"From the journey down the birth canal to afternoons at the park, a child will register every experience in the circuitry of his or her brain. Whenever a mother strokes her baby, whenever a father plays with his daughter or son...

You would like to breastfeed your adopted baby, or one born with a surrogate or gestational carrier? Wonderful! It is not only possible, it is fairly easy and the chances are you will produce a significant amount of milk. It is not complicated, but it is different than breastfeeding a baby with whom you have been pregnant for 9 months.

Are you considering or have you adopted a child from another culture? Parenting an adoptive child presents unique set of circumstances. Cross-cultural adoption presents further challenges. Authors Amy Coughlin and Caryn Abramowitz offer some important Do's and Don'ts as you get started.

Adoption can give a couple the opportunity to experience the joys of parenthood; it can give a child a stable, loving home. What can it do for the birth mom? Enjoy this adoption story from the perspective of a birth mom.

I gained too much weight too quickly between my 5th and 7th weeks, so I've started to watch how much I eat and exercise. It's really helping! Plus, it helps that I'm not starving every half hour. I think my body is getting used to being pregnant. I can't believe I'm 8 weeks tomorrow!

QUESTION

Dear Midwife,
This might be a little long but I need your help. I am 15 years old and I am in a 1 year relationship with a guy I love. My family likes him, too! We have been having sex for a few months. But about a month or 2 ago we stopped using a condom (neither of us have had any other partners) and I am now about a week late for my period. I'm not sure which time it was that I may have got pregnant so I don't know if I can take a pregnancy test yet will it work if i take it now?

When a women finds out she is pregnant, her life will never be the same again no matter what choice she makes. Take some time to let the initial shock settle. Start by confirming your pregnancy, having an ultrasound and meeting with a counselor to discuss your situation.

So between my husband thinking "Zeus" is the only suitable name for our son, and that every other name is a "chump" name, we are still clueless as to what this little guy is going to be called. *Sigh* Back to the drawing board..