| When I became pregnant with my daughter, Aubrey, I | | | | Mommas who loved their children enough to listen to |
| was 21 years old, freshly married and scared to death! | | | | their hearts AND their children's cries! I also learned that |
| I read all the books, including the "What to Expect" | | | | my co-sleeping is actually a great way to "attachment" |
| series (even the infant and toddler ones). All these | | | | parent, and is especially good when you are |
| books gave us "one size fits all" kind of parenting | | | | breastfeeding.I was introduced to cloth diapers, which |
| advice.When Aubrey was born, we practiced the "one | | | | at first I thought, "NO WAY; Are people NUTS?"; Well I |
| size fit's all"; parenting advocated by all the books I | | | | know different now. I then began cloth diapering my |
| read. We encouraged her to fall asleep on her on, | | | | then 8 month old little boy. The patterns are so fun, the |
| meaning we let her cry herself to sleep. I also | | | | work is minimal and I know that I am doing just a little |
| encouraged Aubrey to feel comfortable playing alone, | | | | part to save the earth. Not to mention save some |
| and not need me. I did however KNOW that breast | | | | money! Another added benefit to my choosing cloth, is |
| milk was best, and since I did not know that the | | | | my son has extremely sensitive skin, and with cloth |
| resources were out there to seek help to learn HOW | | | | diapers he has had not ONE break out -- not even a |
| to breastfeed, I pumped.Fast-forward 5 years.I | | | | hint of any type of diaper rash.To me Attachment |
| unexpectedly got pregnant with my son. This time I | | | | Parenting is not at all about a set guidelines though this |
| found myself alone. So, instead of reading (yet again) | | | | is the set provided by Attachment Parenting |
| all the more mainstream books, I instead turned to my | | | | International:1. Preparation for Childbirth2. Emotional |
| heart. I searched my heart for the kind of parent I | | | | Responsiveness3. Breastfeed your Baby4. Baby |
| wanted to be. The kind of child I wanted my son or | | | | Wearing5. Shared sleep and Safe Sleeping |
| daughter to be. I was not going to have help this time, | | | | Guidelines6. Avoid frequent and prolonged separations |
| so it had to be something I would understand, stick with | | | | from your baby7. Positive Discipline8. Maintain balance |
| and love, unlike the parenting style I choose with my | | | | in your family lifeWe (as a family) practice several or |
| older daughter.I had no idea about Attachment | | | | most of these guidelines, now. Though like I said, my |
| Parenting. I did not know there was a name for how I | | | | daughter as a baby was not parented this way, so I |
| instinctively parented my son. I just followed heart. I | | | | have a good sense of the exact diffrences in the two |
| was steadfast in my resolve to breastfeed my son. I | | | | children.Why these guidelines are nice to see, they are |
| sought so much help in this. I had issues, just like many | | | | (to me) just that guidelines, to me Attachment |
| other first time nursing mommas. From problems with | | | | parenting is more about Instinctive parenting listening to |
| to much milk, to problems with the pace that my milk | | | | my heart and doing what comes naturally to me, not |
| did flow as well. We struggled, but it was a struggle | | | | about some set of guidelines I "must" follow.Now my |
| that really made me feel good, like I was really doing | | | | son is 22 months old, still and still totally "Attachment |
| the best thing possible for myself and my child. We | | | | Parented," which to me means he is continueing to |
| eventually "got it" and it was/is the best thing in the | | | | co-sleep, nurse, is still being worn on a daily basis, and |
| world for both of us!Then while at a LLL Meeting | | | | still has cute cloth on his little butt every day AND |
| someone was wearing a ring sling. I thought it was | | | | night.He walks, has started talking, and is becoming a |
| amazing to be able to hold your baby AND get | | | | real "little man" (I am sometimes sad to say.) I am |
| something done! So I bought one. This was my first | | | | confident that he is so well adjusted because I was |
| and not my most comfortable, but I learned that I could | | | | and am so steadfast in "my kind of parenting"; and my |
| have my newborn son with me, and still tend to my | | | | beliefs. Jennifer Sprague, co-owner of High Top Baby |
| 5-year-old daughter and get work done around the | | | | Designs. She has several years of teaching |
| house.I searched, high and low, to find the perfect sling | | | | experience, working with infants through adults and |
| for me. I learned how many different types there | | | | has a passion for helping children live happy, healthy |
| were, and decided on how I liked mine best. When I did | | | | and secure lives. Jennifer has been a nanny, daycare |
| not find one on the market that catered to my needs | | | | provider, teacher, and is currently studying to become |
| and wants, I created my own.It was not till then, that I | | | | a Doula and a Lactation Consultant. She enjoys |
| accidentally bumped into the name "Attachment | | | | spending time with her two wonderful children, Aubrey |
| Parenting"; I started reading, and was amazed and | | | | and Zachary. Jennifer is also an advocate for peaceful |
| shocked that there were other mommas just like me. | | | | parenting everywhere she goes. |