• Last updated 10/24/12 by emilyfrischmann

Thank you to Angela Rau of Infant Massage USA for this guest post.  Parenting is part natural and part learned. All mammals have the natural presence of the bonding hormone (oxytocin) responsible for motivating caregiving of the young for survival. Research confirms that father’s increase their bonding hormone levels through physical contact with their baby. A mother has a bonding jumpstart on a father. After all she has had physical contact with their baby 24/7 during pregnancy. Valuable attachment moments continue through breastfeeding. Fathers, require... read more

• Last updated 8/24/12 by Mothering Editorial

Issue 132, September/October 2005 By Paul M. Fleiss with Frederick M. Hodges Because young American women today grow up in a culture that bears the marks of decades of an officially orchestrated anti-breastfeeding campaign, to many of them breastfeeding remains strange and mildly disgusting. In earlier centuries, when families were larger, and before the relentless marketing of formula feeding, there was no mystery about breastfeeding—children grew up seeing their own mothers breastfeed. A young girl could watch as her newborn sibling latched on to her mother's breast,... read more

• Last updated 8/24/12 by Mothering Editorial

By Diane Selkirk Web Exclusive, October 9, 2006 My labor was induced. I sobbed when I walked into the hospital room I had never planned to see. My midwife tried to reassure me that I could still have a beautiful birth, which I did, but she missed the fundamental reason for my tears. During my pregnancy I had begun to see childhood as a sacred journey—a journey that should progress in its own way, and on its own schedule. I believed that my pregnancy would end when my baby was ready to enter the world, not at an arbitrary hour deemed best for us. Maia's early birth... read more

• Last updated 9/16/12 by Mothering Editorial

  We have put together a list of some of Mothering's best breastfeeding articles, blog posts and resources for you to enjoy and share.  Mothering Community General Breastfeeding Forums Breastfeeding Beyond Infancy Child-Led Weaning Breastfeeding Challenges Lactivism Forum Community Wikis: Breastfeeding Breastfeeding Product Reviews   Peggy O'Mara's Blog Breastfeeding Champions: La Leche League The International Breastfeeding Symbol Story What is a Baby Friendly Hospital? Hospital Formula Sampling: What You Can Do US Gets Crash Course on Normal... read more

• Last updated 8/24/12 by Mothering Editorial

By Kyla Steinkraus Issue 144 September/October 2007 I attempted to wean my son, Caleb, at 12 months because most of the articles I'd read stated that a mother should breastfeed for six months to a year. When I hit the one-year mark, I thought I'd met my goal, but Caleb had different ideas. We had gradually weaned during the day, and only nap and bedtime nursing remained. One night, a few days after Caleb's first birthday, I refused to let him nurse at bedtime. Tears spurting down his cheeks, he turned to me with huge, wet eyes and stricken gaze, as if to say, "What... read more

• Last updated 8/20/12 by Melanie Mayo

Thank you to Emily Mohajeri Norris, creator of the BreastfeedingFriendly blog,  for sharing this post with us. A shorter version was originally published on the Best for Babes website. Why take breastfeeding – a vital, intimate exchange between a mother and baby – to the West Lawn of the United States Capitol Building? Over 600 mothers and their babies, as well as hundreds more partners, children, and other supporters, gathered in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, August 4, 2012, for just such a cause. The first-ever Great Nurse-In was a peaceful celebration of... read more

• Last updated 10/22/12 by emilyfrischmann

By: Melanie Mayo-Laakso Breastfeeding and need a little help or motivation? We recently asked our community to share their best tips and advice for breastfeeding success and here are the results. Thanks to all the moms who took the time to share their nursing wisdom with the world! For more help and lots of support check out Mothering’s breastfeeding articles section and our breastfeeding community. If you have a breastfeeding tip to share, please do so in the comments!   Breastfeeding tips from our community:  Michelle Relax.... read more

• Last updated 8/13/12 by Mothering Editorial

Visualization is just a fancy word for something we do all the time. We are always making mental pictures of what’s to come. To visualize, you do not have to create an actual mental picture, but an impression or feeling. Try this simple visualization: Sit upright in a chair, on a cushion or in your bed. Close your eyes. Breathe gently for a few minutes until you feel relaxed. Imagine yourself sitting in a rocking chair holding and breastfeeding your baby. Hear the contented coos of the baby. Notice the gentle sighs of your breathing. See the soft... read more

• Last updated 8/9/12 by Melanie Mayo

Thank you to Jennifer Margulis for the contribution of this excerpt from her newest blog post, Women Who Don’t Breastfeed Shouldn’t Feel Guilty, They Should Feel Angry. I have an op-ed in today’s Newsday about New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Latch On New York Initiative. If you haven’t heard, Bloomberg announced that, come September 3, New York City hospitals are being asked to voluntarily keep formula under lock and key, just like other medications. If nurses need it for new moms, they would have to sign it out. Many feminists, like Slate.com’s Hanna Rosin, have... read more

• Last updated 8/8/12 by Keya Chatterjee

Last week NASA scientist Jim Hansen released a scientific paper confirming that some extreme weather events would not be happening without climate change.  The bad news is that we aren’t investing in renewable energy fast enough to slow this down yet.  The good news is that this increase in extreme weather provides yet another benefit to breastfeeding– you can still feed your baby if the lights go out or the water gets contaminated. Increased electricity demand during heatwaves, drought-induced shortages in hydropower, and heavy downpours can all cause power outages.  As... read more