Any unconventional mamas out there?

I am holistic as well! The only difference is that I ended up sleep training at a little past a year because cosleeping was not working for us. Every night it was 2hrs of screaming crying no matter what. It was deeply effecting my mental health and me and my baby’s relationship. Now we’re at 18 months and everything is so much better.

But we didn’t vaccinate, I’m planning a home birth, exclusively breastfed until 6 months than I started giving solids, only use herbs and holistic remedies to help with the couple colds he’s gotten. I plan on homeschooling and so much more! It’s easy to feel isolated when you make so many unconventional decisions that others don’t agree with, but I choose to be selective with what I share if I know it will be met with judgment, and other times I let it be a moment of sharing differences and sometimes educating others. We don’t know what we don’t know until we know it and some people don’t mean to be judgmental, they just don’t understand!

The only thing you’ve mentioned that I could understand someone being disapproving about would be the vaccinations part, because childhood vaccines are what prevent children dying from preventable diseases. The rest though, I don’t see why everyone is so weird about, like seriously. You’re going to co-sleep, not sleep train or do cry it out (I’m personally not a fan of those either), and have a home birth (which sounds so awesome!). Those choices aren’t even “outside the norm” these days. If I didn’t have so many chronic, pre-existing conditions, I would love to be able to do a home birth. When my daughter was about a year old, she ended up sleeping in my bed with me until a couple months ago (she’s 3 1/2 now, and she’s a crazy sleeper like me…I needed space in bed lmao)
Anywho, if the people around you are gonna be that judgmental, seems like they don’t deserve to be a part of your journey
Sending love and hugs to you 🩵

I envy anyone who is able to do home birth lol I'm always telling my partner how I wish we could do a home birth especially with this last baby of ours but unfortunately all my babies will be born via csection..as for the rest most nights all 3 of my kids (5 years old - 1) end up in bed with us they still have their own room and beds for when they don't want to sleep with us although lately i have been pushing more for them to be in their own just because im pregnant and need more room,,we didn't and don't plan on vaccinating and other then the seasonal allergies we all have we don't get sick..Started homeschooling this year and let me tell you it is not for the weak lol but I wouldn't want it any other way. When people have a difference of opinion or want to tell me what they think I should be doing with my children I simply tell them they are my kids and I will be raising then the way I see fit.

It’s me, hi! 👋

You should look into your local chiropractor as a lot of unconventional mamas go there . I can suggest people to follow on Instagram but I don’t know any in Indiana

Following! Planning a home birth in upstate NY 🥰

Me!! 👋🏽

There’s several home birth groups on this app 👍

Welp, you described me to a T. Except, we are doing a Montessori nursery with a floor bed even though we plan on Co-sleeping. Ha.

I need a space to do contact naps/play with baby while my partner records (his audio booth is in our bedroom) 😂

All that to say, let's be besties!!! 😂

I am not holistic, but I am planning on breastfeeding and won’t have a nursery for this baby either (we made one for baby #1, but she was in our room and honestly still is lol). Bassinet, then bedsharing at 6 months. Her toddler bed is also in our room, so when baby #2 comes, we will all be in the same room together. We never sleep trained her or did cry it out, I just had to wean her when I got pregnant. We cuddle to sleep now. Like others said, I think the only one from your list that is common for others to be upset about is the vaccinations. Children can die from these diseases that are 100% preventable in this day and age. Anyone who can give birth at home should be praised (I could never take the pain without meds or epidural…). My close friend went to a birthing center for her two kids, not a hospital (she is scared of hospitals). I didn’t think twice about a hospital birth, but didn’t judge her for not wanting that.

I am not against vaccines, depending one which ones they are, but I don’t think it’s safe to give them to babies while they’re little. My mom did the chicken pox vaccine (still got chicken pox twice), T-DAP, MMR, and Hep B, etc. I just don’t like when they’re mandated by any kind of organization or giving them to infants, which I don’t think is unreasonable. I work in healthcare so I know the value of certain ones, but I don’t think certain ones are safe or effective. That’s just me 🤷🏼‍♀️ I grew up around home birth so it’s the norm for me. My mom is actually my midwife ☺️ I am glad you found a system that works for your family!

that’s great! I was homeschooled all the way through high school (as were my 7 siblings) and I think it is soooo worth it in the long run. It gets better! I plan to homeschool mine as well :)

It’s me, HI!

said the exact same thing before noticing your comment 😂

Yikes with the warning banner, not this app, too…😩

Right!? 🤦🏼‍♀️

Anyone in this thread live in or near Flathead Valley MT? 😂

gawd forbid we think for ourselves…

hahaha I like you already 😂😂

I'm kind of surprised at the amount of people comfortable with co-sleeping after so many deaths from it 🥲 but the rest of your plan sounds great

there are safe ways to co-sleep but doctors and pediatricians never talk about it with patients. They just tell them it’s dangerous and that’s it. Look up James McKenna. He has alot of stuff on co-sleeping.

I actually don't go to a traditional doctor for my pregnancy so one has ever told me not to, and I'm aware of who that is and his studies. It's just a general safety hazard. "Co-sleeping" means sleeping on the same surface as your baby and the bottom line is that's not really safe ever especially how sleep deprived you get with a newborn, there are so many suffocation hazards as well with the types of blankets and pillows on adult beds, too many terrible stories for people think oh, it won't happen to me though. Sharing a room and using a beside bassinet is good enough for them to feel your presence at night, there will be plenty of opportunities to co-sleep while napping where you can be upright and your baby can be properly swaddled so why risk bringing them in your bed

Also, I would recommend at least learning about certain vaccines because there have been outbreaks of measles here in the PNW where it is common to not vaccinate. Just something to think about. I didn't do covid vax either and agree they can be unnecessary and potentially harmful, but there are a number of them too that truly did help people

I work in health care, do my research, and have a highly educated mother who is a CNM. I am fully aware, have all the resources I need, and feel comfortable with the choices I am making ☺️

Like I said bottom line is, unlike other things many mid wives disagree on this is actually something that has caused deaths and there is hard evidence being many women have stories of losing their children to suffocation, so with that being said hope all goes well for you

"I work in healthcare" means nothing when babies literally die from this every year 🤷🏻‍♀️

https://www.checkupnewsroom.com/30-infant-deaths-linked-to-unsafe-sleep-prompt-call-for-awareness/

your reaction is exactly why mothers with differing opinions find it difficult to find likeminded friends and are afraid to voice their thoughts. Good thing we don’t live near each other!

Or you could be an adult and learn to be friends with people with different opinions