By Camilla Ker
When I was pregnant, my idea of how I was going to be with my baby was aaall about natural parenting.
My non-negotiables were:
- Baby-wearing: I was not going to have a pram. I was going to have a lovely cotton wrap and go about my day, baby in tow.
- Breastfeeding as long as possible: I did all the reading I could and was determined to keep away from formula.
- Cloth diapers or elimination communication: I was going to avoid landfills full of nappies and dry my cloth diapers in the Australian sunshine. Easy right?
- No epidural: I wanted to feel the birth as our foremothers did.
Much to my chagrin, my mother kept on raining on my earth mama parade with comments like:
- “Oh cloth diapers are so difficult.”
- “A pram is so much easier.”
- “You were bottle fed after five months and you turned out fine.”
- “I loved my epidurals. Just have a nap and baby arrives pain free.”
But no, I was going to be the earth mama of the century. Until …
