If you haven’t yet heard the term “scrunchy mom,” it’s basically the word coined to describe moms who are a mixture of both silky and crunchy moms. Silky mamas embrace all things modern like medicine (hello, medicated births), formula feed their babies and use disposable diapers. The crunchy moms turn to alternative medicine, focus solely on breastfeeding and are known for their love of cloth diapering. Scrunchy moms practice a little bit of both, and I think this is a great thing to be stuck in the middle on.
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For me, I identify as a scrunchy mom because I had a planned unmedicated birth, formula feed (though I tried desperately to breastfeed and it just didn’t happen for me) and am all about those disposable diapers. I fall in between, and it’s a great place to me. Here’s why it’s so fantastic to be a scrunchy mom.
1. The best of both worlds
Being a scrunchy mom means that you have the ultimate understanding with yourself not to just do something because you have this all-encompassing belief to sway in one direction. It means that you get to take the best from both sides and always figure out what works best for you and your family based on your current needs.
2. No mom guilt when you can’t afford organic foods
Organic foods are super-expensive, and if you’re anything like me, you buy them when they’re on sale or fall into the family monthly food budget. Being a scrunchy mom means not having to put that extra stress and mom guilt on yourself if all organic isn’t an option. You do what you can.
3. Fed is best, & no one can tell you any different
As long as your baby is nourished and full, then you can sleep soundly at night without the added pressure to make sure your breastfeeding game is top notch. If breastfeeding works for you and your family, great. If not, it’s a totally stress-free if you reach for formula instead.
4. You’re a rock star when it comes to compromise
Being scrunchy means that you’re always weighing the pros and cons of every single situation until you figure out what works best. Your decisions are based upon your families’ needs and if an immediate answer isn’t apparent, you’re able to find the best common ground possible.
5. You have all the options when it comes to transporting your baby
While a crunchy mom would be all for baby-wearing and a silky mom would opt for a stroller, you can choose both if you like. If your concerns are more focused on attachment parenting and being close to your baby, then hold her close in a sling. But if that’s not your thing, strapping them in a safe stroller is an awesome alternative.
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6. You don’t have to deal with vaccination drama
With most schools requiring vaccination for entry and your understanding of modern-day medicine, your kids will most likely have all their shots up to date. Not having to deal with all the drama that comes along with a pro/con vaccination debate is a sweet deal.
7. Your sleeping arrangements boil down to what works best
Co-sleeping and crib sleeping are both great options and work for so many people for different reasons. But we also know that bringing a new baby home from the hospital means that it takes time to find your best sleep groove, and being a scrunchy mom means that you can put your effort into figuring out if having baby in bed works better or if being in the crib is her favorite instead of forcing one or the other.
8. No scrubbing poop out of cloth diapers… unless you want to get your hands dirty
I’m all for protecting the environment, and I completely get that using disposable diapers is bad for landfills, but the thought of dirty diapers semi-washed in our tiny NYC apartment hamper until laundry day makes me gag. Therefore, I choose not to cloth diaper, and it’s a decision that I can live with.
9. Opting for an epidural is totally OK
I planned for an unmedicated birth because I had an epidural the first time around and I wanted to experience labor in a different way. I went in knowing what I wanted with everyone around me ready to follow my birth plan, but also made an agreement with myself if I wasn’t able to handle that pain that having an epidural was OK — and it is! There’s nothing wrong with making this decision if it’s the best one for you. After all, you know your body better than anyone else.
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10. You’ll encourage your kids to take on life the same way
The ability to look at the pros and cons of every situation to find how it’s best for you to move forward is a great quality and something that your kids will watch you do their entire lives. Growing up with that influence will allow them to go through this decision-making process when making choices in life instead of flying by the seat of their pants.
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