I am a huge advocate for breastfeeding. It's something I believe every mother should do. It brings you closer to your baby and it's the most perfect food for them. Here are some awesome and just plain great reasons for breastfeeding.
These are in no particular order and some of them are responses from friends when asked why they chose to breastfeed.
#1-I'm lazy. I love my sleep and the idea of getting up in the middle of the night just does not appeal to me.
#2-I'm poor. When I see what formula costs and try to figure how many containers a month that would be. It just boggles my mind.
#3- Breast is best. Okay I know this a little cliche, but when you think about it what better food for a baby than one that specifically designed for them and not just mass produced along a production line.
#4- That's what God made these things for.
#5- My kids have less illnesses.
#6- It reduces my chances of getting breast cancer. Having a grandmother who died of this I thought this a good reason
#7- You lose weight faster. Now this didn't happen for me, but as a disclaimer I become a bottomless pit while I'm breastfeeding. Just ask my husband I east enough to feed a family of elephants.
#8-I have the perfect excuse to hold my baby and let nobody else touch them for about 30mins.
#9-Their poop doesn't smell as bad.
And the one I find to be probably the funniest and most accurate reason
#10 The FDA can't recall my boobs for traces of bug parts, animal feces, or other misc foreign objects. (A big thanks to my friend Jess for this one). How accurate!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
What is Attachment Parenting???
What really is attachment parenting? I believe it's different for every family and every person in that family. The simplest definition I can come up with is; it's the exact opposite of the cry it out method. If my baby cries I hold them and attempt to fix the problem no matter what it is.
Most everything else I do stems from the fact that I wanted to practice an attachment parenting lifestyle. I didn't know that's what it was called when I started. I just knew I didn't like the way my sister's children behaved with the cry it out method.
I co-sleep because I breastfeed and I notice that my children sleep better through the night(so do I for that matter). It is a very rare mother who will actually roll over onto her child and not wake up. Once you've had a baby your body kind of reprograms itself. It also makes breastfeeding easier. There is no padding to the babies bedroom then to the kitchen in the middle of the night. I am already there and readily available for my babies needs.
At first I practiced baby wearing because who really has that many hands as a first time mother. My daughter literally wanted to be held all of the time and I just could not stand to put her down. Yes I know she wouldn't die from being put down, but remember I want my child to know I'm there for them. A friend of mine uses slings and I had just happened to find one. That thing has saved my sanity a number of times. I'll never be without one as a mother or even a babysitter. They are great for children from birth up to about 4yrs. Now that depends on the mother the child and the stability of the sling. The best thing for a fussy baby on busy days. I still have my hand to get work done and also am holding my dear one and attending to their needs.
We don't have a set bedtime for the little ones. No this does not mean they run wild all night. We have a wind down time with bedtime stories and cuddle time, in mommy and daddy's bed. Then our daughter head to her bed and our son stays with us.
To me breastfeeding is the ultimate form of attachment parenting. It releases all those hormones that make you love your baby more and baby feels your warmth. They know you are there to provide for them. Their nourishment doesn't come from some random person in a bottle. This is not saying that bottle feeding moms can't practice attachment parenting. I just believe it is so much easier when you breast feed.
Remember the very basic principle for me of attachment parenting is responding to my child's needs(at any age) and accommodating them.
Most everything else I do stems from the fact that I wanted to practice an attachment parenting lifestyle. I didn't know that's what it was called when I started. I just knew I didn't like the way my sister's children behaved with the cry it out method.
I co-sleep because I breastfeed and I notice that my children sleep better through the night(so do I for that matter). It is a very rare mother who will actually roll over onto her child and not wake up. Once you've had a baby your body kind of reprograms itself. It also makes breastfeeding easier. There is no padding to the babies bedroom then to the kitchen in the middle of the night. I am already there and readily available for my babies needs.
At first I practiced baby wearing because who really has that many hands as a first time mother. My daughter literally wanted to be held all of the time and I just could not stand to put her down. Yes I know she wouldn't die from being put down, but remember I want my child to know I'm there for them. A friend of mine uses slings and I had just happened to find one. That thing has saved my sanity a number of times. I'll never be without one as a mother or even a babysitter. They are great for children from birth up to about 4yrs. Now that depends on the mother the child and the stability of the sling. The best thing for a fussy baby on busy days. I still have my hand to get work done and also am holding my dear one and attending to their needs.
We don't have a set bedtime for the little ones. No this does not mean they run wild all night. We have a wind down time with bedtime stories and cuddle time, in mommy and daddy's bed. Then our daughter head to her bed and our son stays with us.
To me breastfeeding is the ultimate form of attachment parenting. It releases all those hormones that make you love your baby more and baby feels your warmth. They know you are there to provide for them. Their nourishment doesn't come from some random person in a bottle. This is not saying that bottle feeding moms can't practice attachment parenting. I just believe it is so much easier when you breast feed.
Remember the very basic principle for me of attachment parenting is responding to my child's needs(at any age) and accommodating them.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Intro
My first post so that you can get to know a little about me. I am a wife and mother from NE Ohio. We live on a small farm. It is approximately 2acres. We raise mainly goats and chickens, but also have ducks, turkeys and the occasional calf. We have a pet Alpaca named Joey who lives with the goats.
We plant a garden each year and harvest from it for our food. This is something my husband and I have done our whole lives and continue to do.
We homeschool, breastfeed, homebirth and cosleep. We practice attachment parenting.
I am a spinner and crocheter. These are my favorite hobbies.
I will be talking about all of these topics and more in this blog. This is not only about our life's but my beliefs. I will try to keep up with this. I hope you enjoy.
We plant a garden each year and harvest from it for our food. This is something my husband and I have done our whole lives and continue to do.
We homeschool, breastfeed, homebirth and cosleep. We practice attachment parenting.
I am a spinner and crocheter. These are my favorite hobbies.
I will be talking about all of these topics and more in this blog. This is not only about our life's but my beliefs. I will try to keep up with this. I hope you enjoy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)