Parenting Choices

My husband and I are doing a few things that are a little different from many of our Texas friends. Some of our choices have even made our moms raise their eyebrows. So what are these controversial choices? We are using cloth diapers, I wear my baby in a sling for at least an hour each day and I'm breast feeding even though I'm back at work! That last one isn't controversial but does come up a bit in conversation.

So, how did we come to these decisions? Well, breast feeding was the easy one. I knew that as long as I was physically able to I would breast feed and thanks to the support system in place it's been much easier than I expected. The hospital where baby was born has a lactation consultant on staff and when we were on the pediatric floor dealing with jaundice they provided a pump and were very supportive. It also helps that my insurance paid for my home pump thanks to Obamacare. I also have a flexible job and a private office which make things easier!

As for cloth diapers, probably the one that gets the most questions, I liked the cost savings, environmental aspect and that they are cute! I have a few friends who use cloth and so I registered for a few and when I got them at my first shower I decided to commit! The husband was on board as long as I showed him what to do. So far we love our cloth! I did spend more to get all in ones that would be the simplest to use, no stuffing or pinning required! The big issue for people seems to be the poo, but because of breast feeding its not a big deal and the laundry really hasn't been all that much work yet!

Lastly, baby wearing. I like the idea of being close to baby while still getting things done. I like walking around with her and having conversations and pointing things out to her. I also like that she spends less time on her back which helps to prevent flat head syndrome.

One thing that most proponents of those top three do that we aren't is cosleeping. I just can't sleep with baby in my bed. In fact, I sleep best when she is in her room and not our room!

There is a lot of parenting advice out there from extreme attachment parenting to the Baby Wise folks and what we have found is that we just have to do what comes naturally and what feels right to us. Almost everyone has an opinion on what is best but, unfortunately, there is no one size fits all way to raising kids!