• Last updated 3/20/13 by mamazee

In addition to building my baby nephew’s library, I’m always on the lookout to build my own library. As I struggle to conceive, I have immersed myself in books about infertility, conception, and pregnancy. Medical and educational books can be full of useful information. I’m currently reading A Baby at Last! The Couple’s Complete Guide to Getting Pregnant—from Cutting-edge Treatments to Commonsense Wisdom by Dr. Zev Rosenwaks, Dr. Marc Goldstein, and Mark L. Fuerst. One of the things I appreciate about this medical fertility book is that the authors devote space to... read more

• Last updated 10/18/12 by Melanie Mayo

With the pregnancy issue of Mothering just around the corner, and some “secret” baby naming web stuff in the works,  I have been thinking alot about baby names. I found it EXTREMLY difficult to choose names for my two little ones. I did a good deal of soul searching…finding the perfect balance between unique and classic, meaningful and personal, masculine and feminine. There is SO much in a name. How did you choose your children’s names? Was it challenging? What helped you make that final decision? Share your baby naming story and you could... read more

• Last updated 3/20/13 by mamazee

by Simone Snyder-Outreach & Resource Manager Mothering My degree is in anthropology. I spent a great deal of my college years conducting research and writing papers. In essence its kind of what I wanted to do with my life. Looking back on that experience I feel a bit confused-why can’t I seem to get it together for this project? This is way beyond anything I would categorize as writers block. I am afraid-afraid of what I am learning, worried that the more research I do, the more in depth I go-the later I will lay awake at night wondering how I could do... read more

• Last updated 3/20/13 by mamazee

Many cultures use the leaves, berries, roots, bark, and flowers of various plants for medicinal purposes. Last Saturday, I joined a group of hikers in Colorado for an herb identification walk. It wasn’t fertility-specific, but we came across a number of plants that herbalists use to balance female hormones. Come hike with me… Above is wild raspberry. The berries had been picked over by bears, but there were a few small ones left. They burst with flavor in my mouth. The leaves of a raspberry plant can be used in tea to ease menstrual cramps. By... read more

• Last updated 9/22/10 by Mothering Editorial

By Joan Logghe Issue 115, November–December 2002 I dreamed a baby was picketing the produce department. I don't know what she was protesting--maybe she was boycotting grapes. People are shocked that we don't know if the baby will be a boy or a girl. I tell the handsome Fed-Ex driver "No ultrasound," and you'd think I said, "No prenatal care." What I didn't say was, "Not even a wedding." My daughter Corina was named for the song "Corina, Corina" and the poem by Herrick, "Corinna's Going A-Maying." I went into labor on May Day, which used to be celebrated ... read more

• Last updated 8/31/10 by Mothering Editorial

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• Last updated 2/5/12 by Mothering Editorial

Pregnancy may be the first time in your lives that you allow yourself to eat as you please. If you have turned to food to meet emotional needs in the past or if you just want to use your pregnancy as an opportunity to have a better relationship with food, try self-demand feeding. Self-demand feeding is simple. Eat when you’re hungry. Eat foods that you choose yourself. Stop when you’re full. Here are some guidelines: Have a wide range of foods available in your home. You decide when, what and how much to eat. Focus on... read more

• Last updated 9/28/10 by Mothering Editorial

Most women worry a great deal about gaining weight, even in the early months of pregnancy. As with everything else in pregnancy, there is no real normal range by which to gauge proper weight gain. Some women actually lose weight in the first trimester, especially if they have had a lot of nausea. Many women report a thickening of the waist almost right away—something they notice when they try to close the buttons of their tighter-fitting jeans.Fully experiencing the changes of your pregnant body—the extra fat storage that nourishes the baby and the full, heavy feeling... read more

• Last updated 3/14/11 by Mothering Editorial

By Jill MacCorkleIssue 110, January/February 2002 For updated information about ACOG's stance on VBACs read "ACOG Recommends Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) as Safe and Appropriate," July 23, 2010. The July 5, 2001, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine contained a study by Mona Lydon-Rochelle et al.1 and an accompanying editorial by Michael F. Greene, MD,2 which together generated much media attention and discussion of the risks of vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). Although the study actually contains little new or groundbreaking information and relies... read more

• Last updated 3/13/13 by mamazee

When my husband and I first stopped using birth control, I figured I’d be pregnant within a month, maybe two. I didn’t bother tracking my cycle or making an effort to have sex on critical days. But after a full year passed, I finally buckled down and bought an ovulation kit. It worked–a little Rough was on his or her way. When I miscarried, I still didn’t think anything was amiss. I was devastated, but I read that one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage. I chalked up my loss to being uninformed, not unable to carry a baby. Even when I underwent... read more