Hi everyone.

[moogie]

Hi everyone,
i thought it'd be nice to have some intros that are permenant for our group, that way we can really get to know each other.

I'm Megs
mum to 2.  Charlie is 2 in December and of course there's Asha, who was born on the 23rd of June.
I'm married to Tristan who will be 27 this year and I am 25.
we live on the Sunshine Coast in Australia.

Natural wise this is what we do:
We eat mostly organic produce unless we are particularly poor.  We use cloth nappies. We try to avoid synthetic materials as much as we can. I've been vegetarian for 3 yrs and dh has been for 24 yrs.  We do eat some dairy but we're trying to cut back.  We have a family bed where we all sleep.  Asha starts the night in her rocker.  We do babywearing.  I don't do CIO.  All the evidence for me is there that it does more harm than good.  We are unschooling and plan to continue doing so.

we have a webdevelopment business and are involved in the environment also.  dh lectures in environmental issues at the local university. well thats all from me for now.

[reneeber]

Hi all,

I'm Renee, 31 and married to Jon for almost 9 years.  We live in St. Paul, MN.  I have two little girls - Claire (Feb 04) and Anja (June 06).  I'm a SAHM and in my former life was a marketing administrator.  Together we do graphic design work on the side.

I'm not as natural as a lot of you...I'm very into natural childbirth and all things related, which is how I came to be a part of this group.  Other natural things we do include co-sleeping (only with Anja - Claire sleeps in her own bed now), baby wearing (love my Moby wrap!) and delayed vaccinations (Claire was vax'd on schedule, Anja will not be) and absolutely no CIO.  We're very AP...not as much NP.  We drink organic soymilk, but don't eat a lot of other organic items mostly due to finances.

I thought I might try EC with Anja, but it turns out I'm too lazy. 

[SukeyTawdrey]

Hello!  I'm Josie, 29.  MaMa to Elisabeth (a human girl) and Huck (a shepherd/beagle mix)  Wife to Ken.  We live in Pennsylvania, not to far from New York City (that's where my sarcasm and dry humor come from.  The internet is slowly teaching me to keep them in check.   I'm a Registered Nurse with a background in hospital peds, long-term special-needs peds, and operating room.  I still work 1 or 2 days a week.

We're rather AP- no crying it out, lots of love and comfort, baby wearing, nurse on demand.  We typically do not co-sleep due to our waterbed but if she needs it, she lets me know and we share a bed in her room (oh, my aching back!)  I did also opt to vax on schedule since I do work and worry what I meet at the hospital (2 weeks ago it was whooping cough)

Naturally/ environmentally- we try to avoid toxic chemicals- use organic/ natural soaps and cleaners, try to choose organic foods, cloth diapers (many 100% natural fibres), I'm vegetarian but Ken's not and Elisabeth is free to follow her own dharma, we try to buy used baby gear and clothing and use and lend hand-me-downs.  We practice Reiki, aromatherapy, and meditation.

[wintermaya]

My name is Amy I just turned 30 & I live in northern MN in a very rural small town. I have three little girls Winter (, Maya(4), and Violet my June baby.  I got the link to this sight off of a post on babycenter.  My dr referred to me as a breastfeeding champion as this is my collective sixth year of nursing. Ive never used any formula but do pump while I am at work. I work full time managing a group home for developmentally disabled adults.  Ive been at my present company for 7 years. I work 2 18 hr shifts a week so I am away from the girls.  They stay home with dad during that time and he brings the baby to nurse before bedtime.  I do cloth diapers while I am home and am a big believer in co sleeping.

[moogie]

Hi Amy.  Welcome!!!!   

[mwelsh214]

Hi my name is Mari, I'm 22, mama to Mohamed (June 9th 06) and wife to Aziz who is 27. We live in Allentown PA in a home that we rent. We both work full time on opposite shifts so that mohamed doesn't have to be in day care. To date, we haven't left him with anyone, except one day when my dad was here and i ran to the corner to get the mail...does that count?
Anyway, in September 07 I am hoping to go back to school in Philadelphia to complete my bachelor's degree in Nuclear medicine. Aziz also hopes to go back to school also, but I'll be going first because i'm very close to finishing.

As far as natrual parenting goes, I'd say we are more AP than NP. We cosleep, eat all organic (unless we can't find it or can't afford it- it's not as available here...). I exclusively breastfed until about a week ago when our pediatrician recommended starting a little bit of cereal for nutrition since I'm not in optimal health. I plan to continue breastfeeding as long as Mohamed will allow- and I'm sure he will allow me a while since he nurses all night.  I'm a baby wearer, baby holdder, baby lover...I just can't get enough of this kid. We picked and chose our vaccines against the pediatrician's will. I suppose that eventually he will have them all, but I couldn't see the point in doing it as an infant for diseases that are so foreign today. Also, I'd love more info on EC- is it too late to start?

Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself. I hope that all the other mommies are in good health and that the babies are even better!

~Mari

[moogie]

definately not too late to start EC.  before 6 months is optimal.  check out www.ec-information.com

Welcom Mohamed and Mari and Aziz.

[kristenp5]

I'm Kristen and have two girls, Ava who is 2.75 and Willa who was born June 9th.  I will be 29 next week and my husband, Jarrod, is 29.  Right now I'm a SAHM, but I used to be a developmental educator and worked in early intervention.  My husband is in the Coast Guard and he does environmental response which means he basically makes people clean up oil/fuel spilled by their watercraft, and make sure marine facilities are complying with environmental standards.

We co-sleep with Willa (we co-slept with Ava until she was about 13 months old) and don't believe in CIO.  I haven't been doing as much babywearing lately as Willa prefers to play on the floor to being in the Moby unless she's tired.    We also do cloth dipaering  We belong to a wonderful CSA so we get great, fresh organic produce each week.  We selectively vaccinate--my girls both just got over the chickenpox (yea!), and most of the vaccines they do receive are delayed. 

That's all I can think of right now.

[Lily84]

Hi everybody, I am originally from BBC thats how I found you guys. I never started posting on there until ds was 2 or 3 months old so I think i missed out on the natural mommas threads over there. Basically, i am very AP, more so than NP. I try to eat as many organic produce as possible. I am 22, dh is 27.

As far as AP we do EBF until 6 months, will be making my own baby food then.Will continue bf'ing as long as ds wants to.  Nursing on demand, babywearing, co-sleeping, cloth nappies, Started doing EC a week ago and love it! Wish i started sooner! NEVER will do CIO...and have been persecuted for this on BBC. I am so sick of that board with all the wars now. I have done some vaccines on schedule, I do my research and choose what DH and I feel is neccessary. I am a SAHM. DH has an 8 yr old son who is with us part time. He goes to school and gets all kinds of colds and stuff so I felt some vaccines would be neccessary. I am a FTM, I didn't think I would be like this with my son. And even once I had him and started rasining him i didnt know what type of parenting style i was until i really started doing some research and found out that i fit in with you guys! i love evryhting about raising a child  AP and for us a NP as possible. Now that I know who i am and that i have some like minded mommies i am really looking forward to being a part of this board.

Liz

[Celeste]

I'm another momma from babycenter.  I'm glad that you are doing this board!

My name is Celeste, I am a mother of two.  My daughter, Elle, is almost two (in two weeks!  ).  My son, Luke, is four months old.  I am 21, my husband is 27, and we've been married for three years.

Some natural things that I do:  Natural childbirth, cloth diapering, baby wearing, AP, co-sleeping (with our youngest), we eat organically when we can afford it, when we get a house I will be gardening, breastfeeding on demand.

Celeste

[moogie]

Hi guys,

Kristen, I love the name Willa.

[heathernkids]

I'm so glad to see this!


I'm Heather, I'm 31
I have 3 kids, Bryce my ds is 12, Maeve my dd is 7, and my 6-6-6er Brinn
I'm married to Bob, my hs sweetheart
we live in the Carolinas.

Natural wise this is what we do:
I have been vegetarian before but slowly stopped. I'd like to get back to it and eventually go all raw but it's hard. Right now we are probably 70% organic with our foods, some things have been tough to cut like chocolates LOL
I babywear and have a small collection of wraps, slings and things and intend to wear her forever...or at least till 2
We do not CIO...I nurse on demand, hmm that's all I can think of right now!


I've been on BBC since I decided TTC my June sweetie and I'm tired and needed to find people more like me. 

[SukeyTawdrey]

Mari!!  I work in Allentown! 

[cmp03]

I also saw the link over on BBC. 

My name is Colleen and I'm 27.  I have been married for about 1 1/2 years and my daughter Isabella was born 6/29/06. 

We currently live in Southern MD but will hopefully be able to move down to FL (near family) in the next few years.

I am more of a mixture of everything.  I did breastfeed for about a month.  I was really uninformed on breastfeeding and some issues w/it in the begining which led to switching to formula.  I do not feel "bad" about FF but I have read a lot on breastfeed and hope that with future children I will be able to do it longer.  I do wish I had known more about problems that can be encountered from breastfeeding so that I would have been able to continue for longer then I did.

I do vacinate on schedule and my daughter does sleep in her own crib.  We tried co-sleeping but none of us were getting any sleep.  We do nap together on the sofa on the weekends.  I love doing that.

I wanted to cloth diaper until I learned that you have to clean the diaper before you wash them.  For some reason I was thinking you just take it off and dump it in the washer.

I babywear my daughter (which I absolutly love doing).  I really can not stand seeing babies slung around and placed on the floor in their carseats.  They need to be up by you, seeing everything around them.

I do work full-time but I really do like my job.  We send our daughter to a home daycare center two days a week and then My husband and I work opposite shifts to be home w/her the other three days. 

We are just trying to do the best we can.  I hope to be able to learn a lot for your girls here.

[Ninmanso66]

Hello everybody!   

My name is Nicky, I am 24, and I live in Naples, FL, with my DH, Eric (36 on Friday) and my 7 mo. old DD, Debby, born 5 weeks early on May 14.  I am a third grade teacher.
It's funny, I never thought I would ever be a natural momma... yet here I am.  I'm not all the way into it yet because I just started learning about all the options that are available to me (I was raised very mainstream and most of my family is against anything different - i.e., natural).  Like many others, we are more AP than NP... NOOOO CIO, we do baby wearing, co sleeping, I make all of my own babyfood and use only organic things with her.  I am also considering the switch to cloth diapers but I don't really have enough info to proceed yet!  I would like to say I EBF but I am not sure if that is technically true... DD ws in the NICU for 17 days due to being a preemie and she never learned to latch on properly (the drs. wanted her to learn to eat from a bottle so they could monitor how much she was drinking), so I have been exclusively pumping from day 1.  I plan to pump for as long as possible, until she no longer wants BM.  So, that's all I can think of for now.  Thanks for having me even though my DD was born in May!    Oh, and I found this through Megs' link on BBC.