Beliefs and values.

When I had a new baby the world of attachment parenting was new to me, and while it felt normal to me it didn't seem that was the case with others. I struggled with the fact that I differed from family, and friends and that my parenting style could be labeled as "extreme" in some people's eyes. I felt I needed to justify what I did and why I did it. I felt passions I never knew I had and a desire to prove to my family and friend's that this way of parenting was OK, more than ok, it was great and our family was benefitting huge.

I found that some were supportive and some were receptive and others were downright rude, critizing and condesending. A few friendships ended and a few blossomed but it was important to me that people know who I am and what my values are. Over time I learned I didn't have to justify anything, that friends that were really friends would stick by and not judge and I would do the same for them. I learned that no one benefits from making a mother feel inadequate, no one makes choices lightly and everyone loves their kids and basis their decisions on that. I learned to believe in myself and the way I parent 100% and I learned not to judge.

The things I feel passionately about have not changed. I believe in attachment parenting, in gentle parenting, in treating your child as an equal. I believe in natural childbirth and the fact that woman are strong, and deserve choices about their births. I believe in breast feeding, natural weaning, co-sleeping. I believe in support for every woman, and I believe in respect for mothers who make different choices.

I have never had passions like this before and when they were new it was overwhelming. At times I wanted to scream to the world that I was so happy to discover this about myself and at other times I felt like crawling under a rock and hiding because I felt so different. Now I don't feel so different, I feel normal, this is just me. I never wanted to be anymore more than a mother, and this all just feels so right.

<3