Listen to your mother
Written: Jul 08 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: gives a different perspective, excellent breastfeeding resource
Cons: only quarterly
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| jenb123's Full Review: The Compleat Mother Magazine |
What is The Compleat Mother? It is an alternative to "incomplete" parenting publications most are used to. Within the black and white pages of this quarterly magazine you won’t find useless information, no full page ads for designer baby clothes or Teletubby baby bottles. You won’t find articles encouraging you to ignore your instincts nor will important information be sugar-coated.
Mothers who choose a simple and natural approach to parenting their children are typically left out of the glossy parenting magazines on the newsstand. When a new mother sees a baby in a 350.00 outfit on a cover and nothing but baby food, formula and disposable diaper ads in popular publications, she might not know there are alternatives. As a result, mothers who choose to adopt an instinctive or attachment style of parenting are led to believe they are “radical” or “different” than what is considered the norm. Few magazines even mention issues facing many mothers, issues The Compleat Mother covers these topics and more in a straightforward way.
The Compleat Mother is the magazine of pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding. Homebirth, extended nursing and the family bed are embraced by The Mother. Features such as Off The Line highlight current studies that you won’t find in Baby Talk. In the Summer 2000 issue you’ll find reassurance about co-sleeping. Though many have heard The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s seriously lacking report suggesting sleep-sharing is dangerous, you might not know that pediatric experts disagree. The Mother quotes Johns Hopkins family health scientist Dr. Janet DiPietro as saying
“The recent evidence that when babies share beds with their parents, that their mothers in particular helps the babies regulate their own breathing, their own temperature and so on...that, in fact, may be protective against sudden infant death.”
This is not a shocking or radical revelation, yet is not mentioned in most magazines. Other experts have said this for quite some time, yet you’re more likely to find articles on decorating your nursery or dressing your baby in most major magazines. I suppose promoting the family bed won’t exactly sell cribs or matching bumpers.
You’ll also find information about the benefits of breastfeeding, the risks of not breastfeeding, evidence discouraging routine infant circumcision and other timely information. While the pages of Parents feature advertisements for infant formula and disposable diapers, The Mother focuses on breastfeeding information and natural products. UNICEF‘s recommendation that babies be breastfed for at least two years is not overlooked nor is the World Health Organization’s international Code prohibiting distribution of free samples and promotion of formula in health care settings.These important topics are sadly overlooked all too often.
Other features include Mother to Mother, a regular editorial by Catherine Young and Dear Mother Dear which includes reader questions and announcements. Readers from all over the world share anecdotes, comments and praise inLitters, another regular feature.
Ever see articles and interviews with celebrity moms? Maybe a tour of the designer nursery or a look at their beauty regimen? The Mother shares Xena Warrior Princess star Lucy Lawless’ recommending homebirth after having her son at home in water. While she said she preferred her homebirth experience to a hospital birth, she didn’t comment on her baby’s layette...Leather or cotton?
Rather than models and retouched photos, portraits of nursing couples grace the cover and pages of The Compleat Mother and musings of mothers from all over are spread throughout the magazine. Cartoons and poetry with an attachment parenting feel add to the mix and readers’ comments, letters and articles share wisdom, wit and a feeling of camaraderie that is missing from grocery store periodicals.
The Compleat Mother has fewer pages (and fewer advertisements) than many magazines, a mere 55 pages per issue, 4 times per year. The ads that are featured are for natural parenting products, mother-owned businesses, pregnancy and homebirth supplies and cloth diapers. I actually enjoyed the ads as they alerted me to small businesses and baby products I won’t find at Babies R Us.
Some may be find some of the ideas in The Compleat Mother to be radical or “too crunchy” for their tastes, but many will feel empowered instead. Points of view you might never have considered can be interesting and educational. Mothers who feel “left out” after reading American Baby will enjoy a magazine where tandem and extended nursing is discussed in a positive light. Rather than alienating those who question vaccine safety or the need to circumcise, The Mother offers insight that would otherwise be overlooked in favor of a full page ad for Gerber in other publications .
Even if you haven’t considered breastfeeding beyond six weeks or have never heard of babywearing, The Compleat Mother is still a worthwhile read. As they say at La Leche League, take with you what you can use...leave the rest. Whether you are a natural, attachment parenting mother or a new parent looking for other points of view, you will definitely learn something from The Compleat Mother, and you might just enjoy it too.
You won’t find The Compleat Mother next to the TV Guide. Visit www.CompleatMother.com for more information. A one year 4 issue subscription is 12.00 and two years is 20.00.
Recommended:
Yes
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jenb123
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Location: IL
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