Way to go mommy! You did it! You carried this amazing baby for 40 weeks (give or take). You may have been sick, you were uncomfortable, you watched your little jeans fade into the distance as they were replaced with cotton stretchy pants. You took those awful prenatal vitamins and you ate right, sometimes 10 times a day. You read books and you were given advice by hundreds of “helpful experts.” Now here you are…officially on to the next stage. You are now thinking about personality and wondering…how hard is this going to be? How is my life going to change? At this point you may automatically relate the word “discipline” to words like “time-out” or “grounding” or “spanking.” Discipline may seem like a tool for the future but it is not. It is now. It arrived at birth and begins at the breast. The very frist step is guiding your baby to latch properly. If it hurts, you break the latch and try again. You are teaching your baby what is right and what is wrong. You are doing this because you know what is best. You are unafraid, confident, patient, and best of all, consistant. You may work at this over and over but it is the right thing to do. You will also be waking him up so he can nurse every 1 to 2 hours. You know this is what is best for him and for you. He may be sleepy but you are a wise mommy and you are guiding him to bring your milk in and thrive. You will also be teaching your baby how to be content. You know “self soothing” is wrong and that babies are meant to be soothed by mommy and guided towards contentment and independence. He can’t walk or talk and you are learning to be a mommy. You start by responding to all of his cues to nurse. You keep your baby close to you night and day so that each time his eyes flutter, fingers twitch or he starts to fuss, he will be nursed right away. You are teaching him that he does not need to wail and cry to have his needs met and setting up the framework for less tantrums in the future. You have not allowed pacifiers or bottles. No! You want happiness and contentment for him and no substitute will work long term. You nurse on demand and wear him and pour love all over him. He is snuggled and nursed and soothed and this is beginning to shape his character into a lovely, happy, peaceful child.