What side area of parenting caught your interest?

[reu]

What side area of parenting caught your interest?

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Some people are interested in cloth nappies, some like breastfeeding, others weaning, sleeping, slinging etc.

What area caught your interest, why, and where did that interest take you?

[Artemis]

Re: What side area of parenting caught your interest?

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Good question... Well I really love and am interested in breastfeeding. After a c/esction it was the one thing that I felt I did well and easily - everything else hurt. But when I was feeding her, we were both just fine!.... It was a little tough in the beginning but I was determined to do it, especially after reading an article in the New Scientist mag about the negative effects of c/sections of maternal/infant bonding. I knew that perservering with breastfeeding and being committed to it would help to negate some of those really hairy first few moments.

Lately my interests have turned to soaking up as much info as I can about birthing... why.. well due to having had a c/section previously I want to be as informed as I can to have a happier and healthier outcome for our next birth.

[Bronnie]

Re: What side area of parenting caught your interest?

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breastfeeding of course. then thru this site, baby wearing, cloth nappies etc. tho i did do these things before i found out there were far better wahm products than you can buy in the shop

[Viola]

Re: What side area of parenting caught your interest?

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I LOOVED being pregnant and giving birth. My pregnancy and birth obsession has totally turned our lives upside down and now I am studying nursing to become a midwife

And I couldn't be happier .

Vi

[rakaho]

Re: What side area of parenting caught your interest?

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Are you going to answer too Lisa?

For me - definitely cloth nappies! I am also a big fan of slings as Josh won't have a bar of the stroller if I am around. I'm finding info about breastfeeding very interesting, especially nutritional info, as Josh is getting to the age where people are making comments about it.

[Rach]

Re: What side area of parenting caught your interest?

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BREASTFEEDING!!! And HOMEBIRTHING! And co-sleeping. And then babywearing. And then cloth nappying.

Homebirthing actually came first... I had initially booked into the public hospital system when pregnant with Anna, but intensely disliked how I was being treated like cattle. As soon as I had made a phone call to HMA to enquire about homebirthing info, it was like a big weight had lifted off my shoulders.

Breastfeeding was a real battle at first, it was like someone had sliced my nipples off with a knife. I have only ever seen one case worse than my own experience nearly six years ago (and I have seen a lot of Mums with breastfeeding newborns!) I just wasn't going to accept any other way of feeding my baby other than breastfeeding and was stubbornly determined to do it. Anna then had a breastfeeding strike at 10 months and finally after her last feed early on a Sunday morning, she finally went back on the breast mid-morning Tuesday. She then continued feeding until she was three and a quarter which meant I tandem fed during my pregnancy and beyond Gabrielle's birth in January.

Co-sleeping was a neccessity to get Anna to sleep. She would only sleep for a 20 minute period in her bassinette, which was always next to me, but obviously wasn't close enough. Gabrielle didn't co-sleep as much as she slept for longer periods. She would start in her cot and then come to our bed in the wee hours of the morning. Ben has been with me the whole time from the night before we left the hospital.

Babywearing was a natural thing that followed with a baby that constantly wanted to feed and be carried (Anna). I only later became slightly addicted to slings, thanks to Amanda!

Cloth nappying has been an up and down journey for me, but I finally made the switch to 100% cloth nappying earlier this year, thanks to the inspiration and encouragement from the members on this site!

Whew!!! Look what you started, Lisa! Yet another novella from Rachy!!!

Where has it taken me??? Well, the main two interests are homebirth and breastfeeding. I have been on the committee of HMA (homebirth group) ever since Anna was a newborn and am currenlty having another stint of being the convenor. I am also currently doing my Community Educator (CE) training with ABA (Aust Breastfeeding Assoc) and may possibly continue with my counsellor training. I just want to spread the word and educate the wider community about the benefits of homebirthing/ natural birthing without interventions and breastfeeding.

[hanabi]

Re: What side area of parenting caught your interest?

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Natural childbirth, because I had accessed a birth centre and babywearing , because of the way I observed people getting around with children during my time in Japan. I tried to cloth nappy from the start too but it took me at least six months to learn how to do it and get committed to it.

Now I would say gentle discipline and preserving self esteem are special interest areas - aspects of emotional development.

[reu]

Re: What side area of parenting caught your interest?

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Originally Posted by rakaho

Are you going to answer to Lisa?

Ahh you caught me

Cloth nappies was my first passion. While pregnant I thought I will try really hard to do that, but I will see how I go. I had it pretty easy because the hospital had cloth as the default. So I was taught that and it was really easy to continue it. The only time Jules has worn plastic was when he was in hospital for a febrile convulsion and we used two of the hospital ones. I made my own woollen pilchers then too with my Mums help. My main message I wanted to share then and now is that its really not hard to do cloth.

Then it was support networks. I resurrected the eastern suburbs AP of Sydney. Then when I came up here I was instrumental to getting BAP-northside going. Now I am a part of HAPPY and the BAP committee. My latest support network venture is getting the APA wiki off the ground.
www.attachmentparenting.asn.au

What seems to be developing now is a bit of political action. In trying to contribute to a demonstation to increase birth options. I am motivated because I would like to start TTC around the end of this year, and I wanna labour in water.

I am just waiting for someone to get rebuked for breastfeeding somewhere so that we can do a breastfeed sit in. Or to protest the sexuality of childrens clothing, or the stupid sexual music videos.

Too much energy, and too little housework

[Lavender]

Re: What side area of parenting caught your interest?

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Then when I came up here I was instrumental to getting BAP-northside going.

Really! Instrumental means you did it all by yourself. Is that what you meant to tell everyone!

[reu]

Re: What side area of parenting caught your interest?

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I never was very good at english. Considerable would be a better word.