All new mothers need support and a lot of it. So, our first piece of advice is "take all the help you are offered." Our North American society and life style does not encourage the kind of emotional and physical support that the larger and closer families of many other countries have. A wonderful Ayurvedic Naturopath explained how much easier it was to raise children in India where your whole street and your whole extended family are your support system.
"It is interesting to note that postpartum depression occurs at significantly lower levels in non-western cultures. Presumably this difference is due to a greater, extended social support structure for mothers in non-western cultures, along with less conflicted roles for women as mothers, both psychologically and economically." (Gayle Peterson, LCSW, PhD, "Postpartum depression", http://www.psychceu.com/Peterson/ppdcourse.asp)
We hope that through our blog we can be of some support and some encouragement to expectant mothers, new mothers, and mothers further along on their journey. We will share with you what we have learned and our experiences along the way.
There is nothing more rewarding and nothing more challenging than motherhood. We need to encourage each other and to take pride in what we do and who we are as mothers. We are nurturing and raising the future of the world. Our future. Even if society as a whole does not seem to acknowledge the utmost value mothering holds, mother to mother we can encourage and support each other in any way we can.
The four of us have chosen a particular way of parenting. A path we found more gentle yet just as effective. A way that seemed more natural to us. A journey into motherhood and through motherhood that gave us permission to trust our inner instinct and do what felt right, what felt most comfortable. Our wish to all mothers and fathers is that they choose to do what instinctively feels right. So often we go "against" our better judgement upon the advice of the so-called experts or well-meaning family and friends.
As the title of our blog clearly shows, we are dedicated to finding the most holistic, natural, and gentle approaches to parenting. We have had experiences with a variety of challenges and successes with pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, development, play, travel, and of course health. We made a variety of choices. Sometimes this meant staying up all night with a sick child and just sticking through it at home. Other times it meant using natural remedies in conjunction with conventional medicine that may sometimes be necessary. Other times it meant seeing a doctor for a diagnosis and then adjusting treatment at home accordingly...
We are not doctors or naturopaths. We are mothers who share a true passion (and sometimes an obsession) for finding and using the most natural alternatives possible. We will share with you some of what we have learned either from experience, from research, from health care providers and/or all of the above. This blog is not intended as medical advice but simply as a way of sharing with you and providing you with possible options that you can look into on your own . Inquire, ask questions, seek out the advice and knowledge of qualified health care professionals and choose what makes the most sense for you and your child. Please take the time to do your own research and follow your instinct. Trust that as a mother you know your child best, and you have your child's best interest at heart...
We would love to hear your thoughts and to learn from your experiences. Please feel free to comment and share with us.
Until next time...
