I used to joke about "crunchy" Mamas, saying I totally wasn't one.
... and then I became a mother.
A midwife attended the births of both of my boys.
I'll be honest; The Business of Being Born was an eye opener for me. Knowing, however, that all documentaries have a bias, we took a further look into our options for childbirth. The main thing for us that we took away from the documentary, though, was the realization that we have the ability to make choices when it comes to labour and delivery. We didn't have to do what was expected or procedure without looking into peer-reviewed research studies and our intuition to make decisions. Working with a midwife was like a collaborative, educational journey that culminated in the births of our boys in intimate, calm, and safe environments. We were able to experience the births we desired while still be open to plans changing if complications arose.
I'll be honest; The Business of Being Born was an eye opener for me. Knowing, however, that all documentaries have a bias, we took a further look into our options for childbirth. The main thing for us that we took away from the documentary, though, was the realization that we have the ability to make choices when it comes to labour and delivery. We didn't have to do what was expected or procedure without looking into peer-reviewed research studies and our intuition to make decisions. Working with a midwife was like a collaborative, educational journey that culminated in the births of our boys in intimate, calm, and safe environments. We were able to experience the births we desired while still be open to plans changing if complications arose.
...but I'm not "crunchy"!
My boys are in cloth diapers.
I'm a stay-at-home mom. It's not because we have the financial comfortability to do it, but rather a personal conviction that Cy and I have about what will be best for our family. As such, we have to save money in as many areas as possible to make it work. Disposable diapers are expensive. Convenient, but expensive over time. Plus, they leak so badly with both of my boys. We were washing poopy clothes multiple times a day with disposable diapers because of the leaks. Cloth diapers, though a cost up front and time consuming to prep, cost us much less over time. Instead of spending $60+ a month on diapers for two babies, we only have the added water and energy cost... which is maybe an extra couple of dollars a month. Heck, I'm loving cloth so much that I'm even waiting on an order of cloth menstrual pads for myself to give a go!
I'm a stay-at-home mom. It's not because we have the financial comfortability to do it, but rather a personal conviction that Cy and I have about what will be best for our family. As such, we have to save money in as many areas as possible to make it work. Disposable diapers are expensive. Convenient, but expensive over time. Plus, they leak so badly with both of my boys. We were washing poopy clothes multiple times a day with disposable diapers because of the leaks. Cloth diapers, though a cost up front and time consuming to prep, cost us much less over time. Instead of spending $60+ a month on diapers for two babies, we only have the added water and energy cost... which is maybe an extra couple of dollars a month. Heck, I'm loving cloth so much that I'm even waiting on an order of cloth menstrual pads for myself to give a go!
... but I'm not "crunchy".
I prefer to dry our clothes and diapers on the line.
Again, it saves money. I'm cheap. It's extra work, yes, but the clothes come off the line smelling so fresh, the whites are sparkling thanks to the sun, and it doesn't wear down the fibers like the dryer does (so the clothes last longer). And yeah, it's good for the environment to use less energy.
Again, it saves money. I'm cheap. It's extra work, yes, but the clothes come off the line smelling so fresh, the whites are sparkling thanks to the sun, and it doesn't wear down the fibers like the dryer does (so the clothes last longer). And yeah, it's good for the environment to use less energy.
... but I'm not "crunchy"...
I wear my babies and breastfeed.
I have two babies under two years old. Yes, the oldest is technically a toddler at 17 months old, but he's still a "baby". I can't always depend on him to sit nicely while I'm doing things like putting laundry on the line. So, I toss him in the mei tai on my back or front and do what needs to be done. He loves to be held and carried, and he calms right down. I also enjoy having my hands free when I wear the younger one. It's practical and the kids like it. I also breastfeed. I exclusively pumped for Edgar, and I am successfully nursing Arthur. Formula is expensive, and a big part of my job is to make sure we're saving as much money as possible, so breastfeeding is part of that.
I have two babies under two years old. Yes, the oldest is technically a toddler at 17 months old, but he's still a "baby". I can't always depend on him to sit nicely while I'm doing things like putting laundry on the line. So, I toss him in the mei tai on my back or front and do what needs to be done. He loves to be held and carried, and he calms right down. I also enjoy having my hands free when I wear the younger one. It's practical and the kids like it. I also breastfeed. I exclusively pumped for Edgar, and I am successfully nursing Arthur. Formula is expensive, and a big part of my job is to make sure we're saving as much money as possible, so breastfeeding is part of that.
...but I'm not "crunchy"...?
I guess that the general consensus would be that I'm a fairly "crunchy" mom. I cloth-diaper, had midwife-attended unmedicated births, breastfeed, babywear, and we're technically room-sharing with our youngest right now. The thing is, I don't consider myself to be "crunchy". I'm just doing what works for us and what feels right, why does that need a label? My boys are happy and healthy, and my little family is flourishing.
I think "Mom" is enough of a label for me.
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