I just finished reading Diaper Free: The Gentle Wisdom of Natural Infant Hygiene
The author, Ingrid Bauer, has a very natural approach to most aspects of parenting and has raised three children herself. She carries her babies in-arms as often as possible, skin-to-skin whenever possible; she birthed at home with only a midwife; she encourages breastfeeding until the child is two years old (or whenever the child is ready to wean itself); she supports co-sharing your bed for the first few years; and she views parenting with a very natural and “gentle” view in general. I don’t say this with a negative connotation, but maybe a warning for anyone who may not be on that bandwagon.
Personally I can see the pros and cons of many of these approaches…but I really don’t see us personally doing many of them. It may not be clear to many who read this blog and don’t personally know me, but I am not as down home and “au natural” as I often might seem. I still enjoy wearing labels, I love the finer things in life and there are just some luxury items that I don’t want to live without. But I’m also realistic and don’t let consumerism rule my life…and I find it important to cherish family, learn ways to become more self-sufficient and live a more simple life these days. Even without giving any consideration to what is currently occurring in financial markets and the world, shouldn’t taking more responsibility for yourself and your actions be something we all want to strive for and not the reverse? Isn’t there something to be said for knowing what the food I’m putting in my mouth actually contains and feeling the satisfaction of completing the work that went into producing it?
But I digress…Diaper Free
- Timing patterns and rhythms
- Baby’s signals and body language
- Intuition
- Cueing the baby
When a parent or caretaker begins working towards diaper freedom, they must be patient and ready to focus a lot of time and attention on the baby. You will want to be able to recognize that your baby needs to go to the bathroom or is currently eliminating…which can take several weeks or even months to fully recognize. Things like baby signing are easily tied in with Natural Infant Hygiene and close contact with your baby is often focused on in both of these practices. Wearing your baby also contributes greatly for those looking to tune in more with their child.
The first part of the book introduces the basic principles and foundations of Natural Infant Hygiene, including many first hand accounts of what was done by the author herself and others she talked with who were practicing elimination communication. It also points out all the places outside the Western world that have been using these practices for generations and the benefits your child may experience by working towards being diaper free with you and other caretakers.
The second part of the book then explains exactly what a parent would need to do to start practicing natural infant hygiene, some common problems and set-backs parents may encounter and the importance of finding some sort of support in your decisions, especially when the going gets tough. She discusses the possibility of only doing part-time elimination communication for those who find they don’t have quite enough time for all that is required but still feel they could take their child for eliminations at certain times of the day but aren’t ready to have a naked tooshie running around all the time.
“Natural Infant Hygiene is not about being perfect; it’s about being “response-able” and present to your baby.” This theme is very present in the book and something that will be essential to keep in mind. I think it is going to be interesting to see how easily (or not) this will go…but clearly I need to get my slings and wraps ready. 🙂
Buy yourself a copy of Diaper Free: The Gentle Wisdom of Natural Infant Hygiene Amazon.com
