• Created on 1/19/13 by Melanie Mayo

  I remember registering for my first baby before he was born. I went to a giant baby warehouse store with a HUGE corporate list of things that I "needed" for this new little one and obediently registered.   And then he came.   The crib sat in the corner, the swing hung empty, and the tub wouldn't fit in my shower.   Sometimes I think groups of childless men sit around shining wood tables and literally make stuff up that new babies "need" for survival just so that they can make money. Seems like a good idea, but for the first time mom, I think it just... read more

• Created on 3/1/11 by Melanie Mayo

by Christine Gross-Loh, author of the new book Parenting Without Borders: Surprising Lessons Parents Around the World Can Teach Us   Hot Topic: Discuss Finnish Baby Boxes in the Community              I’ve long been fascinated by motherhood around the world. What is it like to birth in another country? What’s the lore on starting solids in another culture? How do children play in other countries? How do they sleep and who sleeps with them? How do cultural or societal supports ease the transition to new parenthood? My friend Michele,... read more

• Created on 8/1/12 by Melanie Mayo

 by Sarah Clark               There are all kinds of facts and figures and studies on the benefits of breastfeeding.  But let’s be real, this is a subject that is about far more than studies.  It is emotional (you can even prove that with science!) sacred, yet every day.  Here are  few things about breastfeeding that are awesome and that you deserve to know about.     1.  Looking in your babies eyes.   2.  Holding your sweet little one.   3.  Getting a BREAK to sit down with a super good excuse.   4.  Makes you... read more

• Created on 11/2/12 by Melanie Mayo

By Paul M. Fleiss  Increasing numbers of American parents today are protecting their sons from routine circumcision at birth, but as their boys grow up, they often find themselves at odds with doctors who cling to old-fashioned opinions and hospital routines.  I often receive calls from distraught parents who say that a doctor insists that their little boy needs to be circumcised because there is something wrong. When they bring their son into my office, I almost always find that there's nothing wrong with the child's penis. Occasionally there's a slight... read more

• Created on 6/4/13 by Melanie Mayo

In my 25 years of being a parent, a student of human development, a human in constant development, an impassioned researcher of the human sciences, and a parent coach engaged with the challenges and triumphs of real moms and dads, I have gathered a superabundance of excellent information. But I’ve also come to recognize that a great gift in this era of information overload is to arrive at the other side of a gazillion helpful facts to a few solid peaceful parenting principles. I wrote Parenting for Peace around seven such solid-gold nuggets -- principles informed by... read more

• Created on 3/15/13 by Melanie Mayo

Babywearing offers a huge amount of benefits, but choosing the right carrier isn't always easy. Recently, we started a conversation in the Mothering community to ask for baby carrier recommendations and the response was wonderful. Check it out here.   Below you will find the top five baby carrier picks from our members.    You can read more reviews, or leave your own, in our Babywearing Reviews Section. And discover everything our members have to say about babywearing in our Babywearing Forum.      Beco Butterfly II Carrier    92 Reviews | 5... read more

• Created on 2/27/11 by Melanie Mayo

Beautiful breastfeeding photos from our collective past. Tell us which one is your favorite.   Inuit Woman Breast-feeding Baby, c1908, Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-104388 "The Cornstock Madonna," c1916, Illinois, Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-137707 "A free lunch," c1890, New York, Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-103644 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... read more

• Created on 8/13/12 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

• Created on 2/8/13 by JenniO11

We know that Mothering.com moms love babywearing, so we were thrilled when we got the chance to partner with Boba to share their Carrier 3G with our community and our Mothering Mavens.  To read more about how you can join the Mothering Mavens, our private product review program, click here!   The partnership brought together 14 Mothering Mavens, each with a baby between the ages of 4 months and 2 years, in a small private focus group.  Each Maven got to pick out a brand new Boba 3G Carrier that she could test and keep and was asked to share her thoughts.... read more

• Created on 6/3/11 by Kristen Tea

In the past 4 years since becoming a mother and an enthusiastic breastfeeding supporter, I have learned that myths about breastfeeding and formula are running rampant.  I am left frustrated and concerned that our formula culture has won, that our mothering instincts have been trampled by the corporations that would prefer a dollar over a healthy child. Most significantly, I have seen many, many mothers state that their breast milk never came in, or that it dried up after a couple months.  I know that some women genuinely do not produce milk due to... read more