This article was originally published on Sept. 24, 2008, but it puts into perspective why new motherhood can sometimes be hard to adjust to.

"Trust pathways in the brain are set in infancy and passed on from mother to child, according to landmark UNSW-led research. The work relates to oxytocin levels in new mothers and proves for the first time that it is linked to their reported disturbance in bonding with their own mothers."

"Dear Parent:

This post was originally published on Sept. 22, 2008. It captures the bittersweet moment when our baby, particularly our last baby, steps into toddlerhood.

Whenever I encounter turbulence on my maiden voyage of parenting, I take solace in reminding myself of one really crucial ingredient of Attachment Parenting: trust. So while my rapidly growing 9-month-old is grappling with the question of whether the world is a trustworthy place, I am learning anew how to give trust and trust myself.

To my eye, other moms obviously have perfectly calm, stainless homes from which their kids are sent forth into the world with everything just right.

My kids are not babies. They sleep in their own rooms. They don't breastfeed. If I wore them in a carrier, the sling would rip and my spine would snap. They have homework. Does Attachment Parenting still pertain to me?

Despite the fact that I was covered in vomit and that I had just washed the sheets, I never once thought, "I need a shower," or "Well, this sucks." I simply thought how lucky I am to be the one holding my child. How lucky I am to be the recipient of such pure love. How lucky I am to be a mom.

A  2014 study that examines nearly 17,000 courses of midwife-led care confirms that among low-risk women, home births result in low rates of interventions without an increase in adverse outcomes for babies and mothers alike.

The results of the study confirm the safety and positive health benefits for low-risk mother and babies.  The study reports that midwives provide excellent care at every step of the birthing process.  Cesarean rate is 5.2 percent for midwife led home births in comparison to 31 percent for the national average in the United States. 

When I am pregnant, I can sleep anywhere, anytime. But there was one thing that kept me awake at night, staring at the ceiling: my son's warm body snuggled next to mine, with his arm draped over my growing belly. I'd pull him closer to me and think, "What have I done? How is this going to rock his world? What is going to happen to my relationship with him?"

Spanking works for nobody, no matter how you slice it. It's just a quick fix and, truly, not even that. It's cheating at not only parenting, but being a human being toward other humans. How we treat and raise today's children becomes tomorrow's reality. Spanking works for nobody, but love works for everybody.

To generalize, there seems to be two main parenting styles: 1) controlling everything; 2) Letting the child control everything. I think there's a middle ground that is respectful to the parents and the child, and that effectively teaches skills for family living and future involvement with the rest of society. And this is where Attachment Parenting fits.

This post was originally published on Sept. 16, 2008, but serves as a great reminder for any parent who's been faced with a tantrumming child in public.

Many child development experts agree that hitting children does not teach them right from wrong; rather, it makes them obey for the short-term when a parent is present and misbehave when the parent is not present. This means we need to have a new understanding of discipline and what we can do to instill a child's desire to be good.

A tribute to the natural-ness of breastfeeding: 30 photos from around the world

I have been lucky enough to collate together many pictures from families across the globe as part of the #ISupportBreastfeeding project. With each new photograph, I see a recurring theme: the concept of connection. Breastfeeding doesn't only connect us to our children; it also connects us to one another.