So what does natural mothering mean?
This is the foundation for who I am. Natural mothering is what comes naturally. It's just whatever works for me. And natural mothering is also whatever works for you too.
Now you may think, "Well, the name of the site is Natural Birth and Mothering, so this gal must live in a hut, eat only organic food grown on her own land, never go to the doctor, birth her babies in the field and then get right back to work in her garden." Not so!
And I'm not saying there is anything wrong with any of these things. They work fine for some mothers maybe, but not for me. I happen to like four solid walls, a roof, and air-conditioning, not to mention giving birth indoors! :)
But yes, I do use some "natural" products that help me and my family, and I am a proponent for natural birth, but only if a natural birth works for you, and all the necessary preparations and research is done. But I know that it doesn't work for all women. Mothers should do what works for them.
Because for one, I believe birthing AND mothering in general should be an enjoyable experience. It should be a natural occurrence of who you already are, and who you've always been.
Natural mothering is an awakening of all that you are, and it naturally flows from you.
So lets take me for example...
I have have always been the practical sort of girl. Growing up, my sister had fun dressing up nice and owning a million different pairs of shoes. Me, I was the plain Jane that always wore jeans and a T-shirt. And one time, my friends even gave me a little "Makeover Story" for my birthday. (It was video-taped even -so funny!) It just wasn't practical for me to spend money on clothes, I had other things to do.
I'm also the weird sort of nerd-artist. I know how to utilize both my right-brained creative side with my left-brained math whiz side. Yep, I'm an artist who's good in math too!
I'm someone who likes to take on projects and get them done! But I also like to work out the details, and actually like the detailed work of balancing my checkbook and other such things. I'm also able to see if something or even a small part of something will work or not in projects, and in life in general. I can visualize the outcome, and do what it takes to match my effort to the desired outcome.
I'm known as an introvert and independent and could spend hours by myself working on a project. But I still recognize the need for relationships, especially close relationships like those found within my family.
I also love learning new things, and ways to help my life improve. So I'm good at following directions and implementing systems in whatever I'm doing.
So with this get-it-done attitude and results oriented mindset... When I see a problem, I look for the best solution for the problem, and then implement it into my life. I'm a systems gal, I LOVE systems... Anything to make my life easier and more enjoyable, I'm there!
So... What does this have to do with natural mothering???
Well, I'll tell ya! For my natural mothering style, I've found things and systems that work for me! Some things are recognized as "natural" and some are not. But the point is they work for me and for my personality.
So with my problem solving mentally, I've found a system that allows me to take care of the health problems in my family without the side-effects of certain drugs. I've also found a system that works for me that allows me to enjoy my baby's birth without the negative effect of drugs and unnecessary interventions. I've found a system for keeping my house clean... (though it's not always clean... hey, I'm not perfect!) I've found a way to grocery shop sale items and incorporate those items into my daily meals without having to make up a meal plan or a grocery list. I've also found a system to build an additional income for my family while being able to stay home with the kids, because I believe that's important to me and for my personality of desiring to build close relationships an yet allowing my children to be independent at the same time. And I could go on and on!
But these are things that work for me. Would they work for everybody? No way! But are there mothers out there that I could help? You bet!
So that's what this blog is all about, me sharing my ideas and helping other mothers find solutions to their problems. I help them implement them into their life, but all according to their own natural mothering style.
