Thread: Is there anyone out there like me?

I was 19 when I had my DD, so technically a teen mum - a young mum at the very least. I didn't know at the time that the way I raised my baby had a name, it just felt right.

I'm a breastfeeding, cloth nappy advocating, baby wearing, co-sleeping, organic, hippy mum. Is there anyone out there who, like me, chose not to leave their new bubba to cry, or chose to "go green" in spite of ignorant comments about making life difficult for ourselves? Are any of you young mums?

I don't even know anyone who breastfed past the first week (apart from my own mum), let alone anyone who carried their baby round everywhere for the first few months. Everyone I know with kids seemed eager to get the babysitters/nursery nurses in asap!

Sarah
(atatchment parenting/BF for 11 months now)

Hey Sarah.

Welcome.

Whilst I cant claim to be just like you I was/ am also a young Mum. I had Cariad just after I was 18 she will be 3 next month!
I used cloth nappies for a period and I used to carry her everywhere with me in the first few months. She used to co sleep with me when her father was away on deployment but when he was around she slept in her moses basket right by my side but on the floor. But when she started sleeping thorugh the night she went into her own room as I had to go out to work in the evenings and it was easier that way.
I have to admit since divorcing her father she has spent most of her time in Nursery because I have had no choice but to go out and work full time. But she loves it there and has come on so much.

Just thought Id say hello as I kinda was like you and Im a young Mum.
Sorry for rambling on.

Kizz x

helo. i believe in attachment parenting and try to live in a green /organic way. I especially love cloth nappies :agree

but i am old!(31 )

Originally posted by aileen@Jul 21 2005, 10:36 AM
helo. i believe in attachment parenting and try to live in a green /organic way. I especially love cloth nappies :agree

but i am old!(31 )

:agree but If you're old Aileen, I'm ancient (37) :bleh

helo. i believe in attachment parenting and try to live in a green /organic way. I especially love cloth nappies

but i am old!(31 )

Me too......although my littlest is about to leave the cloth nappy realm forever
I try my hardest to be an AP mum...it is very hard sometimes though....
And I am older than you, Aileen......33 :shocked :laugh
Love
Sarah xXx
:bleh

Lol, nothing against being "old", I hope to get there too one day.

Sorry for the cheek, but you all asked for it! I'm not massively surprised that most of you are older than me, like I said I guess it's rare for a teen mum to go this route. I don't understand why there isn't more information about attatchment parenting out there.

It's only the last couple of weeks that I even realised there was such a thing or that that was what I'd been doing for nearly a year. My HV was very unsupportive and I haven't heard any advice/comparisons from any mums except mine for at least 6 months!

I only know two parents of tots full stop and they're both about as far from my parenting choices as it's possible to be.

SO... Nice to meet you all. I hope we'll be friends. :agree

Sarah

PS; Kizz, get in touch - I'd love to chat! No, wait, all of you!

Hi, I'm def not a teen mum - i'm a very old nearly 38y mum!!!! But, i am still bfing Hannah 14 months, co sleeping, slinging, cloth nappying, bath sharing, and generally eco friendly!! We were given lots of baby stuff (cot, pram, bouncy chair) when Hannah was born, and then in the hospital after her birth i just couldn't put her down, it didn't seem right so i held her all night, slept in the hospital bed with her ( had to pretend i was feeding her everytime a nurse came by!&#33 and carried on from there. The baby stuff is all still boxed up in the spare room (except the pram which grandma somtimes uses) and we are a very happy little family I don't know many other APers locally, but our hv has been really great and so supportive esp with extended bfing.
Hope to chat to you more,
Love September xx

Another old hippy here, lol! I'm annie and 36. I bf my first boy for 13 months, and am still feeding my second at one year. I use (and make and sell&#33 cloth nappies as well. We don't usually co-sleep any more, unless Elijah wakes in the night and I fall asleep feeding him. I wore my first baby but my health makes it difficult this time.
Both me and hubby are complete eco-warriers.
Hope to chat soon.
annie

Well Jenna only co-slept for 3 months, then for another 3 the second half of the night. And we use the pushchair a lot - but I carried her everywhere for five months.

I first heard the term "attatchment parenting" a week ago in an ivillage forum, I had never even heard of slinging and the front carrier we were lent was sadly deficient! I have since made us a wrap and I cannot understand why this wasn't the first thing my HV ever demonstrated to me!

I had a baby who didn't want to be put down and even after I'd made it clear I didn't want to leave her to cry I was just told off every time the HV visited. Instead of being directed to attatchment parenting groups and shown how to make a simple sling I was scolded for spoiling her.

Why does this still happen? I have only just even realised that I was making the right choices for us - even after 11 months there was still some guilt there. I can see now I was just being given bad advice but back then I felt I was letting her down by giving in when she cried.

At 11 months I hardly ever have to carry her, she is walking and won't let me. She sleeps the night through in her own bed and is in the process of self-weaning despite my preferences.

She is talking (about 10 words now) and points, waves, shakes her head for "no", and plays peekaboo with her blankets. I can't for the life of me see what I was worrying about.

I hope more young mums find this site and others like it before they too are made to feel like bad parents for loving their babies.

Sarah

Hi Sarah, I'm not a teen mum (28) but my experience of attatchment parenting has been so similar to yours. I just did what felt right and came naturally, never leaving Mia to cry, always feeding on demand, carrying her and co-sleping. I was often warned that I would 'spoil' her and was 'making a rod for my own back' but i honestly don't believe that giving your baby unconditional love, time and communication can be a bad thing.

She's 11 months old now and sometimes sleeps with us and sometimes sleeps in her cot, we're pretty relaxed about bedtime, (she usually has a bath and goes at the same time each night but if she's not tired she stays up and plays until she is) She's such a character and always wants to be read to! She's plays peepo with a blanket, says mama, dada and duck and is just about taking her first steps.
So many parents seem obsessed with 'Gina Ford' style routines.....so it's great to hear about other people taking a more relaxed approach too! ***