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Do you BF/Formula?
breastfeed
If BF, how long for (or self wean?)?
first breastfeed, bilby was 2.5 hours old
she is 2.5yrs now
plan to stop when she self weans
Use Disposables or Cloth?
Modern cloth nappies until 28 months, when she tt-d using cloth trainers.
in that time, we flew interstate for two nights, three days, used MCN the whole time, proved to myself i could do it without disposables. Easier than i thought (if you prepare for it).
Co-Sleep?
first 12 months yes
after that, intermittent. now? from about 2am onwards. first sleep is in her single bed.
Baby Led Solids?
i tried that, didn't really get it, wasn't well enough (PND) to really give it a good enough go. but loved the idea.
Also......
Why Did you start using cloth?
environmentally, i knew i had to at least research it, whilst pregnant. once i found out, there was no napisan or buckets of heavy water involved, i was VERY keen.
What did you start doing first?
i bought mcn to use on my nb, whilst pregnant.
i undertook education to learn how to bf whilst pregnant.
i did both of them, as soon as baby arrived.
breastfed on first day (despite hospital wanting to give her formula)
had her in her first mcn on day five (due to dh not co-operating about bringing the mcn into hospital, after the homebirth didn't eventuate as planned)
Did you find one thing led to another?
to me, i was just focussed on doing what i felt was right for my baby, the most nurturing things i could do for her, as my gift to her. that overtook what other people might say.
Did you find that by doing one you spoke to other mother doing the others and were encouraged/inspired to try?
the mums i met, who were using mcn, most of them gave me bf-ing advice too. but i didn't get the feeling, that if i DID formula feed, that they would disaprove or anything, they were very accepting and welcoming. e.g i do vaccinations, and i still feel welcome, amongst a group of mostly non-vaccination parents.
that group, also contained many mums who used baby wraps/carriers - which i didn't use (i had four types to try), due to what happened to me physically during labour. Also contained mums doing EC with their bubs - which i didn't do either, for same reason. But come toilet training time, i used EC principles to TT my child, they were brilliant. i loved hearing about the EC journeys my friends were on, with their children. Learnt so much from listening.
that group of people, who were so supportive of me learning about attachment parenting, also led me to exploring Steiner/Montesorri education, imaginative toys, natural fibre clothing and shoes, organic food and body products.
so there WERE and ARE many ongoing linkages i think. For me it all comes under the umbrella of "attachment parenting". Not being restricted by a label, but being free to pick and choose, the parts that suit YOUR family.
I totally agree. I found FF SO much more difficult than BF - i know i had an easy time establishing BF compared to many, and the benefit of an easy birth (which was luck, not skill) so we were both coming to it in the best possible place to learn, but i was totally unprepared for that feeling when you've been out longer than planned and you can SEE how hungry they're getting. I'm sure i'm not the only mum who had to buy a carton of readymade FF and a new single bottle and *pray* that the super hot water you used to wash the bottle with in some public or friend's sink will be enough to stop them getting anything... And that is BEFORE i had to deal with the guilt i felt over the loss of my milk. It was hard to FF. Practically, emotionally and financially. Hard.
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