• Last updated 5/5/13 by Marcy Axness

Mothers, some of the most potent parental influence you will have on your child takes place while he or she is still in your womb -- so let's hope that most of your days while pregnant are Happy Mother's Days! While you are pregnant, your baby’s organs and tissues develop in direct response to lessons they receive about the world. These lessons come from your diet, your behavior and your state of mind -- thereby hinting at the function of joy in pregnancy.   If there is chronic stress in pregnancy, if a pregnant mother’s thoughts and emotions are persistently... read more

• Last updated 4/17/13 by Melanie Mayo

By Megan Leary   Out of all of my hippie ways, I surprisingly get the fewest inquiries as to why I decided to birth from home.  My theory is that people have already decided that homebirth is a bad thing and do not want to broach the topic in order to avoid awkwardness.  However, if you are one of these people I want you, most of all, to ask me about my decision.  If you have a hard time understanding why a mother might choose to homebirth, it is likely you are drawing conclusions about birthing at home from assumptions that are simply not true.    The most... read more

• Last updated 4/6/13 by lea1022

  Quote: We have a secret in our culture, and it’s not that birth is painful. It’s that women are strong - Laura Stavoe Harm     I think it's important to start here: Labor is hard, intense work. No, wait. I think it's more important to start here: Women are amazing. And, labor is hard, intense work. And, whatever way a woman decides to bring a child into the world should be respected and, frankly, commended - because it is a hard, intense process. Molly is only three weeks old but so far, our two mantras have been... read more

• Last updated 3/25/13 by Marcy Axness

Okay, I'll come out with it, finally, after all these years: I was desperately disappointed with The Vagina Monologues! I'm only now fessing up and lodging my opinion that the empress Eve Ensler has no new clothes on. In her supposedly ground-breaking play...two hours of dialogue and monologue dedicated (supposedly) to the sexual dimension of a woman's psycho-anatomical makeup...there is not one single mention of menstruation. No period, period.   Oh, there are plenty of other reasons to not embrace TVM (or as Camille Paglia calls it, "the perversion of... read more

• Last updated 2/25/13 by Kristen Tea

  Reposted with permission from MotherWise     For some people, announcing a pregnancy is a happy, exciting time.  Many soon-to-be mothers experience joyous reactions, hugs, happy tears, high-fives, and other loving, encouraging responses.  Others are not so fortunate, and it seems that an etiquette guide is in order.   I am a single parent, and although I was 23 and had a good job at a library, most of the responses I received when I told people I was pregnant were insensitive and inconsiderate.  It appeared that the main focus was that I was unmarried,... read more

• Last updated 2/24/13 by HWBMama

By Megan Leary     A year and a half ago, I was 42 weeks pregnant with my first and I was walking around 9 centimeters dilated.  So, it should come as no surprise that when labor finally did come it only lasted three hours from the first contraction to meeting my darling girl.  I didn’t get to experience or put to use the knowledge I had acquired on how to manage a long and laborious labor.  This is not to say that I didn’t have any pain.  My labor came hard and fast and I had grueling all back labor for the totality of the three hours.  However, my preparations... read more

• Last updated 2/22/13 by Sarah Clark

Maybe you have noticed one of the latest YouTube phenomenons- the Harlem Shake.  There are dozens of them online.  They all start in a similar way- one person dancing and then- BOOM- a room fool of craziness and chicken suits.     But of course, for any true birth nut a Harlem Shake fad wouldn't be complete without a NATURAL BIRTH version.   I have this crazy friend Shannon who of course MADE one and it is hilarious.  It has everything you need in a natural birth version of the Harlem Shake- a water birth, (look closely!) some hands and knees contractions,... read more

• Last updated 2/18/13 by Melanie Mayo

What is the best kind of birth control for you?   The answer to this question varies based on your personal family goals and your individual body--but moms who have already made their choice can provide some insights to help you find a solution that works for your life.    We asked the Mothering community to tell us what methods are working for them and here is a breakdown of the three most popular choices.    Natural Family Planning   Natural Family Planning or NFP  is by far the most recommended method of birth control in the Mothering... read more

• Last updated 2/13/13 by Melanie Mayo

    Sometimes it seems that everybody wants something for nothing. Free advice all over the internet just there for the taking.  Free information.  Free samples, free printers, free encyclopedias and even religions.  I hate to rain on the parade, but I don't think there is a such thing as something for nothing.  Sadly, on this one point, my hubby just might be right- "You get what you pay for." The recent reports of that gal Jessica Simpson and her elective c-section to "avoid" labor pain (this isn't about JS so please don't comment about her.  Hold... read more

• Last updated 2/8/13 by Melanie Mayo

Talk about your birth plans in our Birthing forums!   Just out from the American Association of Birth Centers (AABC):   As health care costs and the rate of cesarean births for expecting mothers have escalated over the past two decades in the United States, a new study released today shows that women who receive care at midwife-led birth centers incur lower medical costs and are less likely to have cesarean births compared to women who give birth at hospitals.   Conducted by the American Association of Birth Centers (AABC) and published in the most... read more