A couple of weeks ago, I was late for a book event with my friend . When I rushed in to give him a hug, I offered my best excuse. “I’m sorry, I still haven’t learned to factor in the 20 minutes of mom stuff that happens before I leave the house.” He smiled and told me to take a deep breath. But I still felt guilty, because guilt is part of the mom stuff. To support my reporting on maternal health, subscribe or upgrade to paid. In truth, I was late because I changed my outfit 18 times.