NPR News

When planning a wedding, couples must make scores of important decisions — from whom to invite to how to pay for it. Even the hardiest of partners can feel a little lost. Author Meg Keene's new book focuses on the meaning of marriage, at least as much as flowers and cake.

Transcript

JENNIFER LUDDEN, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Jennifer Ludden in Washington, sitting in for Neal Conan. In Nigeria, long-held tensions between Christians and Muslims are flaring again. An Islamist sect called Boko Haram, suspected of having links to al-Qaeda, killed at least 185 people in the past week with coordinated bombings in the northern city of Kano.

As baby boomers age and young people struggle to find work, more families than ever before are choosing to pool resources by moving in together. The economic downturn accelerated this already growing national trend toward multiple generations living under the same roof.

The number of women delivering babies at home in the United States has increased significantly, according to the latest government data released Thursday.

Home births increased by 29 percent between 2004 and 2009.

The upward trend is being welcomed by some advocates of home births and midwives, but it's also raising concern among some doctors.