Early Parenting
Parenting Styles and Attachment Parenting
Parenting is, among other things, a journey. It’s a process of learning, practicing, messing up, forgiving, adjusting, and refining. There is not one right way to parent, though I think we can also admit that there are wrong ways (think abuse and neglect, as extreme examples). So how can we make sure that we’re doing the best we can for our kids? Exploring general parenting styles is a great place to start. Many parents follow one of two approaches. They either copy what their own parents did, or they try to do the complete opposite. In either case, basing your parenting on what you experienced as a child may not…
Breastfeeding as a Parenting Tool
I’m sure you’ve heard it before. There are so many benefits to breastfeeding! From health benefits for baby and mom, to optimal nutrition, to cancer risk reduction, breastfeeding is pretty amazing. It also helps babies’ brains develop better, and it’s convenient. Those are all great reasons to breastfeed. There’s another great reason, which is often overlooked, and that’s the way that breastfeeding is an excellent parenting tool. It actually makes day-to-day life easier for moms and families in several different ways! Nursing bonds moms to their babies. Not only does nursing help mom and baby bond together, but it specifically bonds the mom to the baby. It causes chemical reactions…
Newborn Care Choices
Although parenting begins as soon as you discover you are pregnant, your parenting choices begin most dramatically at birth. In those first few hours and days, and the days and weeks leading up to them, you must make many decisions about your baby’s care. In hospital births, there are procedures that are often done routinely, which you may want to consider refusing. Even in home births, you must make decisions about how you want your baby treated immediately after birth. As you prepare for your baby’s birth, you may want to consider writing a Baby Care Plan to give to your care providers, which will help ensure that your wishes are known…