• Last updated 5/9/12 by Mothering Editorial

By Jenn Seager Issue 142, May/June 2007 Breastfeeding was something I had always looked forward to. I had warm images of cuddling my future child as he or she suckled happily at my breast. Breastfeeding was the only option for me. In my opinion, there is nothing more natural, perfect, and healthy for a baby. So there I was, waiting for the day when I'd become pregnant, then the day I would give birth and share the ultimate bonding experience with my precious child. From the time all the stars were properly aligned and I knew it was time to begin to try to conceive, it... read more

• Last updated 5/10/12 by Sarah Scott

Not long after moving from America to England, I was talking with a mom from the local attachment parenting group. After learning a bit about my family, she made the following comment: “I don’t know how you do it, so far from family. Choosing this lifestyle is so hard and it’s meant to be done with others helping – like grandmothers or aunts. Sort of like a whole village working together. But it’s…just you three. That’s just so…difficult.” I didn’t quite know what to make of the comment right away. Sure, we’ve never lived near family and yes it’s hard at times, but... read more

• Last updated 11/3/12 by Cynthia Mosher

Thank you to Maria Parlapiano, RN, IBCLC for this guest post.  For decades, Nestlé Corporation has hidden behind a vale of creamy, luscious chocolate. Perceived by Americans as harmless, Nestlé has its sticky fingers in almost everything from bottled water to dog food. In the US, Nestlé owns Gerber and Beechnut brands. Now, with their recent purchase of Pfizer’s Infant Nutrition Division, they rain supreme as the largest purveyor of infant formula and baby food in the world. On February 11th, Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, NJ accepted a $100,000.00 check... read more

• Last updated 4/25/12 by Natalie Christensen

This is my daughter Echo some time last year. She was three and still nursing quite a bit. I was struggling with it all and so took a moment to ask her about her thoughts on nursing. After making the video my compassion for this little being grew. I no longer saw her as an adversary in the nursing struggle, I saw her as someone that loves me so and doesn’t want to squander a single moment of shared affection. My emotional renewal on the topic allowed me to lovingly nurse her another eight months when she self-weaned. I thought that was the end of the story. I am... read more

• Last updated 10/19/12 by Melanie Mayo

As the Mama of a just-turned-two-year old, I’ve been breastfeeding for 24 months. This feels both commonplace and absolutely extraordinary. I’m fortunate that my breastfeeding journey has been relatively easy. Other than my blistered nipples and her blistered lips that first week, and a few bouts of clogged milk ducts along the way, it’s been a pretty smooth journey. With my supportive husband by my side, I’d call the first two years of my breastfeeding journey successful and fulfilling. The fact is, I’ve loved breastfeeding. Loved it. Knowing... read more

• Last updated 8/1/12 by Mothering Editorial

By Elrena EvansWeb Exclusive - June 20, 2008 A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.~ Ecclesiastes 4:12 She loves him the moment she sees him, walking into my hospital room wearing her "Big Sister" shirt and clutching her daddy's hand. At 22 months she is suddenly huge, grown up overnight while I birthed her brother. I reach for her and she climbs into my arms, heavier than I remember. "What's that?" she breathes, peering at the bundle of blue scrunched up beside me, sensing the magnitude of the moment. "That's your new baby brother," I answer. She reaches out... read more

• Last updated 4/25/12 by Mothering Editorial

By Erin Barrette GoodmanWeb Exclusive, December 14, 2007 Dear Lily, You nursed for the final time on Saturday. It was the middle of the day and we were at the YMCA, tucked in our special corner, as the rest of the world, and your brother Quinn chased by Nana, whirled by around us. As we snuggled in our quiet spot, where we have nursed so many times before, I didn't know it would be the last time we would do so. I'm so grateful that I did not rush you but joyfully savored the special bond that we have shared for almost three years now. Nursing did not come easy for... read more

• Last updated 10/3/12 by Mothering Editorial

Issue 132 by Peggy O'Mara This editorial appeared in Mothering magazine in 2005. To read Peggy's current writing on breastfeeding visit her blog. It is unnecessary to defend breastfeeding in public. To me, it's like walking in public. It's a basic human right. For others, however—those who live in a bottle-feeding culture with little or no apparent exposure to breastfeeding—the act is a private matter. How little they understand breastfeeding. In the last month I have heard of four dramatic incidents involving breastfeeding in public, and the frequency of such... read more

• Last updated 4/18/12 by Hoyamum

Last week I visited the island of Mull, off the west coast of Scotland.  In a tiny church there I was delighted to find an incredibly detailed and sensitive depiction of Mary nursing Jesus.  But this was  no ordinary statue– it was not a baby nursing at the breast.  The statue portrayed Jesus as a toddler.  If you would like to read more about this lovely piece of art, check out my blog.  But here’s a photo of the statue.  I hope you like it as much as I did! About Lisa Hassan ScottLisa Hassan Scott is a stay at home mother of three little ones, age 2, 6 and 9. An... read more

• Last updated 5/7/12 by DanielleLaPorte

I’ve subscribed for years to this occasional email from Dadi Jahnki. She’s the current leader of the Brahma Kumaris spiritual organization. One email in particular stands out in my memory. I’m pasting it here: Dear Friend, Om shanti. Sometimes when we are together, you ask me why I don’t seem to get tired when I travel from India or give programs into the evening. Tiredness is a kind of sickness. When we work with honesty and love, everything happens without tiredness. When we know how to take cooperation from others, there is no tiredness. It is not a matter of how... read more