Baby Talk

No, I'm not pregnant and unfortunately am not planning to be any time (too) soon.

That was the disclaimer. Now for the post.

I think I'm a hippie.

I'm a hippie at least when it comes to babies. See, I used to believe in the birth control pill, epidurals, hospital deliveries and short breastfeeding periods. I was an all the way Make-Life-Easy-On-Mom kinda gal. But then I met this wonderful woman, Kathy, who turned my life around (and hippified me). She convinced me of, first, the importance of breastfeeding, as she would, seeing as she is what they call a "lactation consultant". So it came to be that I believed in longer breastfeeding periods (like beyond a year, though I recognise a lot depends on the baby). Soon after, it wasn't hard for her to show me the beauty of midwifery. I came to believe in midwives all the way, as they have a completely different approach to pregnancy and delivery than most doctors. I decided I will most certainly be going the midwife route; I love the idea of planning how I'm going to have my child beforehand, and then having my wishes actually granted come labour! (My current delivery-of-choice is water birth.) Oh, and no drugs, of course. That comes with the natural pregnancy/midwife territory. (Dulas are wonderful things, too, if you do not feel comfortable with midwifery - they know how you want to have your baby and even when you are screaming your head off and just begging for the drugs, they will speak on behalf of your former sanity to the doctors and ensure you get the treatment you intended.)

I wasn't so convinced about Natural Family Planning, though, and I resisted her there. But only for a short while. After discovering what utter crap the Pill is, I (along with Scott) was quickly converted to the NFP way. Hippie, hippie, hippie.

But it gets worse.

I thought I could go no further in the hippie baby-rearing, short of dreading the child's hair, but today I've gone to new levels. ALL NEW LEVELS.

Cloth diapers.

Again, Kathy's influence. For a couple of weeks in college I helped out at the Diaper Depot, a cloth diaper cleaning company, folding small and larger cloth diapers (post cleaning), but I wasn't convinced. Seeing all those dirty diapers rumbling and tumbling in the economy-sized washing machines did not make me a believer. In fact, though I've always recognised the advantages of cloth diapers (better for the baby, better for the wallet, better for the environment), I was totally against it for myself. I mean, sure I plan to be a stay-at-home mom, but certainly I'll have better things to do than clean pooh out of cloth diapers!

But this dear woman, in only one short speel, converted me.

Friends and family, I have reached an all-time high (or low?) in my personal baby beliefs. No one is going to want to babysit my poor children. (If I even believe in babysitting by the time they come along.)

Other Interesting Facts About My Hippie-ness:
1. I do not believe in "elimination communication", or "infant potty training".
2. I do believe in baby sign language (and not because of Meet the Fokkers).
3. Though I am for natural birth and midwifery, I do not plan to have my babies at home. Ideally, I'd like to find a midwife clinic or a midwife hospital ward where the midwife is in total control of the birthing process, unless a major complication arises, at which point I'd appreciate the interference of a medical doctor. I know it's not totally hippie, but I don't think Scott would let me risk it.
4. I'd like to breastfeed my children for up to a year and a half (though I think it's great to do it longer), but Scott would rather I leave it at one, which I will happily do.
5. I do not intend to co-sleep with my babies, because I can't even co-sleep with my husband without leaving him bruised and battered by morning. For me, in the too-true words of Jenny, "Sleeping is a sport".
6. I am offended by people who think breastfeeding in public is shameful. It ought to be done tastefully, yes, and discreetly, but to disallow it is a complete load of bull.
7. I've always wanted dreadlocks.