The current monthly theme post topic over at PAIL is all about “high standards” — and asking how/if coming to parenting from an ALI background affected the standards you hold yourself to as a parent. When I first read the post, my gut reaction was “TOTALLY.” But then I started thinking about it more, and really, I think a few things regarding the first year qualify, but as Stella ages, not so much. Apparently I tend to over-research all things TTC related (searching for something to control maybe?), some things pregnancy related (just wanting to feel normal and have my body cooperate!), and not a whole lot parenting related (read more about these levels of “obsession” here).
As a parent, most of what I choose to “do” with Stella is based on just a gut feeling of what was right for us. How I fed her for her first year of life (exclusive breastfeeding + Baby Led Weaning after 6 months) was done because they were the healthiest and easiest options for us. How I diapered her (cloth) was done because I’m cheap, I like to do my bit to help the environment, and I like the look of a little girl in a dress with a cloth diaper bootie. That’s totally noble, right? 🙂 How I handled sleep issues… well, that was sort of winging it. I knew I wasn’t comfortable with cry it out when she was little, and I didn’t (and don’t) feel like you can spoil a baby by holding her too much, especially those first few months of life. When we hit the bad times around 7-8 months though, I researched the hell out of it and settled on what felt right to us — but I don’t think that’s any different from what every parent since the beginning of time has done with sleep issues!
So that’s eat/poop/sleep – the trifecta of what a kid does over his/her first year of life. There are other thing (like vaccinations) that I researched the crap out of, but I really have no way to separate my thoughts about issues like that from the “ALI” side of me or just the “parent” side of me.
I guess that’s the best part of all of this – as much as the ALI journey has totally affected me to my core, as a parent, I’ve pretty much just been your normal, stressed out, overjoyed, exhausted, blessed parent. How great is that?!