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Attachment Parenting in San Diego
Betty Hofman
Attachment Parenting is a style of parenting that strives to satisfy the physical and emotional needs of babies and children based upon the lengthy history of the survival needs of our species. Breastfeeding for nourishment and comfort, on cue, for a minimum of the baby's first year is a key element to Attachment Parenting. Other elements are co-sleeping, responding to the baby's cry, carrying or wearing the baby, and listening to and respecting his or her needs. Satisfying a baby's physical and emotional needs builds harmonious families, prevents most common parent/child problems, and promotes trust and independence. Attachment Parenting practices encourage the growth of healthy, well-adjusted, empathic, responsible, affectionate people.
While Attachment Parenting offers numerous benefits, the job of parenting can still be overwhelming at times, and isolating. This is true for attachment parents often because of the barrage of disapproval and discouragement coming from our culture. Many parents, friends, and professionals don't understand the value of Attachment Parenting.
Research and technical information abound that supports long term breastfeeding, co-sleeping, physical closeness, and listening and responding with love, but unfortunately, the most common practices in our culture do not. San Diego has a wealth of support for those who attachment parent. Support groups and playgroups meet in several locations around the county to share ideas, learn from one another, play, offer encouragement and explore the challenges of parenting. In central San Diego for example, two groups meet, one for first time parents with infants where the focus is on building the new relationship, and another for parents of older children where information is shared about topics of general interest including constructive communication, positive discipline, physicians, dentists, schooling, and more. For the group nearest you please contact:
- Central San Diego: Linda (619) 222-8753 or Stella (858) 459-0516
- East San Diego, El Cajon: Shelley (619) 596-8895 or Jennifer (619) 583-9291
- South Bay: Tracie (619) 470-5031
- North County: Bianca (760) 967-2136 or Jane (760) 728-5561
- Rancho Bernardo: Pamela (858) 679-2032 or Jenisse (858) 748-0622
To learn more about Attachment Parenting please see the following:
Books:
A Wise Birth by Penny Armstrong
The Vital Touch by Sharon Heller
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League
25 Things Every New Mother Should Know by Martha Sears, R.N.
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The Baby Book by William Sears, M.D and Martha Sears, R.N.
The Family Bed by Tine Hevenin
Our Babies, Ourselves by Meredith Small
Tears and Tantrums by Aletha Solter
Baby Matters by Linda F. Palmer
Magazines:
Mothering Magazine (800) 984-8116
Nurturing Parent (605) 399-2990
New Beginnings - La Leche League (847) 519-7730
Organizations:
La Leche League International (760) 727-6563
Attachment Parenting International (615) 298-4334
Websites:
Empathic Parenting: www.empathicparenting.org
Instinctive Parenting: www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/7503/
Liedloff Continuum Concept Network: www.continuum-concept.org
Attachment Parenting International: www.attachmentparenting.org
Listening to Children (Parent Leadership Institute): www.parentleaders.org
San Diego County Breastfeeding Coalition: www.breastfeeding.org
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Do Pacifiers Cause Early Weaning?
Continued from page 8
at 3 months were identical in both groups. Cry/fuss behavior was also similar. The authors concluded that pacifier use was associated with maternal problems, behaviors or motivations that were actually the primary causes of early weaning. As in the previous study, however, infants with daily pacifier use (compared to those with less frequent pacifier use) were significantly less likely to exclusively breastfeed (73 vs 58%) and twice as likely to be weaned (25 vs 13%) by 3 months of age.
Directing attention toward the maternal reasons for early introduction and daily use of pacifiers and developing research-based recommendations about the timing and frequency of pacifier use may be more effective, as well as more realistic, in supporting optimal breastfeeding practices and national breastfeeding goals.
References:
1) Kramer MS, Barr RG, Dagenais S, et al. Pacifier use, early weaning, and cry/fuss behavior. JAMA. 2001;286:322-326.
2) Vogel AM, Hutchison BL, Mitchell EA. The impact of pacifier use on breastfeeding: A prospective cohort study. J Paediatr Child Health. 2001; 37:58-63
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