Finally! A Parenting Magazine for Nurturers!

I first encountered a copy of Mothering magazine when I was pregnant with my son. My husband had picked up the issue (published in 1998) with the "Where is My Foreskin?" article on it - and I was immediately intrigued. I read the anti-circumcision article with interest and later went on to leave my son intact... although it was still not an easy decision. More recently, I have been buying Mothering off the news stand or borrowing a friend's issues because it addresses issues not only in a different way than all of the mainstream parenting magazines (Parents, Parenting, Child, etc.) but it also affirms that my parenting style is not only acceptable, it is actually good!

One of the many things that stands out about Mothering is the advertisements. Obviously, they are not why I purchase this magazine, but they have been very helpful to me nonetheless. I first heard of the Arm's Reach Bedside Co-sleeper via an ad in Mothering - an item that I loved and that is not exactly a "mainstream" item. Motherwear, a nursing clothing company, advertises in Mothering - and I have been happily ordering clothes through them since I discovered them. Other helpful items advertised are breast pumps, slings, cloth diapers, cotton clothing... lots of products that the "natural" parent might want, but not know how to find. One thing that Mothering does not advertise: formula. This thrills me, as I've noticed that other parenting magazines seem to feature dozens of ads touting one artificial baby milk or another.

Mothering has wonderful articles, as well. Recently, I have been reassured by an article touting the benefits of extended nursing, as well as articles praising the family bed. In the average parenting magazine, the family bed is viewed as slightly unusual at the very best, and dangerous at the worst. Breastfeeding past a year is rarely mentioned at all, and certainly not encouraged, despite the many health benefits that it offers.

I do not always agree with the views displayed by Mothering. I myself use disposable diapers on my child (regular Huggies, not the "natural" Tushies), I have had my son vaccinated as per CDC recommendations, and I had an epidural during my son's hospital birth. And yet, I think it's good to have a magazine that explores why cloth diapers are beneficial, why vaccinations aren't perfect, and that views birth as a natural process that does not require interventions like epidurals.

Finally, Mothering offers an extensive letters to the editor section in which readers comment on previous articles and the magazine in general. Whether or not the reader agrees with the magazine's view, the letter is published. In this way, readers are able to engage in ongoing dialogue about various issues.

Mothering magazine is a great resource for nurturers, attachment parents, and others of us who want to do the best things for our children but don't find our lives affirmed in the more mainstream magazines. I love reading it for so many reasons - and it makes me feel like I am not as "out there" as many of my friends would have me believe.