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    You are here: Home / Parenting / How I Came to the Conclusion that I am Pro Attachment Parenting

    How I Came to the Conclusion that I am Pro Attachment Parenting

    Published: Mar 4, 2015· Modified: Mar 21, 2015 by Jen Brenan · This post may contain affiliate links .

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    Before I had my babies I did not have a parenting philosophy or style in mind. I didn’t even think about what kind of parent I would be. Many women research and figure this out ahead of time and that’s great, but I really did not. I guess I believed I would figure it out as I went along.

    I was open to whatever parenting techniques worked for me. I wanted to find what works for me and take what I can from it and leave what does not. Sure, I had heard of attachment parenting but I thought it was just this weird hippy thing. Ha. While I did prepare during pregnancy for the birth of my first baby I was not set on having a specific type of birth. I was definitely of the ‘as long as the baby is healthy’ mind set when it came to my birth experience.

    attachmentparenting

    I never planned to follow attachment parenting, but as I have found out who I am as a parent I find I relate to it the most. I mean two kids later and I write a breastfeeding blog because I am passionate about breastfeeding; what does that say?

    Even at this point in time I have never said “I am an attachment parent,” but I have come to the conclusion that I am definitely pro attachment parenting.

    How did I come to this conclusion? It’s simple really, by following my instincts.

    Contents hide
    1 What does attachment parenting mean?
    2 Attachment parenting principles
    3 Preparing for Pregnancy, Birth, and Parenting
    4 Feeding With Love and Respect
    5 Responding with Sensitivity
    6 Using Nurturing Touch (such as skin-to-skin contact and babywearing)
    7 Ensuring Safe Sleep (primarily co-sleeping), Physically and Emotionally
    8 Providing Consistent and Loving Care
    9 Practicing Positive Discipline
    10 Striving for Balance in Personal and Family Life
    11 And this is what led me to my conclusion..

    What does attachment parenting mean?

    It means nurturing a connection between yourself and your children. It means raising them to have empathy and a connection to others. It also means treating them the way we would like them to treat others.

    Attachment Parenting is rooted in attachment theory and has been studied by psychologists and child researchers for many years. This has revealed that infants are born with strong needs to be nurtured and need to remain physically close to their caregivers. When our children’s needs are consistently met during their first years of life they are then better able to grow and develop healthy relationships in their lives.

    Attachment parenting principles

    While I came to my conclusion simply by following my instincts; reading the official attachment parenting principles sealed the deal for me. Below you will find the eight attachment parenting principles:

    Preparing for Pregnancy, Birth, and Parenting

    Yep, I did prepare for pregnancy. I took my prenatals and I was healthy. I went to the doctor and looked at my options. As far as birth? Now maybe I did not prepare the way most think of attachment parenting (I was not set on a pain relief free birth, but I definitely did not want a C-section if possible). I thought I was prepared and I took a birthing class so I think that counts. And I prepared for parenting the best way I knew how at the time…reading everything I could find.

    Feeding With Love and Respect

    I knew I wanted to breastfeed and obviously I have been successful with that goal. My reasons for wanting to breastfeed were really because I had heard the “breast is best” mantra and figured I was going to do what is recommended. I can’t say I had any other strong desires or reasons to breastfeed. It’s not something I actually knew anything about before becoming a parent. Oh how enlightened I have become!

    Responding with Sensitivity

    I have always responded to my babies with sensitivity. I do not let them cry or believe in things like “self soothing” for them. In my opinion they have always needed me and they will move on to the next stages (like sleeping all night or whatever goal it is) when they are ready.

    Using Nurturing Touch (such as skin-to-skin contact and babywearing)

    I definitely follow this. It’s the only way to keep a newborn happy in my experience. I spend as much time as possible holding and carrying my babies. I love baby wearing.

    Ensuring Safe Sleep (primarily co-sleeping), Physically and Emotionally

    The big one-sleep. Well, I went into this parenting thing expecting to room share/co-sleep with my babies for at least 6 months since that is what the AAP recommends. Attachment parenting recommends a safe sleep environment and being able to meet the needs of your child immediately from what I can tell.

    From the Attachment Parenting International website: Babies and children have needs at night just as they do during the day; from hunger, loneliness, and fear, to feeling too hot or too cold. They rely on parents to soothe them and help them regulate their intense emotions. Sleep training techniques can have detrimental physiological and psychological effects. Safe co-sleeping has benefits to both babies and parents.

    The AP principles do not insist on bed sharing despite what you may have heard. Now it is much easier to take care of a breastfed baby if you share a bed with them, but that is not always practical and safe for every family. I bed shared occasionally but for the most part I room shared/co-slept with my baby right next to my bed in their own safe sleep space.

    I did move my daughter out of our room much sooner than my son but the time felt right for both kids. From what I can tell attachment parenting principles do not have a specific age that you should keep your child with you or move your child.

    Providing Consistent and Loving Care

    This is pretty obvious and I think most parents try to follow this.

    Practicing Positive Discipline

    So far, this is the way I parent. As my toddler gets older she is becoming more defiant and testing my limits. I try to keep in mind that she is just learning and expressing her independence. It is definitely challenging at times.

    Striving for Balance in Personal and Family Life

    I think most parents follow this and would love to have a balance between personal and family life. It’s not always easy but most moms agree it’s pretty important to carve out some time for ourselves.

    ergo

    attachmentparenting

    And this is what led me to my conclusion..

    Being an attachment parent does not mean you have to actually follow a set of rules when it comes to raising your children. AP recommends using your own judgement to create your own parenting style that works for you, while using the AP principles as a guide. Attachment Parenting International has a motto, which I believe I have seen Le Leche League use as well – “Take what works for your family and leave the rest.”

    With any parenting philosophy I believe this is the best advice. I certainly follow this myself.

    So..let me know, are you an attachment parent or do you have a specific parenting style that you relate to more than others?

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    Comments

    1. Lo

      March 4, 2015 at 12:25 pm

      I related so much to this post, Jen! Like you, I also didn’t pre-research (or had any idea) what kind of mother I’d be. As far as the birth, I had ALWAYS said ‘hell no I don’t want to feel pain. Bring on the drugs’. And then my turn came and I educated myself. And all that I learned about a natural, intervention-free birth and attachment parenting just made such perfect sense to our family that whether we labeled it or not, it was our path. It’s what my instinct told me to do, and it’s what works for us. Great post!

      Reply
      • Jen

        March 4, 2015 at 3:00 pm

        Hi Lo,

        Yep, I am not really into labels myself but I know a lot of women wonder what attachment parenting is exactly so I decided to write the post. I think for many moms just following our instincts leads us towards it naturally. Thanks for commenting and your feedback!

        Reply
    2. Leslie

      March 18, 2015 at 10:23 am

      Although I am far from perfect at it, I definitely believe in the ideals of attachment parenting. I breastfed all my babies for an extended amount of time, took them with me everywhere, and slept with them to a greater or lesser degree. I now have big kids and it is interesting to witness others who were less “attached” to their infants and toddlers “helicoptering” over their big kids.

      Reply
      • Jen

        March 18, 2015 at 10:43 am

        Hi Leslie! That is an interesting perspective about the “helicoptering” over bigger kids! I am definitely not perfect at it either, just something that felt natural following my instincts. Thanks for commenting!

        Reply
    3. Maria

      April 9, 2015 at 1:35 pm

      Hi Jen –

      This is an awesome site! I looked through everything here, just because. 🙂 I have a 12 year old daughter, but I nursed her for a year after she was born, and I loved it! I am definitely pro-breastfeeding and couldn’t agree more with you on being a pro-attachment parent. I didn’t know I was using a specific parenting style until I read this post. The principles you listed have all been used by me and those who were allowed to take care of my daughter. I think that’s the only way to raise a child – with love, nurturing, and understanding.

      Reply
      • Jen

        April 9, 2015 at 4:48 pm

        Hi Maria,

        Thanks for stopping by and looking through everything! I didn’t really think of myself as having a specific parenting style either. In fact, I still don’t love labels but I think there are some misconceptions on what attachment parenting is, so that’s why I wrote this. Thanks again for your input!

        Reply
    4. Gloria

      May 12, 2015 at 9:53 am

      Thanks for the tips. I am a new mom and reading this will surely be helpful to me and my baby.

      Reply
      • Jen

        May 12, 2015 at 10:01 am

        Hi Gloria,

        Thanks for your comment! I hope it is helpful 🙂 Congrats on your new baby.

        Reply

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