• Last updated 5/31/11 by MeaganHB

Yesterday was my husband’s birthday. I always have a hard time thinking of the right gift for him; I can’t get inside his well-researched desires for tech solutions and gardening books. My sister, who lives a plane ride away, can be tough too. Because I’m rarely in her kitchen or closet, I’m never quite sure just what she needs. And besides the challenge of finding the right thing, gift-giving can be complicated in general. Are you giving what you want the recipient to want – or what she actually does want? Are you giving with a secret-even-to-yourself expectation of... read more

• Last updated 5/23/11 by Melanie Mayo

This giveaway has ended. The random winner is comment #11, Joanne. You will be contacted by email. If you did not win you can still get this great bra–or other products from Nursing Bra Express–for 10% off by entering the coupon code MOTHERING at checkout. — Win The Easy Bra plus a $25 Gift Certificate from Nursing Bra Express! The Prize: The Easy Bra is sure to be one of the most comfortable bras you’ll ever own! Made from a French terry, Tactel, this bra can be worn for pregnancy, nursing and beyond. It has pull-aside “easy” nursing access and it’s great on those days... read more

• Last updated 5/9/11 by Mothering Editorial

I have a 17 month old and I would like to begin trying to conceive another child. The problem is I still haven't begun menstruating again and my son continues to nurse at least three times a day and quite often at night as well. Although I enjoy breastfeeding; I am worried about when we will be able to conceive again. Do you have any suggestions about either breastfeeding, nutrition, or alternative therapies that will help me to regain my fertility? I have heard good things about acupuncture but I am not sure if it would be wise for me to "force" menstruation while... read more

• Last updated 5/8/11 by Jenny Rough

Mother’s Day 2011 has officially come and gone, but I’m still thinking about it. On Sunday morning, I slipped into a skirt and top and got ready for church. I’m in California for a few weeks, so I met my friend Debra at her house and we walked eight blocks in the sunshine to the service. I couldn’t help remembering how different Mother’s Day was for me a few years back. I was recovering from a surgery that followed a miscarriage. At the time, Ron and I were living in Maryland, and I could barely walk from the car to the church building, let alone eight blocks. Ron held... read more

• Last updated 5/8/11 by Melanie Mayo

Thank you to Tracy Cassels, author of Evolutionary Parenting, for this guest post. It seems more and more in Western society, women are trying to push for ‘guilt-free parenting’ as a response to the ever popular ‘mommy guilt’ problem.  There are books, blogs, and articles on the topic of mommy guilt, many telling you that no matter what you do, you shouldn’t feel guilty; whatever you choose to do as a parent is valid.  Most of these people will tell you that guilt is a bad emotion that we should try to rid ourselves of and it does no good to anyone to be feeling... read more

• Last updated 4/18/11 by MeaganHB

I am lying on my back on top of the rumpled covers. The late afternoon sunshine from the big bedroom window is lighting up the tips of Gabriel’s long, golden brown bangs. He is kneeling next to me, and his face, held in steady concentration, is hovering over mine. In his hands he is holding a three-tiered tinker toy contraption whose square base is resting on my chest. He is steadily revolving a short yellow dowel that sticks out of the side of a wooden wheel at the top, a little hand crank for his Medicine Machine. “This is fixing your heart. Now you make the heart... read more

• Last updated 4/10/11 by Mothering Editorial

Workplace Pumping and the Law (pdf) - a map showing state laws governing pumping at work. Here are two more invaluable downloads to raise awareness about what your rights are: Breastfeeding in Public (pdf) - a map showing state laws governing breastfeeding in public. Breastfeeding Pocket Guide (pdf) - a handy reference guide to breastfeeding laws in the US.   The guide and maps are copyrighted Mothering content. If you are interested in sharing these maps with your website or blog readers please feel free to place a link to the appropriate map on your pages. ... read more

• Last updated 4/10/11 by Mothering Editorial

A Quiet Place Issue 144 - September/October 2007 By Peggy O'Mara Seventeen years later, in 1974, when I breastfed my first child, the breastfeeding initiation rate in the US was at 32.2 percent. In the ten years from 1970 to 1980, however, the breastfeeding initiation rate had more than doubled, from 26.5 percent to 55.3 percent. The rate continued to climb into the 1980s, and reached a high of 61.9 percent in 1982. Those of us who were breastfeeding advocates at the time thought we had won the war. Then, the impossible happened. The breastfeeding initiation rate... read more

• Last updated 3/31/11 by Melanie Mayo

Shop the Mothering Shop: • Gifts • Books • Back issues • Reprints About Melanie Mayo-Laakso is the Content Manager for Mothering.com. Mothering is the birthplace of natural family living and attachment parenting. We celebrate the experience of parenthood as worthy of one's best efforts and are at once fierce advocates for children and gentle supporters of parents. Posted by: Melanie Mayo-Laakso read more

• Last updated 3/22/11 by Mama Renew

Good morning friends.  Another quiet morning on the farm, or at least it started out that way.  Only been up for 3 hours and already we’ve had 3 visitors, and know of 4 more coming by this afternoon.  At the heart, I’m a shy girl – I tend to derive my energy from time on my own or with one or two friends.  Keeping it small is what it’s all about.  And then I got married to a marvelously social man, known and loved in our community of friends.   He thrives on people – and lots of them. Thankfully, we are both deeply commited to community, and somehow we manage to find a... read more