All I Really Need To Know About Parenting,
I Learned From Breast Feeding
By Dawn Lamuth-Higgins(from "Keeping Abreast" October/December 1999 issue)
This article may be reproduced for educational purposes.
As a first-time mother, I tried to prepare for our new baby by reading all of the experts' books and arming myself with the latest baby gadgets. Little did I know those quiet moments over the years spent breast feeding would teach me all I really needed to know about being a mother, as well as some other universal truths.
- Eat when you are hungry. Stop when you are full. Take naps between courses.
- Touch. Everyone loves skin-to-skin contact.
- Listen to your child.
- Trust your own instincts.
- Surround yourself with supportive friends. Ignore the naysayers, especially if they are related.
- Let the telephone answering machine do its job.
- Be confident. Be proud.
- Cuddle. Snuggle. Snooze.
- Read out loud to your baby. It doesn't matter if it's the "New York Times" or "Winnie the Pooh."
- Take care of yourself.
- Wear comfortable clothes.
- Children are portable. Take them with you.
- Sing, even if it's off-key. If you don't know the words, make up your own. When in doubt, hum.
- Simplify life. Throw out the schedules and go with the flow.
- It takes time to learn all new things. With practice, you get better every day.
- Marvel in the magic of your body.
- Drink lots of water.
- Sit back. Relax. Put your feet up.
- Look into your child's eyes.
- Smile.
© Dawn Lamuth-Higgins is a mother, writer, and the owner of
Mommy
Gear, an online breast feeding boutique.
This article may be reproduced for educational purposes.
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Anyone breast feeding or who has breast fed a baby can appreciate Dawn's sentiments.
