Yep, the reply function certainly isn't working right! I found mothering.com just before I got pregnant, and I knew I wanted to do all these things (that I'd really found in mothering magazine in the year before - homebirthing, homeschooling, waterbirth, AP, extended breastfeeding, natural living etc). I worked as a nanny, so I knew lots of families but they were all quite mainstream. I found a homebirth midwife, and went to her coffee mornings, and went to Birthwise antenatal classes (Birthwise is good, my group unfortunately turned very mainstream right after the babies were born). Through these groups I met some nice people. One of them told me about EC, and invited me to the Potty Group, and that was great, where I really found friends, and support! We didn't end up with a homebirth in the end, but I'm fine with how it went. DD was induced a week early due to reduced fetal water. then everything was wonderful. although DD breastfed the whole time, except for 7 hours at night. Until DD lost weight at 4 1/2 weeks and we started a 6 month long battle against low supply and low weight gain, and for exclusive breastfeeding, supplementing donated milk in SNS, taking fenugreek and Domp., later on. We go there in the end. And we've done EC and BLW, and DD was in arms all the time until she started crawling. And we still breastfeed, and cosleep at night. She hated the wrap sling, and we couldn't afford trying anything else, then a friend lent me her Ergo at 8 months, and DD, who hardly ever slept, went straight to sleep! We used the Ergo for 6 months or so, then i made a mei tai, and we love it. Now there's a babywearing group in wellington, so we're involved there, and we've still got the Potty Babies, and meet people from the Natural Parent Forum, and we also go to the Steiner Playgroup, which is lovely. My advice is to actively try to make up a network of likeminded mamas, it does take some time and effort, but is well worth it. Check out the homebirthers, homeschoolers, any AP groups, see if there is someone in your are a on TNP forum, that you could meet up with. Steiner groups are also likely to have a lot of AP-minded people. Otherwise you could try starting up a group. Advertise AP or Babywearing or EC, put up some posters, and see what comes of it?
