Two of my favorite things:
1️⃣. Knitting
2️⃣. Books that empower parents to make truly informed decisions for themselves and their babies.
If you're pregnant, you've probably heard of #breastisbest and #fedisbest. One slogan touts the scientific benefits of exclusive breastmilk feeding. The other arose as a way to justify formula feeding or partial breastmilk feeding.
Maybe you've also heard the phrase, "All that matters is a healthy baby." Sound like gaslighting to you? It certainly does to me.
A healthy, adequately fed baby is the BARE MINIMUM of what parents should be hoping for. Empowering, optimal birth/postpartum/breast/chestfeeding experiences are what families actually deserve. We have to stop patting disappointed, traumatized new parents on the backs and saying, "Well, at least the baby is alive. Be grateful for that." We can do so much better.
#informedisbest is a much more truthful, kind, and trauma-informed slogan to use when it comes to infant feeding and parenthood in general. Not everyone will be able to have a vaginal birth or be able to exclusively breast/chestfeed. Heck, not everyone has to want these things. They aren't for everyone. THAT'S A-OK, folks. Regardless, everyone has the right to all of the truly evidence-based information, appropriate healthcare, and genuine support that the world has to offer them.
#informedisbest is written by @prof_amybrown, whose books focus primarily on kind and evidence-based infant feeding practices. This book doesn't give advice but instead focuses on how to read and interpret research, spot biases and untrustworthy research, filter through bad advice and social media misinformation, and how to ultimately make the best decisions for yourself, your baby, and your family. The info in this book is very applicable to everything pregnancy, birth, and parenting. I highly recommend it to my lactation consultation clients and my childbirth education students.
