"Pediatricians’ recommendations and practices became more closely aligned with AAP policy from 1995 to 2014; however, their attitudes about the likelihood of breastfeeding success have worsened. These 2 divergent trends indicate that even as breastfeeding rates continue to rise, continued efforts to enhance pediatricians’ training and attitudes about breastfeeding are necessary."

“The argument we make internationally is that [a high maternal death rate] is often a reflection of how the society views women,” he says. “In other countries, we worry about the culture — women are not particularly valued, so they don’t set up systems to care for them at all. I think we have a similar problem in the US.”

What is your very favorite thing about your father? These children from around the world speak out about their dads, daddies, and papas.

Happy Father's Day from API! Today, children from around the world speak out to let us know what they admire most about their fathers.

"Mothers who do not feel in control of their lives and who struggle with their teenage children can benefit significantly from having a social support network. But struggling dads in the same situation don’t seem to reap any benefits from social support, according to a new study published in the journal Family Process."" ~ Traci Pederson for PsychCentral

The experience of being a mom can be challenging, exhausting, rewarding, and inspirational. There are plenty of trained experts and professionals who lend their guidance on ways to navigate through the complex web of motherhood, but oftentimes, the most grounded support comes from those who have been down in the trenches -- so to speak: everyday mothers. Today, we bring you words of advice from 10 mothers who shared with us the wisdom and insight they acquired along the way, on their motherhood path.

Being a mom is like being a gardener -- it’s hard labor that gets accomplished regardless of the conditions. It is the kind of work that requires fortitude, dedication, and an abundance of patience. We tend to our children, nourish them, watch them grow, and reap what we sow. All the while, we are continuously mesmerized by their essence and beauty. Today, as we celebrate the unique and precious role of a mother, we bring to you these thoughtful expressions from mothers around the world.

"Nadella asked his top executives to read Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication. Rosenberg describes the concept as “a way of being very honest, without any criticism, insults, or put-downs, and without any intellectual diagnosis implying wrongness.” For Redmond, McCracken writes:

"Human beings have enormous power to enrich life. We can use words to contribute to people’s enjoyment, their wisdom. We can use words that can make life miserable for people. So our words are very powerful. We can touch people in ways that give great pleasure, great nurturing, support. We are powerhouses, and there’s nothing we enjoy doing more than to use that power we have to enrich lives. So isn’t it wonderful that we have this power and the joy it brings when we use it? That’s to be celebrated. Wow! And the more we celebrate that, the less we will be willing to do anything else."

Welcome to AP Month 2017 as we celebrate Word Power! Each year AP Month features a different, timely theme around which we invite families to join together and celebrate healthy parenting and happy families. Our themes are generally timely and this one no less so as we take a look at “Word Power: Communicating for Connection.” As parents, we’re familiar with the request for children to “use their words” in all kinds of situations. Often we’re inviting them to practice using verbal expressive language to communicate their needs instead of physical impulses.

Learn about the research behind this year's theme for AP Month, and get ready to celebrate Attachment Parenting by empowering our children's words.

Is your child having trouble getting back into the routine of school? Take a look at his or her afterschool needs, in addition to connection time with you, to make it easier for the whole family. 

Mom of 3, Kelly Shealer shares her experience in this API blog post.

My daughter, who’s on the verge of turning 3, recently had a brief scary moment where she couldn’t find me at the playground. Though it was less than a minute before she spotted me again, for a child that young, that’s a long time and it can really leave an impression. Here's how this mother helped her daughter work through the lasting fear of this event.

My 3-year-old daughter recently found our old nursing pillow in the closet. It had been about a year since we finished nursing, so I was surprised when she said, “Remember I used to lay on this?” Breastfeeding is a powerful way to create and strengthen the attachment bond with our babies and toddlers. But what can compare after they've weaned? This mom shares her story.

May is Get Caught Reading Month. Founded in 1999, this campaign was launched to remind people about the joys and fun of reading. But what happens when our children don't pick up a love of reading like we want?

Light bulbs, alarm clocks, factories, and offices are new cultural inventions that require a whole new sleep-industrial complex to maintain. Taking it all into consideration, there is no question of adaptation. Listening to our babies causes us to take pause and ask ourselves: At what cost to our health and well-being do we continue to believe that our sleep is adaptive, and at what cost to our child's health and well-being are we forcing them to do the same?