Tori Kropp

Tori Kropp is a popular writer about pregnancy issues. She works as a perinatal nurse at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, CA, and lives in Marin County, CA, with her family.

Kropp was an early internet pioneer, having founded the first online community for expectant mothers, Stork Site, in the mid-1990s.

=Early Work=

Education

After studying anthropology and psychology as an undergraduate at Michigan State University, she earned her nursing degree from Manatee College in Florida.

Pillow Talk

In 1990, after observing that pregnant women were coming into the hospital more and more worried and anxious about labor, Kropp founded a pre- and post-natal teaching program: PillowTalk, Modern Childbirth Education. Her strategy in these classes—teaching women not to overwhelm themselves with information and to focus instead on trusting their bodies and enjoying their pregnancies—was an instant success and continued for more than ten years.

tork Site

In the mid 1990s, Kropp used this same evenhanded, positive approach developed for her classes in order to found Stork Site®, the first online community website for expectant and new parents. This site became one of the Internet’s first successful communities and later became a part of iVillage.com. In early 2008, Stork Site relaunched as an independent company.

=Books=

The Joy of Pregnancy

In April 2008, Kropp's first book was published by The Harvard Common Press. The Joy of Pregnancy drew upon Kropp's philosophy at Pillow Talk to present a book that was medically sound, yet not alarmist. The author used personal anecdotes, questions from her students, and medical information to both educate and reassure pregnant women. The tone of support and encouragement is what she felt was missing from other books on the subject.

=References=
* [http://www.torikropp.com Official Site]
* [http://www.thejoyofpregnancy.net The Joy of Pregnancy site]
* [http://www.storksite.net Stork Site]
* [http://www.harvardcommonpress.com The Harvard Common Press]