The Babywise Friendly Blogging Network

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When Theo was a newborn, I had no idea what I was doing.  Isn’t that what happens when you have a baby?  You have no clue what to do, and then you figure it all out and think you’re prepared for baby number two.  Baby number two turns out to be number two AND THREE… or just a completely different baby… both of which will inevitably throw you for a total loop.

Theo was just under 3 months old, and still waking up every 3-4 hours at night, and we had no schedule at all during the day.  I was a mess and I wasn’t enjoying my newborn… We were both stressed because I had no idea what he needed sleep wise!

My sister-in-law had mentioned that she used a book to get her baby on a schedule and sleeping through the night and offered to bring it when she came to visit.  I remember thinking “I hope it’s not that controversial Babywise book.”  I had heard SO MANY BAD THINGS about the book.  Supposedly, it told you to ignore your baby if they were crying because they were hungry, and just let them cry if it was time to sleep.  “How could you possibly let your baby cry when they are hungry??”  I thought.
Guess what?  It WAS the Babywise book… and I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by it’s cover… or in this case, judge it by the reviews in your online mom group… but I totally was.  I read the book cover to cover, and not only does it not tell you to ignore your baby if they are crying because they are hungry, it specifically tells you to feed your baby on demand for the first few weeks.

Take that, babywise haters.  In all seriousness though, to each his own, and that’s fine.  I read the book, and Theo was sleeping through the night… as in, 12 hours… two weeks later.  That was enough to put me on the babywise train FOR LIFE.

Valerie, The Babywise Mom quickly became my most visited blog. Whether I was looking for a new discipline method, a resource for how long my toddler should be sleeping, or how to eliminate a nap, she had it all.

Imagine my surprise, when a few months after starting my blog… I got a message in my inbox from Valerie, one of the greatest resources in helping me parent my 3 tiny people.  Her e-mail stated that they have a group of bloggers who follow Babywise, and they would like me to join the group.  Like a total fangirl, I texted one of my friends who is also a fellow Babywise follower… “OMG! Babywise mom just messaged me and asked me to join her babywise blogging group.”

I joined this group, and basically, overnight I gained 7 BFF’s.  Even though we all follow principals from the Babywise book, we are drastically different in our parenting styles.  You guys know that I strive to keep my blog as a judgment free zone.  I like to share what works for me, and if you do the total opposite, I don’t care at all.  THESE AMAZING MAMAS DO THE SAME THING.  I love reading about how other families do things, and adding tips to my pool of resources.

What is the Babywise Friendly Blogging Network?

In Valerie’s own words, here is why she started the Babywise Friendly Blogging Network:

“In 2007, I started my blog in order to help parents with their Babywise questions.   The internet was not a friendly place for Babywise inquiries and I wanted to be a voice for people who needed help and encouragement.

Four years later, in 2011, I wanted to expand that vision beyond myself.  Hearing from one person who does Babywise is nice, but wouldn’t several be even better?  So I started the Babywise Friendly Blog Network.  My vision was to have a group of bloggers who all follow Babywise who could work together to create one massive resource collectively for Babywise parents.  Everyone has different life experiences in general, and this is especially true in parenting.  Among all of us, we could more fully address the needs of parents out there.