Latham Thomas is a Maternity Lifestyle Maven, founder of Mama Glow and author of bestseller Mama Glow: A Hip Guide to Your Fabulous Abundant Pregnancy, foreword by Dr. Christiane Northrup. Latham is on the vanguard of transforming the maternal & women’s wellness movement. Bridging the gap between optimal wellness, spiritual growth, and radical self-care Latham Thomas is emerging as the go-to-guru for modern holistic lifestyle for women during pregnancy and beyond. She is also the mother of an exceptional (and we mean spectacular) child. How’d he get that way? Read on;
There is a unique fascination in our culture with making children independent early on. Our young spend 40 weeks gestating within, listening to the rhythm of our heartbeat, and the muffled sound of our voice and the ambient soundtrack of our lives. When we birth our young depend on our nurturing, our milk, and bonding for survival. They relish in the drunken stupor of post-breastfeeding in our loving arms and next to the warm bossom. They are completely helpless and learn about the world through how we respond to their needs. Children that are held are not spoiled, they are comfortable. Children who are breastfed are not clingy, they emotionally developed. Children who sleep in the bed with their parents do not grow up to be socially inept, they are well adjusted. I convey this with full confidence because I live with a masterful example of a well-adjusted child who had every need met.
My son was born on July 13th, 2003, on a Sunday afternoon at Elizabeth Seton Childbearing Center on 14th street. Its an inside joke that he was born next door to one of NYC’s hottest nightclubs- the Darby, and turned out to be one of the youngest and most successful DJs in the country, must have been all the music. I had a beautiful natural primal birth where my son was placed upon my chest as soon as he emerged and that’s where we fell in love. I walked home with him 6 hours after he was born, in complete awe that he was here.
I shared the bed with Fulano as a little one because it just felt right. I didn’t have any scientific research to tell me- I just did what I knew deep down inside was right for me and my son. It seemed easier to breastfeed from the bed than walking to another room to nurse him. I got so much more restful sleep than other moms I knew because we were co-sleeping. I still allow him to climb in with me whenever he wants to, which isn’t that frequent, because I know that one day it will end- he will want his privacy and will develop into a young man. I breastfed Fulano until he was 3 years old, he never drank from a bottle, which meant we were always together. I carried him on my hip or in a sling most of the time. He observed so much from that vantage point, and was an early talker and even earlier singer.
From his sling he would watch me cook. My son started cooking with me when he could stand, I assigned age appropriate activities in the kitchen and we still cook together once a day. I know from personal experience now that my son is 10 years old, and in his first year of middle school, that how he was born, the amount of time spent snuggled against me and having all of his needs met, has turned him into an incredible force in the world. He believes he can do anything. He has such a profound sense of self-esteem and self worth. He knows when he speaks that he will be heard. He is comfortable in his skin and is grounded in purpose.
Fulano is already a successful DJ and entrepreneur at age 10 having spun tunes for President Bill Clinton, NBA, Morgan Stanley, Today Show, DVF, GAP, VH1, Vogue Bambini, and more. He is also a huge animal advocate and helps rescue injured baby birds upstate and has a collection of pets in the city. He is an avid snake lover and currently on a huge crusade to help save snakes and educate people about the misunderstood creature. He is involved in several children’s charities and launching an interactive kids’ website soon. I support all of his dreams because it’s our job as parents to recognize their potency- to see them, hear them, uplift them. We are also meant to learn a great deal from them.
It’s only because Fulano feels confident and self-assured and knows from love he can do anything. He has never been emotionally needy- or any of these perceived negative notions associated with Attachment Parenting. AP children are emotionally literate, they are empathetic, they feel secure. Attachment parenting is about solidifying an innate drive and connection to love and nurture. Each of us comes to this planet like a seed- encoded with infinite potential to be a powerful force in the world, we come here with an imprint and like plants need water, clean air, and sunlight to flourish- we too need the proper elements to thrive. I believe when we receive what we need early on, it shapes the arc of one’s life in a beautiful way. It allows fertile soil for you to grow in, firm roots, and helps you rise towards the skies. We all could love a little harder, hug a little longer, and smile a little brighter. Children need our more love than ever- this world is the way it is because of a lack of love, a lack of touch, a lack of listening, hand holding, hugs, breastfeeding, etc. The visceral connection to the mother earth has been lost, respect for animals- rather than dominion over them, respect for women, the list is long and arduous- but I am so hopeful because I know that I am raising a child who will spread love and joy in this world.
Just because we live in a high tech world doesn’t mean we have evolved from our primal ways. Our brains are hardwired for love and bonding. We bonded in ancient times because our lives depended upon it- our survival still depends upon us bonding together as a global community, but that starts on a micro-scale at home with each of us providing the best that we can for our children. Today I help women give birth to their babies and become the most powerful version of themselves- owning their glow power and rocking motherhood. I was inspired by his birth to help other women reclaim their birth process and parent in a way that feels authentic to them. The key is having support and community, finding resources, and listening to your heart. When you look back you’ll never regret those moments you cuddled in bed with your child, how sweet they smelled, and soft their cheeks were- these moments build memories and when they pass, they are gone.
“It wasn’t until I was pregnant that I became overly conscious of how much I only wanted to have positive things around me; people, food and energy! I also saw how easy it is to think of birth as a series of decisions that someone else is making for us. But we women are powerful and almighty and Mama Glow helps show us just how empowered we can be all the way throughout this glorious time in our lives!”
–Alicia Keys- Grammy award winning recording Artist
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