma Shapiro

Cyma, 55, is the writer and creator of NURTURE: Stories of New Midlife Mothers, and the creator of MotheringintheMiddle.com. NURTURE, the traveling art gallery show, features a collection of stories, told through words and photos, of women from across the country who chose motherhood over 40. Both endeavors are intended to celebrate midlife mothers – women choosing motherhood over 40 through adoption, IVF, natural childbirth, surrogacy, fostering, guardianship and blending stepfamilies. A former journalist, now an online contributor, blogger, and businessperson, Cyma brings years of varied personal experience to all her endeavors. In addition to being a mom to 8 and 10-year-old children and 28 and 30-year-old stepchildren, this is her latest ‘baby!’

Michelle Eisler, 42, became a mother at the age of 38 through the incredible, taxing, emotional crazy beautiful ride called adoption. Having worked as a restaurant hostess, fragrance demonstrator, visual merchandiser, and spa manager she was intent on going to return to work after her maternal leave was up. Today, Michelle is now a SAHM (stay-at-home- mom) who loves to cook, read and has learned a lot about food intolerances, specialty baking and label reading since her daughter arrived. In addition, she loves to do laundry half way, run the dishwasher but not empty it, and pretend she’s not home when the doorbell rings because she is horrified to be seen without make up. She hopes that her entrance into MotheringintheMiddle.com will be the start of a beautiful thing.

Jenilyn Gilbert

Jenilyn, 42, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Yoga Instructor and is currently trying to conceive. For fifteen years she has successfully helped hundreds of women become mothers. She provides fertility and adoption consultations through her business, One Way or A Mother. She worked as an adoption counselor at The Cradle in Evanston, IL and also as a fertility coach and fertility yoga teacher at a variety of holistic fertility centers in Chicago. The number one thing she has experienced, which brings about more peace on the journey to motherhood along with more babies, is women supporting other women. Jenilyn resides with her husband of two years…and a dream. She can be found at www.onewayoramother.com.

Valerie Gillies

Valerie, 54, is a licensed family therapist and EMDR clinician. She and her husband of 30 years have five children, aged 16-31. She became especially interested in a holistic approach to behavioral health after they adopted their youngest at age nine. Since then she’s been trying to learn as much as she can about neuroplasticity and healing trauma. She is working on her Master’s in Nutrition, and writes on her adoption/attachment blog: www.whirlingmoms.com whenever she has the chance.

Andrea Lynn

Andrea, 40, a Toronto writer, is mother to Claire, 5, and Anna, 2. She credits the international organization “Single Mothers By Choice” with informing and inspiring her journey to motherhood.

Marc Parsont

Marc, 52, together with his wife of seven years, is a parent to a four-year-old daughter and a five-year-old son, born 13 months apart. A nationally certified massage therapist with 17 years of experience, Marc resides in the DC Metro Area. His previous incarnations involved work in the hotel and convention industries. Marc loves to cook, watch bad television, read Sci-Fi and murder mysteries. He collects way too many things and is not allowed to fix the plumbing in the house anymore.

Liz Raptis Picco

Liz, 59, is a writer and blogger at www.stretchmarks.me, featuring Stretch Marks, her memoir about infertility, adoption, and writing. Her blog showcases her guacamole with feta cheese background (Mexican mother, Greek father, raised in a border town) and offers an edgy, no-holds-barred perspective. She and her husband live in Northern California with their two teenage sons. When she’s not writing, she works as a health education consultant and translator. She’s an alumni and active member of Hedgebrook, a writer’s residency whose mission is Women Authoring Change.

Jane Samuel

Jane, 50, is married and the mother of three girls. A litigation lawyer by training, she put her license on hold to move to Asia with her family in 2005. Now back in the US, she writes and parents her children from their home in Kentucky. A reluctant member of the Sandwich Generation, she has also assisted in the care of her parents. Her work on travel, ex-pat living and adoption has appeared in the Singapore American Newspaper, Adoption Tdoay, and the adoption anthologies: From Home to Homeland and Our Own – Stories Celebrating Adoptive Families. She blogs weekly at Bluegrass Moms: http://www.kentucky.com/1198

Ellie Stoneley

Ellie, 48, became a mother for the first time following IVF treatment in England and Spain at the age of 47 3/4. Her world is now ruled and brightened by her miraculous daughter, Hope. Californian by birth, Ellie is based in the UK where she is a passionate advocate of breastfeeding, baby-led weaning and trusting your own instincts when it comes to motherhood. Ellie is a writer; her blog Mush Brained Ramblings http://www.crazypregnantperson.com followed her pregnancy and the traumas leading up to Hope’s birth, and continues through her first year of motherhood. Ellie also writes for the Cambridge News, and contributes to blogs on the subject of being an older first-time mother. She is a social media marketeer, researcher, champion of local and the underdog, and has worked with the UK Government and the Prince of Wales to support local communities to thrive. Ellie has volunteered with transformative projects locally in her home town of Cambridge, and in China and Madagascar and enjoys sunshine, Bruce Springsteen and margaritas … and hanging out tiny vests and dresses on the washing line.