Breastfeeding doesn’t come easy—just ask one out of three moms. Unless you’re among the lucky few whose baby latches on like he’s ‘been there done that,’ you’re likely to find yourself scheduling a meet-and-greet with a lactation consultant and buying (or renting) a breastpump. Suddenly, what appeared to be free and easy is costly and hard. If babies could talk, they would tell you breastfeeding is worth every effort and every penny. And the best part? Your insurance company may actually reimburse the cost of your pump. Breastpump manufacturer Medela has teamed up with insurance experts to help moms navigate…

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Company WEU has 20 employees. Ten or more are women. BWEU provides no maternity benefits, no flexible work schedules, no onsite childcare, and no lactation rooms. Despite women supplying more than 50% of the U.S. workforce, gaining accommodation in the workplace for those things uniquely woman such as pregnancy and breastfeeding is difficult at best, impossible at worst.

Many employers recognize that breast milk is the best source of infant nutrition. It promotes optimal growth and development, protects babies against diarrhea, respiratory infections, allergies and diabetes, and reduces mothers’ risk for ovarian cancer and premenopausal breast cancer, yet few employers  have a…

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The real life stories of the many women suffering with undiagnosed and/or untreated depression go unreported, until one day a desperate mother drowns her five young children in a bathtub. While this is a rare event, it underscores the seriousness of the disease known simply as postpartum depression.

It is estimated that one out of 10 women in the United States take antidepressants, many of them while pregnant or breastfeeding. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 1995 and 2002 the use of antidepressants rose 48%. Antidepressants are among the most prescribed drugs in the U.S. For many…

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On January 12, Earth’s Best celebrated its 25^th anniversary by ringing the NASDAQ Stock Market Opening Bell. Hours later, I was at the grocery store, standing at the register, watching the clerk slide each pretty little glass jar over the scanner. $1, $2, $3… $9… $18. I left the store with $30 less in my pocket and a (reusable) bag full of organic baby food. $30? I didn’t get more than a week’s worth, I thought to myself. But $30 is what it takes to feed my 8-month-old boy three square meals a day. Three square pesticide-free meals a day.

There’s definitely…

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A carrot-filled spoon zooms overhead as a mother mimics the sound of an airplane. “Just two more bites,” she cajoles. Her two-month-old baby, positioned upright in an infant seat, clamps his lips shut. He doesn’t want the vegetable. But she persists until the last of the carrots are consumed. To even the casual observer, it’s obvious the baby doesn’t share his mother’s enthusiasm for carrots. At least—not yet.

Many moms across America will recognize this ritual—one that is repeated three times a day in their homes. It is the transition from breast or bottle to solid foods—one that all babies will…

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I cultivated my sweet tooth at a young age, born into a family where Hostess Sno Balls and Twinkies were the preferred after-school snack. I could have/should have washed down the crumbly treats with a glass of milk, but chose instead an ice cold Coke—21 teaspoons of sugar, the equivalent of 90 grams or 450 calories. Is it any wonder that my siblings and I struggle with weight gain?

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that women consume no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar a day (100 calories or 25 grams). For men the recommendation is no more than…

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The day will come when U.S. mothers can truly feel safe breastfeeding their babies and young children anywhere, anytime, anyplace. I likely won’t live long enough to see the culmination of the cultural transformation that is currently underway in America, but I am confident that my children will one day view breastfeeding not as best, optimal, perfect, or ideal, but simply as normal. And I know that ultimately their children, my grandchildren, will reap the benefits.

While many find the slow pace of change frustrating, age confers a level of patience and confidence in knowing that measured, thoughtful change is more often…

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