AP, attachment parenting, what is it? The goal of attachment parenting is to create a strong bond between parents and children. It's not a "new" parenting style. Much of attachment parenting is based on our human history: co-sleeping, baby wearing, breastfeeding.
I tend to be something of a...well, a lazy mom. When I first became a mother in my (very) early 20's, I found attachment parenting to be the easiest way to manage a marriage, a full university course load, an exercise routine, a social life, AND a newborn.
It was infinitely easier for me to breastfeed than to buy/mix/use formula (not to mention the many, many health benefits for both my daughter and me. See Breastfeeding tab). Much easier (and cheaper- always a concern during my college years!) to pop Baby into her sling and run around campus than to navigate a stroller over often rough terrain. So much easier and cheaper to simply smush up what I was eating (green beans, sweet potatoes, peaches) and feed her than to buy and tote little bitty glass jars of baby food. And...at night, when I was exhausted from the demands of life, the best, and easiest way (notice a theme?!) for me to sleep and breastfeed, was with Baby in my bed. As I was lucky enough to add more babies to my life, AP became a lifestyle that enabled me to give maximum attention to all my little ones.
AP doesn't end when your little one grows up. It's a life long relationship.
