The Importance of Education before Becoming a Parent

When I was pregnant with my daughter, there was such a heavy focus on what we needed to get before she arrived. I spent hours pouring over registries, baby lists, non toxic baby item lists, etc. And then even more hours creating my own registry and buying things I thought we’d need.

Then she arrived, and we used some of the items, and many items just sat, unused. I had read one book during my pregnancy on being a parent and I’ll just say that now that I am a parent- it’s not one I would recommend.

We spent a lot of hours preparing for her birth. Don’t get my wrong- this WAS and is important work. The education I received on unmedicated childbirth, on how biologically normal child birth is, how my intuition will guide me- really set me up for a fantastic birth experience. I’m now an advocate for out of hospital, unmedicated labor- for putting the power back into the women’s experience.

But, I was in labor for two days and then I brought home a newborn. As a new Mom, I needed education I didn’t have. You’ll often hear as a new parent, if you mention having no idea what you’re doing- “oh it’s fine, you’ll figure it out”. And while I do believe this is PARTLY true (enter your intuition here), I think EDUCATION is what guides your intuition. I like to make educated decisions. Find out everything I can and then weigh pros/cons or risks/benefits etc.

Of course you can’t prepare for ALL of these things ahead of time. Here are some of the areas that I needed education on in my daughters first year of life: vaccines, general illness concerns, sleep, bedsharing, breastfeeding, baby-led weaning, physical development (I’m not talking general milestones), behavior. The list goes on. We go to school for YEARS to learn our area of focus. Parenting is one of the toughest jobs out there. Why is our society is not providing education on parenting-related topics for new parents? Or if it is offered, it’s expensive, difficult to access, or just generally hard to find information about. This is a whole other can of worms.

I attribute A LOT of the fact that I was able to fully enjoy my postpartum period, with no anxiety, and just be present with my girl because I jumped in off the bat to learning about biologically normal infant sleep. I followed people on instagram who shared information that helped me learn. I threw out what society said “should be happening”. I didn’t stress about schedules.

Now I want to give back. I want as many parents as possible to be able to learn about infant sleep. Why infants wake (like actual anthropological and biological reasons). What sleep typically looks like. Bedsharing. Sleep Progressions. Red Flags. Supporting Emotion. The Attachment Relationship. How to follow YOUR intuition (and not your sister-in-laws).

If this sounds like something that appeals to you, sign up for my 2 hour, in person baby sleep class at Root & Rise in Mesa on August 9th. You can sign up here for $30. Not local? There are so many great holistic sleep specialists who have online offerings. Find one that aligns with your views and invest in it or add it to your registry. I promise it’s worth it.