Attachment Parenting is a philosophy based in the practice of nurturing parenting methods that create strong emotional bonds, also known as secure attachment, between the infant and parent(s) This style of parenting encourages responsiveness to the infant or child's emotional needs, and develops trust that their emotional needs will be met. As a result, this strong attachment helps the child develop secure, empathic, peaceful and enduring relationships.
The Eight Ideals of Attachment Parenting.
- Prepare for Pregnancy, Birth, and Parenting
- Feed with Love and Respect (includes breastfeeding until age 2 and beyond)
- Respond with Sensitivity (includes responding each time baby is crying and distressed)
- Use Nurturing Touch (includes "wearing" baby in soft carrier rather than using a pram)
- Engage in Nighttime Parenting (includes co-sleeping, sleeping with baby in parent's bed)
- Provide Consistent and Loving Care (includes avoiding frequent or prolonged separations)
- Practice Positive Discipline (includes teaching child to make positive choices based on stage of development)
- Seek Balance in Personal and Family Life (includes making time for the couple and encouraging fathers parenting)
georgie
34 Comments
Mother's milk is the finishing touch to rounding off a new baby. It contains everything the baby needs in terms of nourishment and, perhaps more importantly, protection from illness.
After a while, mothers milk changes. When the baby is sufficiently nourished, the taste changes to one the baby does not like. This is natural and is necessary.
Forcing a child to feed from the breast after the taste of the milk becomes unpalatable, would be nothing short of cruelty.
In any case, I agree that forcing a child to breastfeed when they don't want to any more would be cruel and probably psychologically damaging, unless it was so early that they risk malnutrition.
If mothers continue to have children, then they might continue to breastfeed without the milk changing. Perhaps a three year old on one side and the newborn on the other!
Anyway .. my daughter is 21 months and I am still breastfeeding - she has 12 teeth. I will breastfeed her until she self-weans.
I breastfed my sons, well into 2½ years ....
However to end, I think that it is not that certain mother's can't breastfeed as to rather a case of the support structures out there being so poor that it does not facilitate the breastfeeding experience.
At the end of the day, whatever works for you - is what you make peace with ... regardless of what other's say.
I am constantly treated with disgust when people find out that I am still breastfeeding my 21 month old ... tough on them ... it works for my daughter and I and that is all that matters!!
Anyway, what I find really interesting is how charged people get about it. If there were a clear link between long-term breastfeeding and harm, I could see that there might be reason to argue; but that someone would freak at a party because someone else was living in a way that differed from theirs strikes me as self-righteous and intolerant, and emotionally damaging.
I would have the opinion that once a child can hold / feed itself - that is the time to let go of the nipple! Its natural to see a young baby feeding from the breast, an eight year old just weird.
http://www.newsandstar.co...iewarticle.aspx?id=328277
on a related note..do any blokes find it awkward when they stumble across a woman breastfeeding..you dont know where to look...especially when they look at you and know your thinkin "move the head...move the head..damn kid"
As for thinking "move the head..." I would hope they would understand ;P
I think breast feeding does raise significant debate these days, which is the main reason I posted this article. The companies that produce infant formula would like us to believe that their product is just as healthy as mother's milk, and they go to great lengths to promote their products in American hospitals with free giveaways to new parents. Coupled with not enough breastfeeding support, as mentioned by enigma, I can understand why many new moms struggle and eventually turn to the bottle, either all the time or when needed. Breastfeeding can be hard work.
Mark and VS brought up the notion that people do feel conflicted about breastfeeding in public, especially of young children. It's interesting that some people feel uncomfortable with what seems to be a sexual undertone of this behavior. Attachment specialists might say that a child continuing to nurse at mother's breast would indicate a close, attentive and loving relationship where the child would experience mother as a secure, consistent base from which to explore the world. Some might also argue that breastfeeding longer may make it more difficult for children to wean as they get older, or as they are displaced by the arrival of a new sibling.
Anyway the things u do to give your child the best possible start in life....cause i could of given in and just put her on formula but i didn't want to as breastmilk is THE BEST food for a child for the first 12 months or so of their life...
AND i really came here to see what Mark comments were cause I knew he would have written something that would be pervy LMAO and yep I wasn't disappointed!!!! LMAO
THERE IS NOTHING ABSOLUTELY WRONG WITH EXTENDED BREASTFEEDING!! in fact, I give '' all'' nursing mothers my 100%support!!
Hey you know AdGuy always gets the last word! ;)