Attachment Parenting: Nurturing a Secure Attachment with your Baby
That tiny little hand wrapped around your thumb. That indescribable scent of that downy-soft head. That feeling of warm, sweet breath against your skin. The sound of the little sighs and coos. As a first time mother, I couldn't get enough of holding my baby. I was amazed at how how deeply connected I felt to my child, how powerful my maternal instinct was, how strongly I desired to be near and nurture my little one.
Attachment Theory: An Introduction
Have you heard that old advice: "It doesn't really matter, a baby won't remember that anyway"? It's ok, the baby won't remember being separated from you after birth. Don't fret, a baby won't remember crying alone in the crib for an hour or two. Don't worry, the baby won't remember that you left for that weekend getaway. Well, research has shown that while the baby may not consciously remember those moments of separation, they will affect her. How we interact with our newborns does matter, and, in fact, it matters a great deal.
Attachment Parenting: How We Got There
These are some things I believed about myself and my children before I became a mom: I would breastfeed on a schedule, for my children needed to adhere to my routines and schedule. My children would sleep in our room for a short time, then sleep in their own room, and we would sleep-train them to sleep through the night. My children would never be allowed in on our bed, for our bed was sacred. I would discipline my children firmly and physically when needed. Then, I became a mom. My children were breastfed on demand their first year of life and well beyond. My children slept in our…
Breastfeeding is Great; Breastfeeding On Demand is Even Better
Two days after Levi was born, I was in that strange place where sleep-deprivation, physical exhaustion, and blissful elation coincide. We had been home for about twenty-four hours, and we were adjusting fairly well to breastfeeding, but I was feeling unsure about how often and when to feed him. Scheduled Breastfeeding? When I was pregnant, I had been recommended a book that advocated for scheduled breastfeeding. It was important, the book argued, that the child adhered to the parents’ schedule and not the other way around. Having known very little about breastfeeding, I thought, sure, that sounds like a good plan — feed the baby every two or three hours…
The Milky Way – A Documentary
Do you have an hour and a half to spare? If so, and you are hoping to breastfeed, skeptical about breastfeeding, are currently breastfeeding, feel as though you failed at breastfeeding, or simply are interested in learning how parenting affects culture, I want to recommend a documentary to you that had a powerful impact on me. When I was pregnant with my second child, I watched this documentary. It found me in a stage of vulnerability and doubt, at a time when I was wrestling with whether or not to wean my toddler, struggling with the cultural stigmas associated with extended breastfeeding. This documentary engaged me, informed me, frightened…
