• Created on 12/19/11 by Mothering Editorial

By Christina RosalieIssue 144 - September/October 2007 His eyes are like a seal pup's, huge and round. He is swallowing the world with them. Drinking the images of my hair, the window frame, the branches I gathered and put in a jar on the dresser, their yellow buds swelling. His small, flannel-wrapped body fits into the crook of my bent knee as I sit hunched at my desk, trying to write. For a few brief moments he is quiet, watching me with his unguarded, two-month-old gaze. Late-afternoon light falls on us through the window, and outside, the first green signs of spring... read more

• Created on 12/7/11 by Mothering Editorial

By Valerie Barrios Cagle Issue 136 - May/June 2006 I was 24 the first time I was attacked for nursing my baby in public. Waiting in line to board a cable car in Stone Mountain Park, Georgia, I absentmindedly held my daughter to my breast while I stood chatting with a friend. Seemingly from nowhere, the irate face of a woman materialized inches from my own. Loud enough for everyone on top of the mountain to hear, she shouted, “Could you please go do that somewhere else, because my husband does not need to see that!” I looked at her, aghast. I hadn’t meant anyone any... read more

• Created on 10/15/11 by Mothering Editorial

By Elisabeth Wilkins Lombardo Issue 139, November/December 2006 "Andava latte, Elisabetta? Non andava latte, pe qui..." The words, in Italian dialect, mean "Do you have any milk? I don't think there's any milk in there." They're spoken by my mother-in-law, her face hovering inches from my breast, asking this question for the hundredth time as I nurse my son, her first and only grandchild. It is time to take a stand. I calmly look up, remove the nipple from Alessandro's mouth with a wet spluck, and squirt milk into the middle of the room. "OK, Elisabetta, OK!" She... read more

• Created on 12/1/11 by Hoyamum

I can well remember the first time I saw a toddler breastfeeding.  It was at a La Leche League meeting, and the child must have been about 2 years old.  I remember feeling surprised and curious.  I had no idea that anyone would breastfeed a child of this age.  Why would anyone want to?  After playing a pushing game with another child where he was the most recent recipient of a shove, the little boy came and sat on his mother’s lap, lifted her top then turned to look at me as he latched on.  I recall that one-eyed stare, and my own feelings of surprise as I watched.  The... read more

• Created on 11/22/11 by Hoyamum

When was the last time someone approached you to congratulate you for breasfteeding your baby?  It’s never happened to me.  But I do have a friend who makes a point of approaching every breastfeeding mother she sees to give them a ‘right-on’ cheer.  She stops short of high-fiving, but if they offered I think she’d go for it! I feel torn about congratulating a breastfeeding mother.  Let’s get this straight: breastfeeding is the biological norm.  Mammalian babies drink their mothers’ milk.  Why should we congratulate or encourage someone who is just doing something normal?... read more

• Created on 11/20/11 by Hoyamum

It’s a busy time of year.  Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Christmas, New Year’s… we all have a lot going on and there seems to be so much to do.  It can be tricky to get through all of the lists: the shopping list, the gift list and of course, the never-ending to-do list.  What’s the first thing on the list? Feed the baby, of course! It can be easy to forget about the needs of a little one, unless they work hard to make themselves heard.  There is even something called vacation weaning or holiday weaning, when a baby or toddler is weaned from the breast simply through the... read more

• Created on 11/15/11 by Mothering Editorial

By Um Yaqoob It was 9 p.m. when the nurse wheeled me to my bed, one of six in the Omani hospital ward. After a full day of labor, I thought I would finally settle down with my sleeping newborn and get some rest. The first few cries from the baby in the adjoining bed didn't bother me. The mother responded quickly, and I was able to doze off. When he howled for the second, third, fourth, fifth, and then I-don't-know-what-number time, the mother let out an audible "tsk" before she went to pick him up. Her nerves were beginning to fray. By 3 a.m., so were... read more

• Created on 11/15/11 by Mothering Editorial

Breathing In: Breastfeeding as a Spiritual PracticeBy Leslie DavisIssue 120, September/October 2003 The Sangha dwells in mindfulness day and night, providing the foundation for us to realize the fruit of meditation. -Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Buddhist monk, poet, and peacemaker Thich Nhat Hanh writes, in his book The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching, "Sangha is the fourfold community of monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen, as well as the other elements that support our practice-our cushion, our walking meditation path, the trees, the sky, and the flowers." In... read more

• Created on 11/16/11 by Hoyamum

I spent this morning with a group of breastfeeding mothers and their babies.  We talked about what we’re really enjoying about our babies and what we’re finding a challenge at the moment.  Time and again, the mothers mentioned that they struggled with the same thing: sleepless nights. I can relate.  My son was up for several hours last night, suffering with teething and a fever.  Although I could do very little to actually relieve his suffering, I felt sure that my presence was exactly what he needed.  He chattered feverishly, lay beside me, sat up at times and nursed.... read more

• Created on 11/14/11 by Melanie Mayo

A Sponsored Post from Hyland’s Homeopathy Like Atlas, she can uphold the weight of the world without flinching an inch. She can transform ordinary vegetables into delicious meals in minutes! With one gentle kiss she can melt away a bad day. Whether it’s yourself, a friend, or your own mother, we all know of that amazing mom whose abilities rival that of any action hero. They are their families’ first line of defense and most secret weapon. One Mother’s Day a year is not enough time to celebrate these exceptional women. As a tribute to moms everywhere Hyland’s has... read more