"Am I ever going to want to hold and nurture my baby?"

"Do these feelings mean that I'm a bad mother?"

Paradoxical emotions amalgamate as motherhood emerges. The convergence of biological changes, a shifting identity, and a lifestyle metamorphosis galvanizes a spectrum of previously foreign feelings. It's customary to traverse...

A close friend of mine from graduate school was in town over the weekend, someone I hadn't seen since I was mid-way through my pregnancy. As we briskly walked toward each other, arms outstretched, brimming with wild enthusiasm about our long overdue rendezvous, Amalia blurts out from across the toddler...

Ubiquitous prenatal gadgets tempt pregnant women at every turn as the market is saturated with ever-changing options for mommy, daddy and baby. Stroller technology alone is enough to baffle the mind -- maybe next year we'll see an organic, Tempur-Pedic option for some ungodly amount of money that recycles used...

Body change is shrouded in fear. Iconic female bodies are tiny, toned, tight, and most definitely without the permanence of stretch marks. Pregnancy creates a cultural conundrum. On the one hand, culture secretly (though not so quietly sometimes) mandates that women work their hardest to look as though their bodies...

In our wildest fantasies we rarely imagine feeling anything other than pure unadulterated joy upon meeting our babies for the first time. Unfiltered expectations and blissful daydreams often accompany pregnancy and the process of preparing for motherhood. On the precipice of one of life's most profound journeys, women are hopeful...

Perinatal mood disorders have been called the most common complication associated with childbirth. Mood struggles during the postpartum period run rampant but are consistently quieted by our culture's focus on the overly idealized "glowing" new mother. Though many women gracefully transition into mothering, many others feel they are riding an...

Q: How do the earliest moments between infant and caregiver impact future relationships?

A: Healthy development and attachment security flourish when resonant, competent, attuned, loving, and consistent parental behaviors mark the initial months of a baby's life. Babies bask in a comforting balance between connection and exploration as a direct...

Connection is created, navigated, broken, and repaired almost daily from the moment we are born. At the heart of being alive lies the vitality of being connected to others -- feeling that what we do matters. What's more is that we rely on being deeply understood by those around us...