Which "mom" type are you?

What kind of mother am I? Have you ever been asked this? Have you ever asked yourself this question? It seems these days, mothers are put into categories of many kinds:

• Crunchy
• Semi-crunchy
• Working/professional
• Stay at home mom
• Teen mom

Basically, if you practice one of the following, you are on your way to the snap, crackle, CRUNCH:
 extended breastfeeding (beyond a year)
 cloth diapers
 home schooling
 drug-free births
 baby wearing
 adoptive breastfeeding
 co-sleeping or family beds
 full-time parenting

Another definition: a home birthing, extended breastfeeding, co-sleeping, cloth diapering, baby wearing, non circing, non vaxing, organic feeding, baby-led, attachment parenting mama.

So, I guess I fall into that category! I am all about natural parenting. It's my calling. I could never do CIO (cry it out) with my babies. I just mentally couldn't do it. So we all bedshare. It works for us. We get more sleep and breastfeeding is more convenient that way. Our daughter is going to be 3, in November. She still sleeps with us 5 out of 7 nights a week. Sometimes, every night. She falls asleep in the recliner, her bed, or on the floor and will sleep there all night. If she wakes up, she will find our bed. Its pretty big (a king), so it's not hard for her to jump in and go back to sleep.Our son is 5 months old. He sleeps next to me every night, all night long. He's never slept anywhere other than next to me. I'm not saying that everyone should bedshare. There are SAFE guidelines to bedsharing.
The Safe Sleep Seven:

1. No smoking for Mama
2. Sober Parents- No alcohol & no sleep meds
3. Breastfeeding mother- day & night
4. Healthy, Full term baby
5. Baby on his/her back
6. No sweat, no swaddle!
7. Safe Surface- no super soft mattress, no heavy blankets, no toys, no extra pillows. Don't cover the head, only the body. Fill in any gaps between the bed using towels or baby blankets.

 I don't agree with making a baby or a child for that matter, cry themselves to sleep. If they are crying, something isn't right. Crying is an obvious cue for mother to fix the problem. There are better ways to do it. You can let them fall asleep and then place them their bed. You can lay one of your shirts next to baby, so they can smell you. Babies get a sense of comfort and calm when held by mama. They feel protected and relaxed when you are there. You can't blame them. Their whole world revolves around YOU. And vice versa...

I'm definitely not a teen mom. I was 21 when I had my daughter. Still young, but not a teenager. I have nothing against them. My mother had me when she was 16. We grew up together. She told me all the time how she missed out on a lot being a teen mom. So I just don't see the rush that most young women are Into. Have fun! Don't rush into being an adult. Children are huge responsibilities! They change you. They change your relationships. All of them. Your friends will change, you will, your goals and dreams change, your responsibilities, the way you interact with other people your age, your relationship with family can change, and your romantic relationships change as well. Suddenly, it's not about you two anymore. It's about the baby. You lose that alone time. You lose sleep. You lose sanity. You lose your free spirit sometimes as well, because you have to quickly become responsible for another human being. I go back in my mind to when I was 16. I can NOT imagine me, the naive Amanda- walking around with a baby to be responsible for. Not because I couldn't do it. But because I was a child. Mentally more than anything. I could've done it, but my choices for that baby would not be the same ones that I make today. I probably would've formula fed my baby. Not that formula is bad. I used formula on my daughter after 6 weeks. But I would've chose formula for the WRONG reasons. Like, so I can go out with friends easier. Or because I am too immature to be selfless. Or maybe even because I'm going to school and pumping would be too much for me to handle. The way I would've parented as a teen, is probably the complete OPPOSITE of the way I mother now, as an adult. My world was about my boyfriend. My cellphone. My grades. My popularity. My mischievous behavior. I am so happy that I didn't have a baby as a teenager. I would not have been ready. I wouldn't have been ready at 18 or 19 either. I have changed so much in the past 5 years, I don't even know the person I was then. So my parenting would've been different as well. I'm happy with how I've evolved as a mother.
I am not a working/professional mom. Have I worked? Yes. Will I work again? Yes. But right now, my life is at home. With my babies. When my children are in school I plan to start college again. Or start a business. But right now, all I plan to be is a mother. 24/7. My children need me at home. They need me to be there to feed them, to talk to them, to teach them, and to know them. I like knowing EVERYTHING about them. I know how many times a day Gracie watches 101 Dalmatians. And that she can draw a smiley face. I wouldn't know that if I wasn't sitting next to her while she was coloring. I looked down at her work and she drew a smile. It was such a big deal for the both of us. She never drew anything other than shapes. I was so excited, I asked her to draw 10 more smiles for me!! I wouldn't even know she can do that, had I been at work. Those little things mean so much to me. I don't see myself anywhere but home. Happily, at least. I'm fortunate enough to be able to stay home. A lot of moms are not. I'm so thankful that Wesley is a hard working father. He works 5 days a week. He leaves at 5:30am and doesn't come home until 4pm. He works physically. He busts his butt. Thankfully it's for good money! He has worked weekends, even months at a time without ANY days off. He's worked double shifts and asked to work more. He is an awesome worker. He will do anything to make sure his children have food and we can live comfortably. He did graduate college, but doesn't want to work in the field he got hid degree in. And that is disappointing for him, but he is very determined. I have faith in him. He can do anything that he sets his mind to.
"Semi- Crunchy" is more, ME. I cloth diaper, breastfeed, co sleep, co bathe, baby wear, I'm at home 24/7, I have had a natural birth, but I want an unassisted home birth someday! I didn't circumcise my son, I question vaccinations and I try to keep my children on a healthy eating path. I am an attachment parenting mama. I like using positive encouragement. We are doing baby led weaning. The only thing I can not say I do when it comes to being "crunchy", is eating only organic. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea! But we both love greasy pizza and Chinese take out way too much to give it up for good. However, I do plan to have a garden of vegetables. That's on my list. And after learning how chickens that we eat are treated, I may switch to organic meats. I have already told Wesley that I want chickens. I had them growing up and I loved getting fresh eggs. It was so fun taking care of baby chicks. Or as my grandma calls them, "bitties". Wesley plans to buy a WHOLE cow or maybe raising some ourselves. I think we are on our path to being 95% crunchy! We will always love our greasy pizza!