Very often, parents come to me with questions about infant sleep and sleep development, and much of what they've heard is opinion, rumor or myth. There are many sleep books available to parents that are opinion-based, but a serious lack of evidence-based sleep books. Misconceptions about infant sleep development are common, because the field of infant sleep research is limited — most research is focused on one area: behavioral change. The lack of valid information available can be very confusing for parents who want to make an educated choice about how best to help their babies (and themselves!) sleep. To support informed sleep choices that maintain both parenting philosophy and baby's needs, the most common sleep myths are debunked — and clarified — below: MYTH: A baby's sleep patterns are fully developed at birth. The part of the brain that organizes sleep is just beginning to form in baby's first three to six months. This includes the development of...

We recently sat down with Anni Daulter — nutrition extraordinaire, mindful mama of three (plus one on the way) and author — for an inspirational chat about nourishing our children, creating mindful family dynamics, and the much anticipated debut of her book, " Organically Raised: Conscious Cooking for Babies and Toddlers ," available May 25. Tell us about "Organically Raised: Conscious Cooking for Babies and Toddlers." I really want moms to feel like the book is a good resource — not only for recipes, but also for nourishing babies (and families) from day one...

With a long historical tradition in native societies, adoptive breastfeeding (or creating a milk supply for a baby you have not birthed) is becoming more common as women learn that it is possible. For both adoptive mothers and mothers of surrogate babies, breastfeeding is about more than the milk—it's a way to connect at a deeper level with your new adopted baby and contribute to his or her growth beyond the pregnancy. And, with careful preparation, both surrogate and adoptive mothers can induce lactation and breastfeed their children naturally and comfortably. The younger the baby, the...