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UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO A COCK UP WITH MY DOMAIN NAME, THE FOLLOWING LINKS ARE NO LONGER WORKING. PLEASE BEAR WITH ME WHILE I FIX THIS. THANKS. 


A Nose Bag of Posts from The Mule:

Birth:

Lately this blog has gone a bit 'birthy' - most likely because I'm gigantically pregnant, heading up The Positive Birth Movement and editing a book about Water Birth. 

Here are some of my most popular birth related posts:

Stop Googling Your Birth Options, and Hop Up on the Bed, Dear

Overdue? Desperate to Avoid Induction? This Method Really WORKS!

Should We Be So Very Scared of Giving Birth?

My Search for Birth Freedom in a Climate of Fear and Mistrust

Cut Me Open or Send Me Home: The Lottery of Maternity Care

"Positive, Empowering Birth? Sounds Like Bullsh*t to Me!"

Do We Dare Teach Our Daughters the Truth about their Bodies?

"They Let Me" Go Overdue

Becoming a Mother: The Wallpaper of Fear


I also write about...

Breastfeeding:

While I Nurse You To Sleep

What Kind of Woman Breastfeeds a Toddler?

The Art of Stillness: Breastfeeding Statues

And The Biggest Breastfeeding Obstacle Of All Is...Bad Advice!

A Response to the Time Cover: What's Behind the Grumet Bashing?

Creating a Ritual for Weaning at Four

The Human Pacifier

Just For Comfort


Gentle, Responsive Parenting:

Babies Don't Need 'Attachment Parenting', But They Do Need 'Responsive Parenting'

Responsive Parenting: Why Tantrums Matter

Everybody Hurts: Ten Ways to Help Children Grow Into Adults Who Cope

'Childism' - As Utterly Unacceptable as Racism and Sexism

Never Mind Feminism - Let's Challenge Our Anti-Child Attitudes

Love Is The Answer: Ten Creative Ways to Strengthen Attachment

A Chorus of Approval: How to Help Your Child Build A Whole Tribe Of Positive Inner Voices

Just Being There


Sleep, or Lack of It:

Dear Daughters - I'm Sick of You Waking Me Up!

How do YOU 'Self-Soothe'?

Crying It Out - The Damage We Can Measure, The Damage We Can't

Crying It Out - What Feels Wrong, IS Wrong


Pink for Girls / The Sexualisation of Children

Dolled Up: Products That Sexualise Our Children

Girly Pink


Post Baby Bodies

Acceptance Nude

"What's Good About This?": Reframing Our Post Baby Bodies


'Stay At Home' Mothers

Dear Nick Clegg, Do You Know the Implications of Childcare?

Reclaiming Motherhood: When Staying at Home Means Having It All

Reclaiming Motherhood: What Is The Value of a Mother?


Posts I Like that Nobody Reads

Operation Stack

CBeebies Guilt

Hasta La Vista, Nostalgia!

Toddler Tourism

Pre-School: Demons and Ghosts


Parenting Sonnets

I Lie With You Until You Are Asleep

Sometimes I Pass The Place Where We Once Lived







Popular posts from this blog

The Visual Birth Plan from the Positive Birth Book

If you've already seen the beautiful positions for labour artwork by the amazing Kate Evans that feature in the Positive Birth Book, you'll be pleased to know that our collaboration goes much further! I've been in love with Kate's art and imaginative flair ever since I read her amazing book Bump , so I nearly passed out with excitement when publishers Pinter and Martin agreed to commission her not just to do these amazing illustrations, but to collaborate with me on a much bigger part of the book - the Visual Birth Plan, or VBP. I've loved the idea of a Visual Birth Plan ever since I saw birth plans made from little icons floating around on social media a couple of years ago. These little icons are pretty simple and basic, wouldn't it be better if the icons were more suited to every birth choice, and more beautiful, I thought?! I know there are arguments to be made about birth plans 'per se', and I'm not going to go into those here - suffic

'Childism' - As Utterly Unacceptable as Sexism and Racism

In the past few decades, mankind has had to shake up their attitudes about a number of things. It is no longer considered to be 'ok' to degrade, humiliate, taunt or insult another human being on the grounds of their sex, race or sexuality. It still happens of course, but it is not considered acceptable. Make a sexist or racist joke down your local pub and you might get away with it. But post an image on Facebook that derides another human being, and you're likely to be reported or even prosecuted. That is, unless that image is of a child. Then it's ok. These images have been doing the rounds this week. Most commenters seem to agree that they are 'hilarious': "Comedy Gold' "Gave me a smile - thanks" "A bit of humour" "I just love this!" I beg to differ. The children in these pictures look sad, and humiliated. At a time when they clearly need help to sort out their sibling rivalries and calm their emotional

While I Nurse You To Sleep...

While I nurse you to sleep...  I.. . rest .   For the first time today, I am still.  I am not lifting, carrying, holding, bending, reaching, stretching, scrubbing, wiping, hauling, or lugging. Here in this dark room I lie beside you and allow my body and mind to come to stillness after the chaos of our day. You suck, and tug, you fiddle, and fuss...and slowly come to stillness too, until we both are still, and both are resting...I wait, momentarily, and then, I slowly slide away and leave you sleeping. While I nurse you to sleep... I...take stock. I turn over in my mind, the contents of the fridge, the washing on the floor, the money in the bank. I count up the years I've had so far and the years I might have left. I work out how old I will be when you are the age I am now - thirty seven - seventy two. I hope I make it. I count the eggs you already have in your body and those I have in mine and I wonder at the people they may become. I think about the person I was before I met