The term “attachment parenting” was coined by American paediatrics expert, Dr. William Sears in the 1970s. It is a gentle, sensible, cross-cultural and time-tested view of parenting.
Dr Sears called the five principles of attachment parenting the “Baby B’s”:

1. Birth bonding. Feeling good about the birth of your baby can have a profound effect on the way you bond. Take an active role in planning the birth, and if things don’t go to plan, then there are ways to optimise bonding.

2. Breastfeeding. This is the best way for both you and baby. The health benefits for baby are huge, and have been discussed in an earlier post. For mother, the hormones released while nursing also increase the mothering instinct.

3. Bedsharing. In most societies world-wide, babies sleep with their parents, however, in the West this is quite a controversial issue. Not only is it practical in the early days (no need for cots and cradles), it also encourages bonding and promotes a more restful baby. It also makes night-feeding much easier for mum, who doesn’t have to get up every three hours, but can simply adjust position.
4. Babywearing. It is now widely accepted that wearing your baby in a sling or pouch in the early months is beneficial for baby. Babies were in constant motion during their time in the womb-they went wherever mum went. Carrying baby close to you is a natural extension of this and you will find that baby will cry less and be less fussy. It also means that you can carry on with your routine and take baby with you wherever you go.

5. Belief in the signal value of your baby’s cry. Babies cry for different reasons, but never because they are being bad or naughty. It is their most effective way of communicating and if these cues are ignored then the babies’ needs are being ignored. We want to bring up our children feeling nurtured, secure and valued, but ignoring a baby’s cry teaches him or her that he cannot communicate and his needs will not be met.

These ideas of parenting were quite radical at the time, as most “how to” baby books concentrated on quite the opposite approach. Sleeping alone and ‘controlled’ crying, little touch so as not to ‘spoil’ the child, and scheduled feeding using formula instead of breast were, and still are, popular ways of looking at parenting.

When you are a first time mother, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and uncertain about the approach to adopt. Of course before you have a baby you cannot completely decide on the right parenting style. You have no idea how you will react to your baby and what your baby will need.

As Dr. Sears says in his book The Baby Book, “Parenting is a learn-as-you-go profession. It takes hands-on experience.” Experimenting with different approaches is fine and you will find what best fits your lifestyle. The tools of attachment parenting can be adapted as your child develops, but if you keep an open mind and listen to your baby’s needs then your baby will feel secure and nurtured and you will bond with baby from the beginning.