Mothering Chat Transcripts: 2004  2005  2006  2007

• July 25, 2007 -- Barbara Harper -- Founder and director of Waterbirth International Resource and Referral Service ( www.waterbirth.org ), Barbara has been researching and documenting waterbirth and gentle birth since 1983. An internationally recognized expert, she lectures and consults in hospitals and universities. She is the author of Gentle Birth Choices (2005) and the producer of the videos Gentle Birth Choices and Birth Into Being.
• Jun. 20, 2007 -- Marcie Macari is the author of the book: She Births: A Modern Woman's Guidebook For an Ancient Rite of Passage, and the Creator/Owner of Bloomin' Belly Soaps, a company that makes body-positive vegan soaps in the form of anatomically true pregnant torsos. She is a writer, speaker and workshop facilitator, who has traveled extensively throughout North America and Southern Africa leading communication workshops, teaching drama techniques and sharing her passion with women: Birth as a Spiritual Rite of Passage. Marcie lives in Canada with her husband, children, and their 80lb lapdog—a German Shepherd named Neo.
• Jun. 13, 2007 -- Paige La Grone Babcock—aka Ms. Booty Homemaker—is a writer and community organizer mobilizing mamas for an apron-string revolution. Her return to the pink collar world (after a year tending hearth and raising baby) is as work-at-home-mama for Mothers Acting Up , for whom she is National Outreach Coordinator and Community Organizer. Paige hosts weekly playgroups and monthly potluck socials & salons, and makes regular visits (child on hip) to the offices of her state and local elected officials advocating for MAU's Mother Agenda. Paige is currently organizing Nashville's 2nd Annual Mother's Day Peace Parade and developing the workshop MAU Now: the Joy of Activism, a template for helping far-flung MAU mavens and other community leaders share adapted versions of the recipe in their own home communities. A (slightly lapsed) voracious reader, messy gardener, lusty cook and chowhound, Paige is raising her son to be a Joy Warrior, nursed on the literal and metaphysical milk of human kindness. She lives in a cozy urban East Nashville cottage with her Beloved Mister, their curly-headed toddler Ziggy, and a rescue cat and dog. She dreams of raising chickens in the country.
• Jun. 6, 2007 -- Hathor the Cowgoddess lives in the middle of urban sprawl with her dearest super-husband and three wee and wise kids. She has had an unassisted birth in the middle of her 700 square foot apartment, she breastfeeds on demand and in public, she shares sleep, maintains constant contact and unschools. Not only does she do all of this, she does it with grand style and verve. With extravagant and outrageous behavior. And with her trusty sidekick baby in a sling. The raucous exploits of Hathor and her family are produced in comic form on the web and printed in many, many zines and magazines and books, too. Transcripts not posted.
• This chat will be rescheduled -- Shantell Herndon -- Since relocating to Los Angeles in 2004, Shantell was hired in conjunction with various youth outreach organizations to work with pregnant teens and underprivileged minorities. This led her to discover her passion for educating families. As a doula, she began assisting births throughout Los Angeles. To better serve her community, Shantell created Love the Belly, an organization centered within its own Maternity Spa & Family Wellness Center. Love the Belly is dedicated to restoring the sacredness of health for families, and aims to raise consciousness about wellness care options during the childbearing years. Their programs are based on the concept that peaceful parenting begins with conscious pregnancy and birth.
• May 16, 2007 -- Dr. Jay Gordon -- In the middle of his residency training, pediatrician Jay Gordon took an unusual step. Deciding that he needed greater knowledge about nutrition, vitamins, and alternative medicine in order to practice medicine the way he wanted to, Dr. Gordon took a Senior Fellowship in Pediatric Nutrition at Sloan-Kettering Institute in New York City. After his residency at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, Dr. Gordon joined the teaching attending faculty at UCLA Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Intensely interested in infant nutrition and breastfeeding, Dr. Gordon is the first male physician to sit for and pass the International Board of Lactation Certification Exam. He has served on the Professional Advisory Board of La Leche League for twenty years. Dr. Gordon treats patients at Santa Monica, California.
• May 9, 2007 -- Paige La Grone Babcock—aka Ms. Booty Homemaker—is a writer and community organizer mobilizing mamas for an apron-string revolution. Her return to the pink collar world (after a year tending hearth and raising baby) is as work-at-home-mama for Mothers Acting Up , for whom she is National Outreach Coordinator and Community Organizer. Paige hosts weekly playgroups and monthly potluck socials & salons, and makes regular visits (child on hip) to the offices of her state and local elected officials advocating for MAU's Mother Agenda. Paige is currently organizing Nashville's 2nd Annual Mother's Day Peace Parade and developing the workshop MAU Now: the Joy of Activism, a template for helping far-flung MAU mavens and other community leaders share adapted versions of the recipe in their own home communities. A (slightly lapsed) voracious reader, messy gardener, lusty cook and chowhound, Paige is raising her son to be a Joy Warrior, nursed on the literal and metaphysical milk of human kindness. She lives in a cozy urban East Nashville cottage with her Beloved Mister, their curly-headed toddler Ziggy, and a rescue cat and dog. She dreams of raising chickens in the country.
• May 2, 2007 -- Hathor the Cowgoddess lives in the middle of urban sprawl with her dearest super-husband and three wee and wise kids. She has had an unassisted birth in the middle of her 700 square foot apartment, she breastfeeds on demand and in public, she shares sleep, maintains constant contact and unschools. Not only does she do all of this, she does it with grand style and verve. With extravagant and outrageous behavior. And with her trusty sidekick baby in a sling. The raucous exploits of Hathor and her family are produced in comic form on the web and printed in many, many zines and magazines and books, too.
• Apr. 25, 2007 -- Sandra Dodd -- Unschooling chat. Sandra Dodd grew up and lives in New Mexico, where she taught English when she was younger. Her children never went to school, and are now 15, 18 and 20. Sandra and her husband like to play and sing early period music for fun. Sandra has been active in online discussions of unschooling and natural learning for a dozen years and has an extensive prairie-dog-village of a website ( www.sandradodd.com ). Sandra has been published in several magazines, and the book in which those articles have been collected, Moving a Puddle, can be purchased from http://sandradodd.com/puddlebook .
• Apr. 18, 2007 -- Randall Neustaedter OMD -- Dr. Neustaedter has practiced holistic medicine for more than 30 years in the San Francisco Bay area, specializing in child health care. He is a licensed acupuncturist, a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, education director of the Holistic Pediatric Association, the author of Child Health Guide and The Vaccine Guide, as well as being the father of five children. Visit his website, www.cure-guide.com to register for a free newsletter with pediatric updates.
• Apr. 11, 2007 -- Paige La Grone Babcock—aka Ms. Booty Homemaker—is a writer and community organizer mobilizing mamas for an apron-string revolution. Her return to the pink collar world (after a year tending hearth and raising baby) is as work-at-home-mama for Mothers Acting Up , for whom she is National Outreach Coordinator and Community Organizer. Paige hosts weekly playgroups and monthly potluck socials & salons, and makes regular visits (child on hip) to the offices of her state and local elected officials advocating for MAU's Mother Agenda. Paige is currently organizing Nashville's 2nd Annual Mother's Day Peace Parade and developing the workshop MAU Now: the Joy of Activism, a template for helping far-flung MAU mavens and other community leaders share adapted versions of the recipe in their own home communities. A (slightly lapsed) voracious reader, messy gardener, lusty cook and chowhound, Paige is raising her son to be a Joy Warrior, nursed on the literal and metaphysical milk of human kindness. She lives in a cozy urban East Nashville cottage with her Beloved Mister, their curly-headed toddler Ziggy, and a rescue cat and dog. She dreams of raising chickens in the country.
• Apr. 4, 2007 -- Hathor the Cowgoddess lives in the middle of urban sprawl with her dearest super-husband and three wee and wise kids. She has had an unassisted birth in the middle of her 700 square foot apartment, she breastfeeds on demand and in public, she shares sleep, maintains constant contact and unschools. Not only does she do all of this, she does it with grand style and verve. With extravagant and outrageous behavior. And with her trusty sidekick baby in a sling. The raucous exploits of Hathor and her family are produced in comic form on the web and printed in many, many zines and magazines and books, too.
• Mar. 29, 2007 -- David Albert -- David is a homeschooling dad, writer, storyteller, and author of three books about homeschooling: Have Fun. Learn Stuff. Grow. Homeschooling and the Curriculum of Love (Common Courage Press, in Press); Homeschooling and the Voyage of Self-Discovery (Common Courage Press, 2003); and And the Skylark Sings with Me: Adventures in Homeschooling and Community Based-Education (New Society Publishers, 1999); editor of a book about his Indian parents The Color of Freedom (Common Courage Press, 2005); as well as two books about the uses of storytelling, The Healing Heart~Families and The Healing Heart~Communities (New Society Publishers, 2003). He writes a regular column – “My Word! – for Home Education Magazine, and a second column – “What Really Matters” – with Joyce Reed, for The Link. His work has appeared in scores of magazines and journals worldwide, ranging from Life Learning Magazine to the Journal of the American Philosophical Society. As founder of New Society Publishers, he was both editor and publisher of John Taylor Gatto’s Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling, and more than a 100 other titles. He was also a founding member of Co-op America and the National Association of Socially Responsible Businesses.
  David lives in Olympia, Washington with his wife and partner Ellen and younger daughter Meera (age 15). His older daughter Aliyah (18) is an undergraduate at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, majoring in music composition. He holds degrees from Williams College, Oxford University, and the University of Chicago, but says the best education he ever received he gets from his kids. When he is not learning with and from children, writing, making music, or raising funds for community development projects in south India, he serves as Senior Planning and Policy Analyst for the Washington State Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse. David is also an active member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and moderator of the Quaker Homeschooling Circle.
  Visit his website at www.skylarksings.com or write him at david@skylarksings.com.
• Mar. 22, 2007 -- Marilyn Milos -- Marilyn Fayre Milos, RN, is the founder and director of the National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers (NOCIRC) and coordinator of the International Symposia on Circumcision, Sexual Mutilations, and Genital Integrity. Join Marilyn for a general chat on circumcision and intactivism.
• This chat was postponed -- Kelly Pfeiffer -- Kelly Pfeiffer is a Certified Positive Discipline Associate. Applied in the family setting, Positive Discipline teaches important social and life skills in a manner that is respectful to both the adults and children—raising young people to be responsible, respectful and resourceful members of their community. Kelly will be presenting a general chat on the subject of Positive Discipline.
• Feb. 28, 2007 -- Marty Layne -- In the process of being a stay at home homeschooling mom, Marty Layne notes that she learned as much as her children. Drawing from those experiences, she authored and published Learning At Home: A Mother's Guide To Homeschooling. The book bears the unique honor of having been translated into Indonesian, and the third English language edition (the Newly Revised Edition) will be in print mid-February 2007.

  Her children are all grown up now, but Marty wouldn't trade the years her family spent in the park, at the beach, in their backyard, or in the house—years rich in experience, relationships, time, and books—for anything. Marty speaks at various homeschooling conferences and presents workshops about mothering, education, homeschooling, and having fun. She also teaches infant massage and games-to-play-with-a-baby classes (an early literacy program she developed) to new parents and their babies. Marty was a volunteer La Leche League Leader for 12 years. In addition to writing and publishing Learning At Home: A Mother's Guide To Homeschooling, Marty has also recorded Brighten the Day—songs she and her kids sang for years, that celebrate the seasons. Visit her website at www.martylayne.com.

• Feb 23, 2007 -- Stephanie Merton Tombrello, L.C.S.W. -- Stephanie M. Tombrello, L.C.S.W., has been active in the field of child passenger safety since 1970. She originated the Child Safety Project of Women for Political and Social Action in 1972 in Pasadena, CA. She has participated in development of both the technical and program aspects of the field and has been instrumental in major changes in government regulations, including HR 4616, to expand funding for child passenger safety nationwide. She successfully petitioned for regulation changes mandating shoulder/lap belts in outboard rear-seating positions in all cars and light trucks sold in the US since December 1989. She served on the National Blue Ribbon Panel on Child Restraint & Vehicle Compatibility, and is a nationally certified Child Passenger Safety Technician-Instructor. Recently, she provided support for newly enacted federal legislation to improve testing of safety seats and resources for parents. Ms. Tombrello is recognized as an outstanding expert in the realm of child/ car safety, and has received numerous awards for her activism over the years.

  She has also participated in establishing and developing three currently functioning non-profit organizations: Wellmet Project, Inc., a Massachusetts halfway house for formerly hospitalized psychiatric patients, founded in 1960; The Children's Center at Caltech, a child care center founded in 1972; and SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A., founded in 1980. Please join Stephanie for a general chat on car seat safety.

• Feb. 21, 2007 -- Sarah J Buckley, MD -- Sarah J Buckley is a trained GP (family physician), with qualifications in GP-obstetrics and family planning and an expert panel member of Mothering's Ask the Expert. Since 1997, Sarah has been sharing her unique perspective through writing and lecturing, in which she critiques current practices in pregnancy, birth and parenting from a scientific as well as a personal viewpoint. Her articles have been published in midwifery and parenting magazines internationally, including Mothering magazine, Midwifery Today, MIDIRS, and the Journal of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health. Topics which Sarah has researched and written about include ecstatic birth; epidurals and other drugs in labour, ultrasound and prenatal diagnosis; third stage of labour and lotus birth; extended breastfeeding; co-sleeping; elimination communication (raising babies without nappies); healing power of birth; yoga and motherhood: fertility awareness and gentle discipline. Sarah encourages us all to listen to our hearts and our intuition, and to claim our rightful role as the real experts in pregnancy, birth and mothering. For more of Sarah's writing, and her book Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering: The wisdom and science of gentle choices in pregnancy, birth, and parenting, see www.sarahjbuckley.com.
• Feb 14, 2007 -- Candace Walsh -- Candace, Mothering's Articles Editor is just back from Africa after attending Equality Now's Fifth Annual Meeting of the Fund for Grassroots Activism to End Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). She discussed the outcome of the meeting and the current state of FGM.
• Feb 7, 2007 -- Hathor the Cowgoddess lives in the middle of urban sprawl with her dearest super-husband and three wee and wise kids. She has had an unassisted birth in the middle of her 700 square foot apartment, she breastfeeds on demand and in public, she shares sleep, maintains constant contact and unschools. Not only does she do all of this, she does it with grand style and verve. With extravagant and outrageous behavior. And with her trusty sidekick baby in a sling. The raucous exploits of Hathor and her family are produced in comic form on the web and printed in many, many zines and magazines and books, too.
• Jan 31, 2007 -- Lisa Samet -- Presented by Mothering and The National Center for Homeopathy. Dr. Samet graduated from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in 1998. She has a private practice in Montreal and is a member of The Canadian Academy of Homeopathy. In her practice of naturopathy she chose to focus on homeopathy which she regards to be the deepest healing modality available that does not just soothe or palliate symptoms but actually stimulates the body to heal itself. She brings extensive knowledge of and experience in naturopathy and homeopathy in her treatment of women and children. Dr. Samet will present a general chat on homeopathy followed by a question and answer session.
  Chat topic: Homeopathy
• Jan 25, 2007 -- Peggy O'Mara -- Join us in a casual community chat with Mothering's own Peggy O'Mara. Peggy is the mother of four grown children. She has gained international celebrity as publisher, editor and owner of Mothering Magazine. She is also the author of four books: Having a Baby Naturally: The Mothering Magazine Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth, Natural Family Living: The Mothering Magazine Guide to Parenting, The Way Back Home: Essays on Life and Family, and A Quiet Place: Essays on Life and Family. A dynamic speaker, she has lectured and conducted workshops in conjunction with organizations such as the Omega Institute, Esalen, La Leche International, and Bioneers. She has appeared on numerous television and radio programs and has been featured in national publications including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Mother Earth News, and Utne Reader.
• Jan 17, 2007 -- Randall Neustaedter OMD -- Dr. Neustaedter has practiced holistic medicine for more than thirty years in the San Francisco Bay area, specializing in child health care. He is a licensed acupuncturist and Doctor of Oriental Medicine, as well as education director of the Holistic Pediatric Association www.hpakids.org, author of Child Health Guide and The Vaccine Guide, and father of five children. Visit his website, www.cure-guide.com to register for a free newsletter with pediatric updates.
  Chat topic:  General chat on children's health issues.
• Jan 10, 2006 -- Scott Noelle -- Scott Noelle is a parenting coach and writer who supports progressive parents on their "inner journey"—the paradigm shift required to enjoy successful, natural parenting through creative partnership. Scott offers private consultations by telephone as well as free support through his mailing list, The Daily Groove , which helps parents stay focused in the new paradigm. A book based on his Daily Groove posts will be available in early 2007. He lives near Seattle with his wife and two children. His writings are online at www.ScottNoelle.com and www.EnjoyParenting.com.
• Jan 3, 2007 -- Hathor the Cowgoddess lives in the middle of urban sprawl with her dearest super-husband and three wee and wise kids. She has had an unassisted birth in the middle of her 700 square foot apartment, she breastfeeds on demand and in public, she shares sleep, maintains constant contact and unschools. Not only does she do all of this, she does it with grand style and verve. With extravagant and outrageous behavior. And with her trusty sidekick baby in a sling. The raucous exploits of Hathor and her family are produced in comic form on the web and printed in many, many zines and magazines and books, too.
• Dec 20, 2006 -- Randall Neustaedter OMD -- Dr. Neustaedter has practiced holistic medicine for more than thirty years in the San Francisco Bay area, specializing in child health care. He is a licensed acupuncturist and Doctor of Oriental Medicine, as well as education director of the Holistic Pediatric Association www.hpakids.org, author of Child Health Guide and The Vaccine Guide, and father of five children. Visit his website, www.cure-guide.com to register for a free newsletter with pediatric updates.
  Chat topic: Dr. Neustaedter will be available to discuss any issues on your minds about children’s health for his last chat of 2006. So bring your questions about nutrition, chronic disease, health maintenance, treating acute illness, vaccinations, or any other topics this Wednesday.
• Dec 13, 2006 -- Dayna Martin is a Natural Parenting Advocate, Natural Childbirth Educator, Breastfeeding Counselor, Certified Doula, and founder of The Babywearing Project. She is also a freelance writer who has been published in Live Free, Learn Free magazine and Life Learning magazine. She has three "truly free" children and a peacefully-loud husband whom she lives and learns with everyday. Their family recently appeared on "The Dr. Phil Show" introducing mainstream society to the ideals of radical unschooling.

  Join Dayna for a chat to discuss and learn how radical unschooling is a natural extension of attachment parenting for many. She is happy to answer any questions anyone has about respectful, peaceful parenting, joyful living and unschooling. Join us for a lively discussion about her views regarding the paradigm shift taking place in our culture when it comes to parenting and education.

• Dec 6, 2006 -- Hathor the Cowgoddess lives in the middle of urban sprawl with her dearest super-husband and three wee and wise kids. She has had an unassisted birth in the middle of her 700 square foot apartment, she breastfeeds on demand and in public, she shares sleep, maintains constant contact and unschools. Not only does she do all of this, she does it with grand style and verve. With extravagant and outrageous behavior. And with her trusty sidekick baby in a sling. The raucous exploits of Hathor and her family are produced in comic form on the web and printed in many, many zines and magazines and books, too.
• Nov 15, 2006 -- Randall Neustaedter OMD -- Dr. Neustaedter has practiced holistic medicine for more than thirty years in the San Francisco Bay area, specializing in child health care. He is a licensed acupuncturist and Doctor of Oriental Medicine, as well as education director of the Holistic Pediatric Association www.hpakids.org, author of Child Health Guide and The Vaccine Guide, and father of five children. Visit his website, www.cure-guide.com to register for a free newsletter with pediatric updates.
  Chat topic: How to deal with illnesses, preventing winter colds and flus, avoiding stress, keeping the holidays mellow, and ways to avoid the onslaught of candy and sugar this time of year.
  NOTE: Unfortunately there was a glitch with my email client and these transcripts were lost.  :(  I've since switched to a different email client to avoid a recurrence.
• Nov 1, 2006 -- Hathor the Cowgoddess lives in the middle of urban sprawl with her dearest super-husband and three wee and wise kids. She has had an unassisted birth in the middle of her 700 square foot apartment, she breastfeeds on demand and in public, she shares sleep, maintains constant contact and unschools. Not only does she do all of this, she does it with grand style and verve. With extravagant and outrageous behavior. And with her trusty sidekick baby in a sling. The raucous exploits of Hathor and her family are produced in comic form on the web and printed in many, many zines and magazines and books, too.
• Oct 26, 2006 -- Cynthia Good Mojab, MS, IBCLC, RLC, CATSM -- Cynthia is a clinical counselor, international board certified lactation consultant, author, researcher, and speaker. Through her private practice, LifeCircle Counseling and Consulting (LLC) she offers a blend of psychological and lactation services to women and health care providers, in person and by phone.
  Chat topic: In this chat, Cynthia will talk about what she calls "pioneer mothering": being the first in generations of your family to breastfeed, co-sleep, or parent without using corporal punishment, etc.
• Oct 18, 2006 -- Randall Neustaedter OMD -- Dr. Neustaedter has practiced holistic medicine for more than thirty years in the San Francisco Bay area, specializing in child health care. He is a licensed acupuncturist and Doctor of Oriental Medicine, as well as education director of the Holistic Pediatric Association www.hpakids.org, author of Child Health Guide and The Vaccine Guide, and father of five children. Visit his website, www.cure-guide.com to register for a free newsletter with pediatric updates.
  Chat topic: TBA
• Oct 4, 2006 -- Hathor the Cowgoddess lives in the middle of urban sprawl with her dearest super-husband and three wee and wise kids. She has had an unassisted birth in the middle of her 700 square foot apartment, she breastfeeds on demand and in public, she shares sleep, maintains constant contact and unschools. Not only does she do all of this, she does it with grand style and verve. With extravagant and outrageous behavior. And with her trusty sidekick baby in a sling. The raucous exploits of Hathor and her family are produced in comic form on the web and printed in many, many zines and magazines and books, too.
• Sept 28, 2006 -- Cynthia Good Mojab, MS, IBCLC, RLC, CATSM -- Cynthia is a clinical counselor, international board certified lactation consultant, author, researcher, and speaker. Through her private practice, LifeCircle Counseling and Consulting (LLC) she offers a blend of psychological and lactation services to women and health care providers, in person and by phone.
  Chat topic: Coping with the challenges of mothering a child born with a congenital disorder or experiencing chronic health issues.
• Sept 20, 2006 -- Randall Neustaedter OMD -- Dr. Neustaedter has practiced holistic medicine for more than thirty years in the San Fransisco Bay area, specializing in child health care. He is a licensed acupuncturist and Doctor of Oriental Medicine, as well as education director of the Holistic Pediatric Association www.hpakids.org, author of Child Health Guide and The Vaccine Guide, and father of five children. Visit his website, www.cure-guide.com to register for a free newsletter with pediatric updates.
  Chat topic: Kids are back in school and starting to pass around colds and coughs. There are excellent ways to treat these with holistic care at home. We can explore all of these methods for home care and professional holistic care based on your children's needs. Prevention is also a key to maintaining a strong immune system and we can discuss supplements and dietary changes that keep kids healthy.
• Aug 23, 2006 -- Cynthia Good Mojab, MS, IBCLC, RLC, CATSM -- Cynthia is a clinical counselor, international board certified lactation consultant, author, researcher, and speaker. Through her private practice, LifeCircle Counseling and Consulting (LLC) she offers a blend of psychological and lactation services to women and health care providers, in person and by phone.
  Chat topic: Recovering from a difficult or traumatic birth experience.
• Aug 16, 2006 -- Randall Neustaedter OMD -- Dr. Neustaedter has practiced holistic medicine for more than thirty years in the San Francisco Bay area, specializing in child health care. He is a licensed acupuncturist and Doctor of Oriental Medicine, as well as education director of the Holistic Pediatric Association www.hpakids.org, author of Child Health Guide and The Vaccine Guide, and father of five children. Visit his website, www.cure-guide.com to register for a free newsletter with pediatric updates.
  Chat topic: Back to school issues: pressure to vaccinate, exposure to illnesses, plans for the academic year.
• Aug 11, 2006 -- Jay Gordon, MD -- MD, FAAP, IBCLC. Dr. Jay is the author of two books, both published in July 2002: Good Nights: The Happy Parents' Guide to the Family Bed (and a Good Night's Sleep) (St Martin's Press) and Listening to Your Baby (Penguin/Putnam Press). He practices in Santa Monica, California, and is proud to be the first male to become a certified lactation consultant. His website is www.drjaygordon.com .
  UNFORTUNATELY, THESE TRANSCRIPTS SEEM TO HAVE DISAPPEARED DUE TO TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH THE CHATWARE.  :(
• Aug 2, 2006 -- Hathor the Cowgoddess lives in the middle of urban sprawl with her dearest super-husband and three wee and wise kids. She has had an unassisted birth in the middle of her 700 square foot apartment, she breastfeeds on demand and in public, she shares sleep, maintains constant contact and unschools. Not only does she do all of this, she does it with grand style and verve. With extravagant and outrageous behavior. And with her trusty sidekick baby in a sling. The raucous exploits of Hathor and her family are produced in comic form on the web and printed in many, many zines and magazines and books, too.
• July 19, 2006 -- Randall Neustaedter OMD -- Dr. Neustaedter has practiced holistic medicine for more than thirty years in the San Francisco Bay area, specializing in child health care. He is a licensed acupuncturist and Doctor of Oriental Medicine, as well as education director of the Holistic Pediatric Association www.hpakids.org, author of Child Health Guide and The Vaccine Guide, and father of five children. Visit his website, www.cure-guide.com to register for a free newsletter with pediatric updates.
  Chat topic: Learning Styles and Children's Development. This chat will focus on early child development, individual learning styles in the elementary years, children's unique talents and opportunities, managing the school process, providing appropriate enrichment for children, and managing learning problems. We can bring in the aspects of children’s learning skills, academic expectations and performance, attention issues, and how parents can manage their kids’ learning experiences in preparation for the coming school year.
• July 12, 2006 -- Hathor the Cowgoddess lives in the middle of urban sprawl with her dearest super-husband and three wee and wise kids. She has had an unassisted birth in the middle of her 700 square foot apartment, she breastfeeds on demand and in public, she shares sleep, maintains constant contact and unschools. Not only does she do all of this, she does it with grand style and verve. With extravagant and outrageous behavior. And with her trusty sidekick baby in a sling. The raucous exploits of Hathor and her family are produced in comic form on the web and printed in many, many zines and magazines and books, too.
• July 6, 2006 -- Elizabeth Pantley -- Join us as we talk about The No-Cry Sleep Solution with author Elizabeth Pantley. Millions of parents around the world are finding gentle solutions to their sleep problems with The No-Cry Sleep Solution and The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers. Available in 16 languages and recommended by WHO (World Health Organization), Dr. William Sears, Dr. Harvey Karp, Dr. James McKenna, Dr. Jack Newman, Judy Arnall, Norma Jane Bumgarner, and many other gentle-parenting advocates and professionals, Elizabeth's family-centered approach to sl   eep can help you create a tear-free sleep plan that works for both you and your baby, toddler or preschooler. Her solutions are pro-breastfeeding, pro-family bed, and pro-baby, and she respectfully supports family styles of many different types. Elizabeth is a mother of four and author of seven books on gentle parenting. This is your chance to join Elizabeth for a friendly, casual chat about gentle approaches to better sleep!
• June 29, 2006 -- Cynthia Good Mojab, MS, IBCLC, RLC, CATSM -- Cynthia is a clinical counselor, international board certified lactation consultant, author, researcher, and speaker. Through her private practice, LifeCircle Counseling and Consulting (LLC) she offers a blend of psychological and lactation services to women and health care providers, in person and by phone. In this chat, Cynthia will talk about grieving perinatal losses, including miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth, and newborn death.
• June 21, 2006 - - Randall Neustaedter OMD -- Dr. Neustaedter has practiced holistic medicine for more than thirty years in the San Francisco Bay area, specializing in child health care. He is a licensed acupuncturist and Doctor of Oriental Medicine, as well as education director of the Holistic Pediatric Association www.hpakids.org, author of Child Health Guide and The Vaccine Guide, and father of five children. Visit his website, www.cure-guide.com to register for a free newsletter with pediatric updates.
  Chat topic: Attention, ADD, and Behavior Problems in Children. Holistic pediatrics provides a wide range of approaches and treatments for managing attention dysfunctions (distractibility, impulsivity, poor focus control) as well as behavior problems (tantrums, Tourettes) in children. There is no need to treat children with stimulant or antidepressant medications with their attendant dangers. Dr. Neustaedter will field all questions on assessment, home management, nutritional supplementation, school management, and holistic treatment.
• June 14, 2006 - Rachel Gathercole is a freelance writer, the proud mother of two fantastic, homeschooled children, Saul (8) and Sadie (4) and author of the Mothering article Homeschooling's True Colors. Come join Rachel for a casual chat all about homeschooling.
• June 7, 2006 - Hathor the Cowgoddess lives in the middle of urban sprawl with her dearest super-husband and three wee and wise kids. She has had an unassisted birth in the middle of her 700 square foot apartment, she breastfeeds on demand and in public, she shares sleep, maintains constant contact and unschools. Not only does she do all of this, she does it with grand style and verve. With extravagant and outrageous behavior. And with her trusty sidekick baby in a sling. The raucous exploits of Hathor and her family are produced in comic form on the web and printed in many, many zines and magazines and books, too.
• May 31, 2006 - Amy Lansky--Amy's talks about her journey to try and help her three-year-old autistic son Max, finding the answer in homeopathy. As Max gradually made a complete recovery, she began to study this alternative therapy and eventually became a practitioner herself. Her best-selling Impossible Cure: The Promise of Homeopathy describes the history, philosophy, and science of homeopathic medicine, and includes the story of her son's cure along with dozens of first-person testimonials of cures for a variety of physical, mental, and emotional conditions.
• May 25, 2006 - Cynthia Good Mojab -- Cynthia Good Mojab, MS, IBCLC, RLC, CATSM is a clinical counselor, international board certified lactation consultant, author, researcher, and speaker. Through her private practice, LifeCircle Counseling and Consulting (LLC) she offers a blend of psychological and lactation services to women and health care providers, in person and by phone. In this chat, Cynthia talked about grieving breastfeeding losses, including the loss of expected breastfeeding experiences, the loss of direct breastfeeding (exclusive pumping), and the complete loss of breastfeeding.
• May 17, 2006 - Randall Neustaedter OMD -- Dr. Neustaedter has practiced holistic medicine for more than thirty years in the San Francisco Bay area, specializing in child health care. He is a licensed acupuncturist and Doctor of Oriental Medicine, as well as education director of the Holistic Pediatric Association www.hpakids.org, author of Child Health Guide and The Vaccine Guide, and father of five children. Visit his website, www.cure-guide.com to register for a free newsletter with pediatric updates.
  Chat topic: Allergies, Eczema, and Asthma. These problems can be managed with holistic medicine, eliminating the need for antihistamines, steroids, and other suppressive drug treatment. Children with asthma are being overtreated with toxic medications that do nothing to address the underlying problem. Dr. Neustaedter discusses how diet and natural parenting methods can prevent these problems, and how holistic medicine can treat them effectively.
• May 3, 2006 - Hathor The Cow Goddess -- Hathor the Cowgoddess lives in the middle of urban sprawl with her dearest super-husband and three wee and wise kids. She has had an unassisted birth in the middle of her 700 square foot apartment, she breastfeeds on demand and in public, she shares sleep, maintains constant contact and unschools. Not only does she do all of this, she does it with grand style and verve. With extravagant and outrageous behavior. And with her trusty sidekick baby in a sling.
  Hathor is the completely true product of the imagination of Heather Cushman-Dowdee, an outraged (because she might look distracted but she is paying attention! ) mama who has done almost all of the above (that part is autobiography)... except for the part that she totally makes up (those parts are wishful thinking). The raucous exploits of Hathor and her family are produced in comic form on the web and printed in many, many zines and magazines and books, too.
• Apr 27, 2006 - Cynthia Good Mojab -- Cynthia Good Mojab, MS, IBCLC, RLC, CATSM is a clinical counselor and international board certified lactation consultant. She researches, writes, and speaks about issues related to psychology, culture and the family—particularly as they relate to breastfeeding. Through her private practice, LifeCircle Counseling and Consulting, LLC), she offers a blend of psychological and lactation services to women and health care providers—in person and by phone. Cynthia is the founder and moderator of LactPsych, an international email discussion group for dual professionals whose work significantly addresses lactational psychology. She is a member of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and is certified in acute traumatic stress management. She sought these credentials because of her concern about the impact of traumatic birth on maternal and child mental health and development. She is also a member of the Ask the Experts panel on Mothering magazine's website, answering questions about maternal mental health and breastfeeding. In this Mothering Live Chat, “The Hardest Job You’ll Ever Love: Myths and Facts about Maternal Stress and Depression,” Cynthia will talk about depression and its symptoms, myths that can keep mothers from getting the help they need, strategies for coping with the everyday stresses of mothering, and resources for support and more information. Although her talk focuses on mothers, much of the information is also relevant to fathers as they cope with their own or their partner's stress or depression.
• Apr 19, 2006  - Randall Neustaedter, OMD -- Dr. Randall Neustaedter has practiced holistic medicine for more than thirty years in the San Francisco Bay area, specializing in child health care. He is a licensed acupuncturist and Doctor of Oriental Medicine, as well as education diretor of the Holistic Pediatric association www.hpakids.org, author of Child Health Guide and The Vaccine Guide, and father of five children. Visit his website, www.cure-guide.com to register for a free newsletter with pediatric updates.
  Chat topic: Vaccinations: The Controversies and Dilemmas. Questions on vaccines, challenging the underlying theory of vaccination and the advisability of the vaccine strategy, providing parents the option of a truly informed decision given the potential toxicity and risks and benefits of vaccines.
• Apr 5, 2006 - Hathor The Cow Goddess -- Hathor the Cowgoddess lives in the middle of urban sprawl with her dearest super-husband and three wee and wise kids. She has had an unassisted birth in the middle of her 700 square foot apartment, she breastfeeds on demand and in public, she shares sleep, maintains constant contact and unschools. Not only does she do all of this, she does it with grand style and verve. With extravagant and outrageous behavior. And with her trusty sidekick baby in a sling.
  Hathor is the completely true product of the imagination of Heather Cushman-Dowdee, an outraged (because she might look distracted but she is paying attention! ) mama who has done almost all of the above (that part is autobiography)... except for the part that she totally makes up (those parts are wishful thinking). The raucous exploits of Hathor and her family are produced in comic form on the web and printed in many, many zines and magazines and books, too.
• Mar 29, 2006 - Amy Rothenberg ND - Get a natural medicine perspective on your health related questions about mother & child. Amy Rothenberg, ND, has had a family practice in naturopathic medicine for the last 20 years. She graduated from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine and is a popular speaker and writer on subjects of natural medicine for both professional and lay audiences. She teaches a program in classical homeopathy through the New England School of Homeopathy and is a frequent contributor to Homeopathy Today. Her husband and partner in practice, Paul Herscu ND is the author of the best selling Homeopathic Treatment of Children, which describes some of the more common constitutional types in pediatric practice and which is based on their years working together treating children. You can read more about her work at www.nesh.com.
• Mar 15, 2006 - Randall Neustaedter OMD -- Dr. Randall Neustaedter has practiced holistic medicine for more than thirty years in the San Francisco Bay area, specializing in child health care. He is a licensed acupuncturist and Doctor of Oriental Medicine, as well as education diretor of the Holistic Pediatric association www.hpakids.org, author of Child Health Guide and The Vaccine Guide, and father of five children. Visit his website, www.cure-guide.com to register for a free newsletter with pediatric updates.
  Chat Topic: "Immune Strengthening for Kids with Recurring Winter Illnesses."
• Mar 8, 2006 - Cathe Olson -- author of the Mothering articles "Wellness Model in Our Schools" and "Slow Food in Schools." Cathe is a wife and mother, as well as a writer and natural foods cook. She is the author of Simply Natural Baby Food and The Vegetarian Mother’s Cookbook. Cathe has had several articles published in Mothering as well as other magazines as well as local publications. Cathe is passionate about helping parents make healthy food choices for themselves and their families and serves as MotheringDotCommune's Nutrition and Good Eating Moderator. She is a frequent speaker at parenting classes, moms’ clubs, natural foods stores, libraries, and wellness centers.
• Mar 1, 2006 - Hathor The Cow Goddess -- Hathor the Cowgoddess lives in the middle of urban sprawl with her dearest super-husband and three wee and wise kids. She has had an unassisted birth in the middle of her 700 square foot apartment, she breastfeeds on demand and in public, she shares sleep, maintains constant contact and unschools. Not only does she do all of this, she does it with grand style and verve. With extravagant and outrageous behavior. And with her trusty sidekick baby in a sling.
  Hathor is the completely true product of the imagination of Heather Cushman-Dowdee, an outraged (because she might look distracted but she is paying attention! ) mama who has done almost all of the above (that part is autobiography)... except for the part that she totally makes up (those parts are wishful thinking). The raucous exploits of Hathor and her family are produced in comic form on the web and printed in many, many zines and magazines and books, too.
• Feb 22, 2006 - Marilyn Milos -- Founder and director of the National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers (NOCIRC) and coordinator of the International Symposia on Circumcision, Sexual Mutilations, and Genital Integrity. Marilyn received the California Nurses Association's award and the Nurse Week Nursing Excellence Award 2001 for Patient Advocacy.
• Feb 15, 2006 - Dr. Larry Cohen -- Lawrence J. Cohen, Ph.D., is the author of Playful Parenting and a licensed psychologist specializing in children's play and play therapy. He is also the co-author of Best Friends, Worst Enemies: Friendship, Popularity and Social Cruelty in the Lives of Boys and Girls, and Mom, They're Teasing Me: Helping Children Solve Social Problems. His treatment innovations have included the first groups in the country for husbands and boyfriends of sexual abuse survivors, as well as one of the first therapy groups for male survivors of sexual abuse.
• Feb 8, 2006 - Hathor The Cow Goddess -- Hathor the Cowgoddess lives in the middle of urban sprawl with her dearest super-husband and three wee and wise kids. She has had an unassisted birth in the middle of her 700 square foot apartment, she breastfeeds on demand and in public, she shares sleep, maintains constant contact and unschools. Not only does she do all of this, she does it with grand style and verve. With extravagant and outrageous behavior. And with her trusty sidekick baby in a sling.
  Hathor is the completely true product of the imagination of Heather Cushman-Dowdee, an outraged (because she might look distracted but she is paying attention! ) mama who has done almost all of the above (that part is autobiography)... except for the part that she totally makes up (those parts are wishful thinking). The raucous exploits of Hathor and her family are produced in comic form on the web and printed in many, many zines and magazines and books, too.
• Feb 1, 2006 - Judith Lothian and Charlotte DeVries - Judith and Charlotte are the authors of The Official Lamaze Guide: Giving Birth with Confidence The topic of their chat is "Building Confidence and Erasing Fear in Childbirth". Judith Lothian is a nurse and childbirth educator with more than 30 years of experience. She is an associate professor at Seton Hall University College of Nursing and is a member of Lamaze International’s board of directors. Dr. Lothian is a nationally recognized speaker on birth and breastfeeding, a columnist for The Journal of Perinatal Education, a mother of five and grandmother of six. Charlotte DeVries is a journalist, past president of Lamaze International's board of directors, and a current board advisor. She works alongside her husband, a sociologist, on childbirth and midwifery research and education. She also writes a newspaper column on life as a working mother of three.
• Jan 26, 2006 - Randall Neustaedter OMD - Dr. Randall Neustaedter has practiced holistic medicine for more than thirty years in the San Francisco Bay area, specializing in child health care. He is a licensed acupuncturist and Doctor of Oriental Medicine, as well as education diretor of the Holistic Pediatric association www.hpakids.org, author of Child Health Guide and The Vaccine Guide, and father of five children. Visit his website, www.cure-guide.com to register for a free newsletter with pediatric updates.
• Jan 18, 2006 - Miriam Peskowitz - Miriam is the author of "The Truth Behind the Mommy Wars: Who Decides What Makes a Good Mother" and speaks publicly about motherhood, motherjudgment, and motherwork. With Andrea Buchanan, she's the cofounder of MotherTalk forums held around the country to get moms together and get us talking about social change. She is the mom of second grade Samira and a new daughter expected in mid-December. Her work has been featured on TV, radio, internet, and print media, iincluding CNN, NPR, www.playgroundrevolution.com , and at her Motherhoood Blog.
• Jan 12, 2006 - Sarojni Mehta-Lissak is a freelance writer, poet and fiction writer from Long Beach, California, where she lives with her husband and ever-changing daughter. She frequently writes on motherhood, adoption, parenting, beauty, and natural living topics and derives great satisfaction from exploring life through her craft. Her work has appeared in Wild Violet, Midwifery Today, FamilyTravelFun.com, Moondance.org, Awakened Woman, Mother Verse and Holt International Magazine, as well as at her website sarojnimehta-lissak.com. Sarojni will be chatting with us on how to create a peaceful and soothing home for ourselves as parents and for our families.
• Dec 14, 2005 - Sarah Buckley -- Sarah is a trained GP (family MD), with qualifications in GP-obstetrics and family planning, and a writer on pregnancy, birth and parenting. She is the author of the Mothering article "The Hidden Risks of Epidurals" and will be chatting about the darker side of this oft-prescribed birth pain medication.
• Dec 8, 2005 - David Albert -- David is a homeschooling dad, writer, storyteller, and author of three books about homeschooling: Have Fun. Learn Stuff. Grow. Homeschooling and the Curriculum of Love (Common Courage Press, in Press); Homeschooling and the Voyage of Self-Discovery (Common Courage Press, 2003); and And the Skylark Sings with Me: Adventures in Homeschooling and Community Based-Education (New Society Publishers, 1999); editor of a book about his Indian parents The Color of Freedom (Common Courage Press, 2005); as well as two books about the uses of storytelling, The Healing Heart~Families and The Healing Heart~Communities (New Society Publishers, 2003). He writes a regular column – “My Word! – for Home Education Magazine, and a second column – “What Really Matters” – with Joyce Reed, for The Link. His work has appeared in scores of magazines and journals worldwide, ranging from Life Learning Magazine to the Journal of the American Philosophical Society. As founder of New Society Publishers, he was both editor and publisher of John Taylor Gatto’s Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling, and more than a 100 other titles. He was also a founding member of Co-op America and the National Association of Socially Responsible Businesses.
  David lives in Olympia, Washington with his wife and partner Ellen and younger daughter Meera (age 15). His older daughter Aliyah (18) is an undergraduate at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, majoring in music composition. He holds degrees from Williams College, Oxford University, and the University of Chicago, but says the best education he ever received he gets from his kids. When he is not learning with and from children, writing, making music, or raising funds for community development projects in south India, he serves as Senior Planning and Policy Analyst for the Washington State Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse. David is also an active member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and moderator of the Quaker Homeschooling Circle.
  Visit his website at www.skylarksings.com or write him at david@skylarksings.com.
• Dec 2, 2005 - Sally Blakemore & Candace Walsh -- Mothering staffers, Candace and Sally, recently attended the Equality Now's Fourth Annual Meeting of the Fund for Grassroots Activism to End Female Genital Mutiliation in Nairobi, Kenya. Come chat with Sally and Candace to learn more about this vital issue that affects African mothers and daughters daily and for a lifetime and to find out what you can do to help.
• Nov 30, 2005 - Cynthia Lair -- Cynthia graduated as a Certified Health and Nutrition Counselor from the Health and Nutrition Program (NYC) in 1987. A member of the Nutrition faculty at Bastyr University , School of Natural Medicine , since 1994, she has written articles for many publications, including Mothering Magazine. She has lectured and taught cooking classes for parenting organizations, medical practitioners, special interest groups throughout the Pacific NW and Canada . The revised edition of her popular cookbook, Feeding the Whole Family was released in January 1998 and has sold over 25,000 copies. Her latest book is Feeding the Young Athlete: Sports Nutrition Made Easy for Players and Parents was released in 2002. Her website is www.feedingfamily.com. Cynthia will be presenting a chat on breakfast foods.
• Nov 16, 2005 - Cheryl Tallman -- Fresh Baby is the inspiration of two sisters, Joan Ahlers and Cheryl Tallman, who found it difficult to identify all-natural alternatives for healthy and hassle-free feeding when raising their children. That brought them to establish Fresh Baby. Cheryl and Joan volunteer their time speaking to groups of new parents on subjects such as introducing solid foods, making baby food, and raising a healthy eater.
• Nov 9, 2005 - Hathor the Cowgoddess lives in the middle of urban sprawl with her dearest super-husband and three wee and wise kids. She has had an unassisted birth in the middle of her 700 square foot apartment, she breastfeeds on demand and in public, she shares sleep, maintains constant contact and unschools. Not only does she do all of this, she does it with grand style and verve. With extravagant and outrageous behavior. And with her trusty sidekick baby in a sling.
  Hathor is the completely true product of the imagination of Heather Cushman-Dowdee, an outraged (because she might look distracted but she is paying attention! ) mama who has done almost all of the above (that part is autobiography)... except for the part that she totally makes up (those parts are wishful thinking). The raucous exploits of Hathor and her family are produced in comic form on the web and printed in many, many zines and magazines and books, too.
• Nov 2, 2005 - Sherri Tenpenny - Dr. Tenpenny is a respected expert in the area of alternative medicine. Locally she has lectured at both Cleveland State University and Case Western Reserve Medical School on topics related to alternative health. Nationally, she is a regular guest on many different ratio talk shows, and has published articles in magazines, newspapers and internet sites, including the extremely popular www.mercola.com. As a member of the prestigious National Speaker's Association, Dr. Tenpenny is an outspoken advocate for free choice in healthcare, including the right to refuse vaccination. As an internationally known speaker, she is highly sought after for her ability to present scientifically sound information regarding vaccination hazard, warnings that are rarely portrayed by conventional medicine. Most importantly, she offers hope through her unique treatments offered at OsteoMed II for those who have been vaccine-injured.
• Oct 26, 2005 - Sara Bingham - Sara Bingham completed a BA in Linguistics and a BA in Psychology as well as an honours post-graduate diploma as a Communicative Disorders Assistant. She is mom of two signing wee ones: Joshua, age 5 years, and Sabrina, age 2 years. She currently teaches at Durham College within the Communicative Disorders Assistant program and has been studying American Sign Language (ASL) since 1991 with the Canadian Hearing Society and at the Bob Rumball Centre for the Deaf.
  Sarah established "Wee Hands", classes that teach parents how to use American Sign Language with their babies. The classes have a strong focus on language development and provide parents with activities that help them teach their babies ASL vocabulary and include language development strategies.
  Sara also hosts our weekly "Signing with Babies" chat here on Mommy Chats on Thursdays!
• Oct 19, 2005 - Bee Lavender is a writer, editor, publisher, and activist. After living in the Pacific Northwest for thirty-three years she moved to England, where her office is a canal boat mooored on the River Cam. Her books include the anthologies Breeder and Mamaphonic. Her most recent book is a memoir about danger titled Lessons in Taxidermy. Bee is the publisher of the online edition of Hip Mama and created and publishes Girl-Mom, an advocacy website for teen parents, and Yo Mama Says, a news and commentary website for activists.
• Oct 13, 2005 - Kelly Bonyata is an international board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC), and a member of the International Lactation Consultant Association and the Florida Lactation Consultant Association. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Mercer University, with majors in mathematics and physics, and previously worked in the field of environmental assessment and remediation. Kelly is the owner and originator of kellymom.com, an internationally recognized website providing breastfeeding and parenting information to professionals and parents. She stays up-to-date with the latest research on lactation, infant nutrition and infant development so that she can provide parents and professionals with the most current information available.
• Oct 7, 2005 -  Dr. Jack Newman graduated from the University of Toronto medical school in 1970, interning at the Vancouver General Hospital. He did his training in paediatrics in Quebec City and at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto from 1977-1981, to become a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada in 1981 as well as Board Certified by the AAP in 1981. He has worked as a physician in Central America, New Zealand and South Africa. He founded the first hospital based breastfeeding clinic in Canada in 1984. He has been a consultant for UNICEF for the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, evaluating the first Baby Friendly Hospitals in Gabon, the Ivory Coast and Canada.
  Dr. Newman was a staff paediatrician at the Hospital for Sick Children emergency department from 1983 to 1992, and was, for a period of time the acting chief of the emergency services. However, once the breastfeeding clinic started functioning, it took more and more of his time, and he eventually worked full time helping mothers and babies succeed with breastfeeding. He now works in several clinics around the city of Toronto.
  Dr. Newman has several publications on breastfeeding, and in 2000 published a help guide for professionals and mothers on breastfeeding, called, Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding in Canada (revised edition, January 2003), and The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers in the US. In 2005, he and others brought out a DVD for breastfeeding called Dr. Jack Newman’s Visual Guide to Breastfeeding.
• Sept 28, 2005 - Dr. Linda Folden Palmer is a widely recognized author and speaker specializing in nutrition of pregnancy, lactation, and childhood, and in infant health and bonding. She is dedicated to raising awareness about how powerfully early parenting and healthcare choices can influence a child's mental and physical outcomes. Dr. Palmer is the author of Baby Matters, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Caring for Your Baby. Extensively documented, this book presents the scientific evidence behind attachment parenting practices, supporting baby's immune system, and sparing drug usage. She reveals important considerations in infant nutrition and discusses the seldom-recognized frequency of food intolerance symptoms, even in breastfed infants.
• Sept 7, 2005 - Michael Franti, Visionary musician, filmmaker and human rights worker, Michael Franti brings you the 7th Annual 911 Power to the Peaceful Festival (PTTP) at Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Power to the Peaceful has been produced as an annual series of free, outdoor community music and arts festivals since 1999. The PTTP experience blends international musicians, regional and local artists and renowned speakers in a festival atmosphere.  In addition to the main stage, the festival features an open-air art gallery of visual artists, a healing arts tent offering massage and yoga, guerrilla theater, a DJ tent, green commercial vendors (including Mothering magazine) and food booths, an eco village, kid's zone, bicycle coalition, recycling program and a diverse array of social, environmental and political organizations tabling. Chat with Michael about the festival, his music, the issues of our times, natural parenting or green living.
• Aug 24, 2005 - Katie Field...Katie is a Work-At-Home-Mom to Alexander 3.5 Dominic 15 months, and also a passionate babywearing advocate. She feels babywearing helps the bonding process as well as a help in adjusting to a new life for mom, dad, and baby. She is also the owner of Little Ants Inc., a web-based business selling diapers, wooden toys, baby carriers and other children's products, and she is the regular host of Mommy Chats' weekly Babywearing chat.
• Aug 3, 2005 - Sarah Buckley, trained GP (family MD), with qualifications in GP-obstetrics and family planning. Sarah is also a writer on pregnancy, birth and parenting. Topics which Sarah has researched and written about include ecstatic birth; epidurals and other drugs in labour, ultrasound and prenatal diagnosis; third stage of labour and lotus birth; extended breastfeeding; co-sleeping; elimination communication (raising babies without diapers/nappies); healing power of birth; yoga and motherhood; fertility awareness and gentle discipline. Sarah encourages us all to listen to our hearts and our intuition, and to claim our rightful role as the real experts in pregnancy, birth and mothering.
• Jul 26, 2005 - Elizabeth Pantley, author of " The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night" and "The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers".
• Jul 20, 2005 - Katie Granju, mother of three children, and author of Attachment Parenting: Instinctive Care for Your Baby and Young Child. A popular writer and speaker among the attachment parenting community, she has addressed a number of topics including: The politics of breastfeeding, Attachment parenting school-age children, Parenting teenagers, Feminism and motherhood, and How to make it as a freelance writer.
• Jul 6, 2005 - Peggy O'Mara - Editor and Publisher of Mothering Magazine and www.Mothering.com .
  Peggy's taking time out from her ever busy schedule to come say hello to the Mothering community! Come chat with her about pregnancy, birth, and family concerns, activism ideas, and other topics of Mothering interest.
• Jun 29, 2005 - David Kirby, author of "Evidence of Harm". The book was a catalytic element in bringing the autism / thimerosal connection to the forefront. As a journalist, Mr. Kirby has proved a credible and immensely helpful ally to autism activists. And apparently, he’s got the opposition running scared: last week Dr. Paul Offit, a prominent critic of the autism / thimerosal connection, refused to appear with Mr. Kirby on MSNBC to discuss the topic. On behalf of the parents of autistic children, whom he credits with “keeping this story alive”, Mr. Kirby has issued an open invitation “to discuss the evidence of harm from thimerosal with anyone, anywhere, at any time.” To that end, David Kirby appeared last week on the Montel Williams Show, on MSNBC’s “Connected,” and in a Don Imus radio interview, in addition to two days of briefing politicians on Capitol Hill.
• Jun 23, 2005 (Bonus chat!) - Sarah Bridges, mother, author, and autism activist. A biological psychologist by training, Sarah's involvement in vaccine advocacy began when her now 11 year old son was severely brain damaged at four months of age after receiving the whole cell pertussis shot. He is one of only 1,800 children that the government has officially acknowledged in Vaccine Court as being vaccine injured. Thus, the government will pay for his lifetime care, which is conservatively estimated at a of cost nine million dollars. Don't miss this chance to chat with Sarah, a mom who challenged convention, took on the government, and won, on behalf of her son.
• Jun 22, 2005 - Christine Gross-Loh: Author of Mothering articles "Hold Me Close", "Babywearing Tips", and "Don't Trash Our Bodies! Researching Breastmilk Toxins" Christine Gross-Loh completed her doctorate in East Asian history at Harvard University. Her chat topic: "Swimming Upstream in a Mainstream World" - helping moms follow their mothering instincts in a society which doesn't support AP values.
• May 31, 2005 - Joe Kelly, President of Dads and Daughters. DADs is a national advocacy, nonprofit organization that inspires fathers to actively and deeply engage in the lives of their daughters and galvanizes fathers and others to transform the pervasive cultural messages that devalue girls and women. Joe will be talking to us about mom, dad, and daughter relationships, particularly about the acculturated concept of dads as fumbling and inadequate and the unspoken, unacknowledged dynamic of dad abdicating to mom, making life harder for both, and for the kids.
• May 24, 2005 - Peggy O'Mara, Editor and Publisher of Mothering Magazine and Mothering.com.
  A casual, community chat about pregnancy, birth, family concerns, activism ideas, and other topics of Mothering interest!
• May 18, 2005 - Lawrence J. Cohen, Ph.D., author of Playful Parenting.
  Larry is a licensed psychologist specializing in children's play and play therapy. Dr. Cohen is also the co-author of Best Friends, Worst Enemies: Friendship, Popularity and Social Cruelty in the Lives of Boys and Girls, and Mom, They're Teasing Me: Helping Children Solve Social Problems.His treatment innovations have included the first groups in the country for husbands and boyfriends of sexual abuse survivors, as well as one of the first therapy groups for male survivors of sexual abuse. All of his work -- with children, parents, couples, abuse survivors, and families -- has pointed him towards writing about human connections.
• May 10, 2005 - Paul Fleiss, MD.Paul Fleiss is the doctor you always wanted to have. Trained as a pharmacist, an osteopathic physician, and a medical doctor, Fleiss is a well-respected pediatrician who has been in practice for more than 35 years. He is the author of Sweet Dreams: A Pediatrician's Secrets for Baby's Good Night's Sleep and What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Circumcision and has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. He is known for his expertise in breastfeeding and has been on the Professional Advisory Board of La Leche League (LLL) for more than 2s years. Fleiss has received several research grants to study the excretion of pharmaceutical drugs in human milk and has expertise in herbal medicine. He is a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Southern California und the UCLA Schools of Medicine.
• May 4, 2005 - Marilyn Milos, RN , founder and director of the National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers (NOCIRC) and coordinator of the International Symposia on Circumcision, Sexual Mutilations, and Genital Integrity. Marilyn received the California Nurses Association's award "for her dedication and unwavering commitment to righting a wrong" and "for her work on behalf of children to raise public consciousness about America's most unnecessary surgery" and the NurseWeek Nursing Excellence Award 2001 for Patient Advocacy.
• Apr 26, 2005 - Peggy O'Mara - Editor and Publisher of Mothering Magazine and www.Mothering.com .
  Peggy's taking time out from her ever busy schedule to come say hello to the Mothering community! Come chat with her about pregnancy, birth, and family concerns, activism ideas, and other topics of Mothering interest.
• Apr 14, 2005 - Lizzie Martinez - author of the Mothering article "Enjoying My Daughter With Down Syndrome". Lizzie is an activist, artist, and mother to Nasrine who has Down Syndrome. She's a hip mom who uses holistic therapies such as Tui Na, craniosacral therapy, yoga, diet and supplements to help her daughter reach her fullest potential. Lizzie will be talking about her experience with these therapies and how they have helped and continue to help Nasrine.
• Apr 6, 2005 - Gary Ruskin - Executive Director of Commercial Alert. Commercial Alert is a nonprofit organization that protects children and communities from commercialism. Commercial Alert’s mission is to keep the commercial culture within its proper sphere, and to prevent it from exploiting children or subverting the higher values of family, community, environmental integrity and democracy. Gary founded Commercial Alert in 1998 with Ralph Nader. He is also director of the Congressional Accountability Project, which opposes corruption in the U.S. Congress. He discusses recent victories against the commercialization of childhood.
• Mar 23, 2005 - Joshua Golin - author of Mothering article, "Does Coke Money Corrupt Kids' Dentistry?" Joshua Golin, MA, is the action coordinator for the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and is a graduate student in child development and urban and environmental policy at Tufts University. Josh discusses the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry's acceptance of financial support from Coca-Cola.
• Mar 23, 2005 - Michele Simon - author of Mothering article, "Thirst For Profit" - Michele Simon, JD, MPH, is a public health lawyer and founder and director of the Center for Informed Food Choices, a nonprofit organization based in Oakland, California, that educates about the politics of food. Michele discusses the topic of her article - how the marketing of Coke and Pepsi in schools hurts kids and what you can do about it.
• Mar 17, 2005 - Barb Berst Adams - author of Mothering article, "Ode to the One Room School House" Barb Berst Adams is a freelance writer and author of Micro Eco-Farming: Prospering from Backyard to Small Acreage in Partnership with the Earth, New World Publishing. In her Mothering article "Ode to the One Room Schoolhouse" Barb examines multi-age classroom learning, showing that children can thrive in the intellectual and social diversity that such a classroom presents. Barb talks about the advantages and challenges of the "one room schoolhouse".
• Mar 9, 2005 - Diane Wood, Executive Director of New American Dream. New American Dream is an organization committed to helping Americans consume responsibly to protect the environment, enhance quality of life, and promote social justice. New American Dream works with individuals, institutions, communities, and businesses to conserve natural resources, counter the commercialization of our culture, and change the way goods are produced and consumed. Ms. Wood worked for World Wildlife Fund for fifteen years and was Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean, where she developed and managed an $18 million conservation program. A former Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay, she has served on numerous non-profit boards, including the President's Enterprise of the Americas board for the past ten years. Working directly with the President of CNAD, Diane helps to develop strategy while managing programs and staff at the Center. 
• Mar 2, 2005 - Theresa Bellville - of Little Turtle Knits.
  Theresa, a Work At Home Mom, is an avid cloth diaperer and has been making and selling soakers for over five years. She carries her enthusiasm for cloth diapering and knitting through her business and into the online communities she actively participates in as well as to those around her, advocating and educating moms and moms-to-be about the fun and ease of cloth diapering and soakers. For more information on Theresa and her Little Turtle Knits visit www.littleturtleknits.com.
• Feb 16, 2005 - Nancy Cowles - Executive Director, Kids In Danger. Kids In Danger is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting children by improving children's product safety. KID's goal is to create a secure environment for children by ensuring that safer products are manufactured, improving recall effectiveness, and encouraging parents and caregivers to remove dangerous or recalled products from homes and childcare centers.
• Feb 2, 2005 - Liz Perle - Editor-In-Chief, Common Sense Media. Common Sense Media ia a national organzation formed by concerned parents who believe that by sharing good common sense ideas we can create healthy media diets for our kids and a powerful voice that speaks up for responsible entertainment. A twenty year publishing veteran, Liz is responsible for the overall editorial leadership of Common Sense Media. In addition to her experience editing and marketing books, Liz authored the critically acclaimed When Work Doesn't Work Anymore: Women, Work, and Identity. She is a graduate of Yale University.
• Jan 26, 2005 - Cynthia Lair - Author, Feeding The Whole Family. Cynthia Lair graduated as a Certified Health and Nutrition Counselor from the Health and Nutrition Program (NYC) in 1987. A member of the Nutrition faculty at Bastyr University, School of Natural Medicine, since 1994, she has written articles for many publications, including Mothering Magazine. She has lectured and taught cooking classes for parenting organizations, medical practitioners, special interest groups throughout the Pacific NW and Canada . The revised edition of her popular cookbook, Feeding the Whole Family was released in January 1998 and has sold over 25,000 copies. Her latest book is Feeding the Young Athlete: Sports Nutrition Made Easy for Players and Parents was released in 2002. For more information on Cynthia Lair and her books, visit www.feedingfamily.com.
• Jan 19, 2005 - Lauren Feder, MD - Because of concerns about mercury in flu vaccines and the side effects of antibiotics, many parents are turning to homeopathy and natural medicine to treat flu and cold symptoms. Dr. Feder is a specialist in homeopathy for children, adults and pregnancy. She is the author of "Your Child Has The Flu: What's A Mother To Do?" in the Jan/Feb 2005 issue of Mothering. Join Dr. Feder to learn how to let the gentle healing of homeopathy ease your family's suffering through the winter months.
• Jan 12, 2005 - Annie Feighery - Discussed ways that moms can succesfully earn a living without having to leave their children. Annie Feighery is an anthropologist, writer and mother of two. She is the author of "Off To Work We Go - Baby In Tow!" from the Jan/Feb 2005 issue of Mothering. Find out more about Annie Feighery at www.sustainablefamily.com.
• Jan 6, 2005 - Karen Salt - Karen Salt is a childbirth educator and birth assistant (or doula) who has been actively assisting families as they embark on the parenting journey for over ten years. A former Co-Chair of the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS), Ms. Salt is actively involved in assembling research on the immense benefits-physical, mental, and spiritual-of doulas, and the positive healing energy of birth. She is the author of three books on pregnancy, birth, and parenting, including the recently released, A Holistic Guide to Embracing Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood: Wisdom and Advice from a Doula.
• Dec 15, 2004 - Rob Williams - Marketing threatens your children's psychological integrity. The best protection? Education. Children's media literacy Rob Williams will discuss how to teach your children not to be manipulated by marketing. Rob is board president of the Action Coalition for Media Education, an international organization devoted to critical media-literacy education, independent media production, and grass roots media reform. He is also the author of "The Making of A Media-Literate Mind" in the November/December 2004 issue of Mothering.
• Dec 8, 2004 - Unfortunately, the speaker has asked that the transcripts of this chat not be posted.
  Daphne White - Daphne answered your questions and discussed the how and why of choosing nonviolent, noncommercial toys this holiday season. Daphne is the founder of The Lion and Lamb Project, an association dedicated to helping parents, industry and government officials recognize that violence is not child's play. She is also the author of "From War Chests to Toy Chests" in the November/December 2004 issue of Mothering.
• Dec 1, 2004 - Peggy O'Mara, Publisher and Editor of Mothering Magazine.
• Nov 17, 2004 - Mary Romaniec, Parent counselor on practical steps parents can take to aid in their children's improvement and recovery from autism and author of "Daniel's Success Story" in the September/October 2004 issue of Mothering.
• Nov 10, 2004 - Nathanael Schildbach, Homeschooling father and author of "A Homeschool Primer" in the September/October 2004 issue of Mothering.

• Oct 27, 2004 - Barbara Loe Fisher, President of the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) and author of "In The Wake of Vaccines" in the September/October 2004 issue of Mothering.

• Oct. 12, 2004 - 1st Mothering Sponsored Chat, with Peggy O'Mara, Publisher and Editor of Mothering Magazine. (2 pages)