Yesterday on my way to my Aunt's house I stopped by the side of the road to hold my daughter over the nature-strip and let her wee, and we had a breastfeed while we were there. Then when I got to my Aunt's house I told her that I felt I had truly earned the title "hippy" after that. We had a laugh, and my Aunt said she thought the image of me ECing and feeding by the side of the road was very "gypsy-mama". What was really interesting was that when I explained EC to my Aunt it struck a positive cord.
My Aunt felt that EC made a lot of sense because it kept the baby aware of her body in a way that she would need to be aware (or re-learn how to be aware) of it later in life. This was the major reason my partner and I decided to take up the challenge of poo and wee catching.
I suppose I'm always a little surprised when one of our "alternative" lifestyle choices (interesting how often the word "alternative" is used in lieu of the word "natural" in mainstream society, methinks) is well-received by someone who didn't make the same choice for themselves. Pleasently surprised, of course. In any case, my Aunt's interest and enthusiasm for EC lulled me into a false sense of security...
Today, after another public catch over a small garden out the front of a supermarket, I went to a maternal and child health clinic to find out about connecting with other women and babies on a regular basis. While we were in the waiting room my baby had to go, so I held her over a sink and caught a wee and a poo and gave the sink a clean when we were done. When we went in to speak to the nurse my bub sat in my lap happy as my baby and nappy free, and the nurse said to my baby "Wow, your Mum's brave!" I explained EC to her and she replied "Oh yes, I know all about Chinese parenting" (funny, coz I don't!). According to this nurse all the women in China practice EC wherever they are, though what degree of research she based that assertion on is unclear to me.
Anyway, she went on to make certain comments to me in such a way that suggested she really wanted to discourage me from continuing to EC. For example she said "learning their signals is really very hard. But I think once you learn them it goes alright". It was strange to hear because she obviously didn't realise that I am an ECer who already knows her baby's cues. But what really made me laugh on the inside was her comment about "cultural differences". She said "the only real issue with doing it here" (by which she meant "not China") "is that it is likely to offend people. I mean, you could NEVER do it by the side of the road in this country!"
:D
My Aunt felt that EC made a lot of sense because it kept the baby aware of her body in a way that she would need to be aware (or re-learn how to be aware) of it later in life. This was the major reason my partner and I decided to take up the challenge of poo and wee catching.
I suppose I'm always a little surprised when one of our "alternative" lifestyle choices (interesting how often the word "alternative" is used in lieu of the word "natural" in mainstream society, methinks) is well-received by someone who didn't make the same choice for themselves. Pleasently surprised, of course. In any case, my Aunt's interest and enthusiasm for EC lulled me into a false sense of security...
Today, after another public catch over a small garden out the front of a supermarket, I went to a maternal and child health clinic to find out about connecting with other women and babies on a regular basis. While we were in the waiting room my baby had to go, so I held her over a sink and caught a wee and a poo and gave the sink a clean when we were done. When we went in to speak to the nurse my bub sat in my lap happy as my baby and nappy free, and the nurse said to my baby "Wow, your Mum's brave!" I explained EC to her and she replied "Oh yes, I know all about Chinese parenting" (funny, coz I don't!). According to this nurse all the women in China practice EC wherever they are, though what degree of research she based that assertion on is unclear to me.
Anyway, she went on to make certain comments to me in such a way that suggested she really wanted to discourage me from continuing to EC. For example she said "learning their signals is really very hard. But I think once you learn them it goes alright". It was strange to hear because she obviously didn't realise that I am an ECer who already knows her baby's cues. But what really made me laugh on the inside was her comment about "cultural differences". She said "the only real issue with doing it here" (by which she meant "not China") "is that it is likely to offend people. I mean, you could NEVER do it by the side of the road in this country!"
:D
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