Guest Post: Dear Mama
What would our babies say if they could speak? Would we ever put them down if we knew?
Birth Story: Reese and Dahlia
I needed to birth at home. I would go to the hospital if a life-threatening emergency presented itself, but home is where I am most comfortable. Home, to me, is where my baby belonged when he or she emerged into this world.
Review: Nursing Wear from Hotmilk Lingerie
Looking for maternity or nursing wear? Here I check out and review online retailer Hotmilk.
New Research: Does Solitary Sleep Increase the Risk for Insecure Attachment?
For the majority of human history, we have shared sleep with our infants which has led some researchers to speculate that this is related to the development of secure attachment, but this has yet to be studied... until now. The results may surprise some people.
Guest Post: Nursing My Child Through Cancer
And this is where the biggest victory of our breastfeeding journey lies. I am literally carrying his immune system for him. As his doctors point out, breastmilk is the best broad range antiviral medication there is. My body makes antibodies his cannot make right now, and every time he breastfeeds, he receives a fresh load of them. Maybe I've saved him a hospital stay with these antibodies. Maybe, I'll never know, maybe there's a chance I've even saved his life.
“My Child Won’t Let Me Comfort!”
Something happens. Your child starts to cry. You expect them to run to your arms as they have all along, but this time something is different. This time they run away from you.
“How Dare You Judge Me For Sleep Training!”: Comments and Responses
I get a lot of people angry that I speak out against extinction sleep training because it "worked" for them. I thought I'd start a post that allows me to respond publicly to these criticisms so I don't have to repeat myself over and over.
Guest Post: A Baker’s Dozen of Gentle Sleep Aid Attempts & Our Partial Weaning Story
"I am writing this at a pivotal moment in our nursing, sleep, and general parenting relationship with our 20 month old daughter. I always thought I would wait until the story was complete to write this down (when is that really though?), but I find myself hearing the story being written in my head right now at this turning point."
The Benefits of Logical Consequences
I’m a big fan of natural consequences. But sometimes natural just doesn’t do it – like when my daughter decides to throw her toys at me – sure, she sees me sad and I will not play with her, but that doesn’t quite seem to curb it, especially when she’s angry and threw it in order to hurt me.
Understanding and Helping Toddler Sleep (Part I)
Every parent has despaired of their toddler's night waking, no matter where the toddler sleeps and no matter the circumstances surrounding the desperation. Although there is great disagreement regarding whether infants should be able to sleep through the night, the expectation that toddlers Can and Should sleep through the night without wakings parents is generally well accepted.