Parents have a natural instinct to develop that special bond with their new baby. Some parents want to learn the techniques of "attachment parenting" to ensure a strong attachment with their newborns. This style of parenting has been practiced in many cultures for thousands of years.

According to Dr. William Sears, who coined the term and wrote several best-selling books based on his observations of the parent/child relationships in these cultures, attachment parenting is "a highly intuitive, high-touch, style of parenting that encourages a strong early attachment, and advocates consistent parental responsiveness to baby's dependency needs."

In conjunction with the work of Dr. Sears and informed by current research, the non-profit organization Attachment Parenting International (API) has developed The 8 Ideals of Attachment Parenting, which include:

1. Preparing for Child Birth
2. Responding sensitively to child's emotional needs
3. Breastfeeding
4. Baby Wearing  
5. Co-sleeping
6. Avoiding frequent and prolonged separations from your baby  
7. Practicing Positive Discipline  
8. Maintaining balance in family life  

Attachment parents may or may not practice all of the attachment parenting ideals. They can be used as independently as tools to help parents understand their babies' needs and develop a strong attachment.

Dr. Eileen Bolton, a pediatrician at Crosswoods Pediatrics, offers this advice, "The primary developmental task for a child in the first year of life is to learn to trust and develop an attachment to his or her parent."

Dr. Bolton believes attachment parenting is a theory many parents are willing to explore as they think about how to best meet their child's needs. She encourages parents to look at the books and the research, but to make their decisions based on the needs of the child and the family,
which will change and fluctuate over time.

Resources:
Askdrsears.com 
Parenting consultants at the Elizabeth Blackwell Center
Attachmentparenting.org