This is a post about toddler weaning, and about how ecological breastfeeding can suppress fertility (and here’s a link to my book, which talks about this in more depth!). If any of those topics seem like TMI, let me gently direct you to the title of this post, and then remind you you’re welcome to direct your browser elsewhere. If …
Breastfeeding 101: Resources for New Moms
Here, I’m sharing a sort of “Breastfeeding 101” post for new moms — some of the basic Who, What, Where, When, and Why’s of Breastfeeding (though not in that order), plus some of my favorite resources related to breastfeeding. If you’re interested in this content, please read on. Edited to add: My book on Toddler Weaning is now available for purchase …
Night Weaning My Toddler: How I Night Weaned in 3 Days
Hi all. This is a post about night weaning my toddler. I’m sharing this personal story in the hopes that it might help another exhausted or otherwise ready-to-night-wean-mama, because when I was preparing to night wean my son, I found it really helpful to read other mamas’ stories and tips. If you’re a mama contemplating night weaning your toddler, I …
On Babywearing and Bedsharing
Emily di Febo, a mother of two kids, a teacher of almost 100 high schoolers, and a self-described imperfect parent, once thought she would be the “perfect mother” — until she actually had her first baby, and discovered that parenting in real life is actually all about messing up. Emily has learned a lot since then, including about babywearing and …
The Hardest Thing About Weaning
This post is not related to teaching or my research, but is instead about something very personal, and perhaps relatable for a lot of moms: breastfeeding, and the end of the breastfeeding journey (something I’ve written about in the past, and in this book!) This is a post about the hardest things or the hardest thing about weaning for some moms. …
Yet another “mom blog”
There are so many existing mom blogs out there. So in the midst of all this internet noise, why another mom blog? Some mom blogs describe the transformative experience of becoming a mother: how it changes you, what it’s like to love your children, how you become somebody new. (#matrescence) Reading these kinds of earnest and thoughtful mom blog posts …
Be Kind to Yourself
I had a conversation a few weeks ago that made me remember how important it is to be kind to yourself. My friend Alexandra had her second baby about a month and a half ago. Four days later, she shared with me the jumble of emotions she was feeling: She was struggling with feeling like she wasn’t meeting her older …
A Stylish Working Mom
My friend Crystal Johnson is a math teacher, a hair stylist, and a working mom, and one of the most pulled-together women I know. Crystal and I taught together for about four years (she teaches math, and I taught social studies and English) until a couple years ago. And she embodies what it means to have a sense of personal …
Balancing Being a Teacher and Mom
Balancing being a teacher and mom can be difficult. My friend and colleague (and unofficial mentor/life-coach throughout my doctoral program), Dr. Natalie Duvall is a teacher and mom, co-owner of a tutoring business, and about a million other things (including a confectioner!). I asked her to share some thoughts with me about how she finds balance as a working mom, …
On “Mom Guilt”
If you’re a Mama, have you ever experienced “Mom Guilt?” Dr. Marie Hartwell-Walker, for PsychCentral, says guilt is a “thinking emotion,” and that if you’re experiencing guilt over something you’re actually doing wrong, the feeling serves to alert you to it, and motivate you to become more intentional about your choices, thereby improving your parenting. That’s a useful kind of guilt. That’s …