Attachment Mommying

Photo: The morning after a very, very long night.

There are lots of ways to parent. Mine was to nurse a child with severe GERD around the clock. To sing to him, walk with him, carry him in my arms (even the carriers were too uncomfortable for him most of the time), and most importantly, to sleep with him. I let him cry it out for a few minutes a couple of times, but I knew it was wrong for us, and I brought him back to bed. As Dr. Sears says, the essence of attachment parenting is to get behind the eyes of your child. Had I left him to cry in those first few weeks and months, or if I had weaned him early, as many suggested, I would have left him to suffer in pain and confusion. Pain from the reflux and confusion about why no one came for him or comforted him in the way he needed.

This isn't a pat on my own back and I'm not looking for any. I've made many, many mistakes. But as Mother's Day approaches, I'd like to put it in writing, for what it's worth, that young babies and children expect us to be there for them. I wouldn't have it any other way. If anyone out there in the blogosphere is struggling with a high need baby tonight and trying to attachment parent, you keep it up. There will be a turning point and you and your child will be rewarded.