October is Attachment Parenting Month and I could not pass up this opportunity to talk about some ways to stay close to your children after they have weaned. Attachment Parenting International explains:
“Attached at the Heart Through the Years” is the theme for AP Month 2009 and a statement that healthy, secure attachments between parents and children is a dynamic process that extends throughout childhood and does not end with baby bonding. During AP Month, parents are challenged to re-examine their daily activities and traditions and learn new ways to grow with each other and remain close and …read more

When you have a newborn, you sometimes wonder when you will get to shower on a regular basis again. Then that newborn becomes a toddler, the sheer intensity eases up a little, and you start to consider whether you want to add another child to your family. At some point you take the plunge and you make the transition from one to two children. Eventually you find that you’re surviving and occasionally even thriving with two. Are you crazy to consider a third? A fourth? Mary Ostyn’s A Sane Women’s Guide to Raising a Large Family helps parents think through …read more

Welcome to the May Carnival of Breastfeeding! This month participants share stories related to breastfeeding (see entries at the end of this post). My story represents the end of the story — how it turns out when a mother practices extended breastfeeding.
When I had my first daughter, I fumbled my way around until I found my parenting style. It happened naturally. I couldn’t stand to hear my baby cry; what mother can? So I breastfed her on cue, wore her in a sling, and co-slept with her in my bed. Those things worked for me, my husband, and my baby. …read more

The classic parenting book How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish is as relevant and helpful today as it was when it first came out 30 years ago. The descriptions, examples and cartoons offer straightforward information that parents can put into practice right away. Readers can invest time in the practice exercises or simply skim the summaries for an overview or a brief refresher.

Throughout the chapters on “Helping Children Deal with Their Feelings,” “Engaging Cooperation,” and “Alternatives to Punishment” I found myself dog-earring pages and scribbling notes …read more

Micky of the breastfeeding blog Mocha Milk started a thriving business called 9 Months and Beyond, LLC. It offers childbirth and breastfeeding support. She wants to grow the business even more, and has entered the Ideablob $10,000 contest. Here’s what her entry says:
9 Months & Beyond, LLC offers a full doula services, lactation support and parenting education. We combine the best resources of a doula agency and pregnancy/ parenting boutique with a respectful, supportive community. From conception through the first years of parenting, we help birthing families through a range of counseling and educational services and products designed for their …read more

Pediatrician, attachment parenting expert, and breastfeeding advocate Dr. Jim Sears kicks off a new television show “The Doctors” today on CBS (check local listings for time). A spin-off of the “Dr. Phil” show, “The Doctors” features four physicians: a pediatrician, an OB/GYN, a plastic surgeon, and an ER physician. It’s a one-hour daytime talk show taped in front of a live studio audience five days a week. To see a preview, get more information, submit a question for the doctors, or find out how to be in the audience, visit “The Doctors” website.
Please note: Breastfeeding 1-2-3 has no affiliation with …read more

Today’s Mom-to-Mom question is more of a Parent-to-Parent question because I received the following from Abel of Parent Wonder:
Q: I found you on breastfeeding123.com’s “Fostering Independence in the Breastfed Child” and I must say that I like your blog. I have a question on Attachment Parenting. Do you have a problem that your child is too “attached” if you follow AP approach? Will they become too dependent on you?
A: I’m glad you enjoyed that post and thanks for writing to me! Your question is a very interesting one.
The quick and dirty answer is no, the attachment-parented child does not …read more

Stay tuned below for contributions from several breastfeeding bloggers on today’s theme: “What I didn’t expect when I was expecting.” Feel free to leave your own comment about what you didn’t expect about breastfeeding — good or bad!
When I was pregnant, I did a lot of reading about breastfeeding. I made a commitment to breastfeed as it clearly was the best thing for my baby. What I didn’t expect was that breastfeeding would become so much more than my baby’s source of nutrition. It served as:
~ pacifier
~ sleep inducer
~ pain reliever
~ immunity booster (I knew about this one, but I …read more

I recorded last Friday’s episode of the Dr. Phil show with great anticipation and even a little bit of trepidation. I was very curious to hear what the Sears family of pediatricians — Dr. Bill, Dr. Bob and Dr. Jim — and nurse Martha had to say and how they would interact with Dr. Phil. I know Dr. Phil doesn’t agree with them on the co-sleeping issue and I wondered whether the show would deteriorate into a war of words that wouldn’t really help anyone. I was pleasantly surprised!

If you’re a fan of attachment parenting and the Sears family of pediatricians, set your TiVo or VCR to record Dr. Phil on Friday, January 19, 2007 (check your local listings in the United States and Canada for exact times). Dr. Phil has invited Dr. William Sears, Dr. James Sears and Dr. Robert Sears to help answer questions from young mothers. Want to know “how do I stop the temper tantrums” or “what do I do if my child just won’t eat?” Want to see some interesting debate? It should make for very good television because Dr. Phil and the …read more