Earth Mother: A definition.

[spidermama]

I've been Mumsnetting for 2/3 weeks but so far I've only seen 'Earth Mother' being used as a derogatory term.

It's used to imply a smug, self-satisfied woman who judges others.

However, according to Collins English Dictionary an earth mother is ....

1. a female Goddess considered as the source of fertility and life.
   
2. the Earth, personified .... or ....
   
3. a fecund or sensual woman.
   
   Mmm Hmmmm!
   I can understand it's not everyone's cup of tea but I, for one, unashamedly aspire to be an earth mother.

[moondog]

lol at comment re batik trousers. I have a dreadful weakness for tie dye but dh has banned me from going there now I am over 35....

Earth mothers.....sisters and I think they are the kind who would be found swaying in a loony and slightly inappropriate fashion at the front in any sort of 'world music' concert,with long greying har,stringy arms and purple apparel.

Hey! Don't get me wrong. I love EMs and go there myself (home baking,reusable nappies,recycle anything that stays still longer than 2 minutes,but also read the Telegraph and Spectator,buy loads from Boden (bit bored with it now though) and tog my kids out nicely......

(SM..more on placenta burial please!)

[MrsATeam]

ALL....wish I was an earth mother but certainly do not feel like it at all

[bobbybob]

I do:

Slings and hip seats in favour of buggy
Have been known to co-sleep
Extended breastfeeding
Ds wears washable nappies - even when we go out
no makeup
Cook real food from scratch
Avoid artificial things
Recycle

I don't

Do organic
Knit
Wear Tie die
Have loads of kids
Love all children
Love animals
Have vaguely musty smell of hippy (what is that smell?)

[MrsATeam]

LOL welldone bobbybob

[Papillon]

oh no, does that mean we all have to make a list now of our EM status

[Lonelymum]

Could someone please tell me what QUINOA is. I have never heard of it.

Some of this thread is beginning to make me feel I am an earth mother: I tend towards long straight hair, flat, comfy sandals, home cooking etc. But I still think being an earth mother is more about your atate of mnd rather than your personal appearance, so I know I don't really qualify.

Oh and I wouldn't be seen dead with a mooncup (whatever it may be, it sounds disgusting), washable nappies, or burying my placenta (still, at least you didn't cook a casserole with it SM!)

[moondog]

Yes,Papillon!

Lonelymum,quinoa is a grain (actually its a seed I think) which has been eaten in parts of S America for aeons. What is interesting about it,is that it as protein rich as milk.
Use it like rice.
BTW,have long suspected your covert EM status despite your dubious penchant for fish fingers....

[Lonelymum]

Wondered how long it would take you to discover this thread Moondog! No, I am definitely not an earth mother. I don't use reusable nappies, I don't like healthy food, I have never worn tie-dye clothing or cheesecloth, I read the Times FGS!

The only bits of me that are earth motherish are actually just my old fashioned traits.

[moondog]

Hey! Found this thread last night lm!

[moondog]

You can't say you don't like 'healthy food'.
As a definition it makes little sense and furthermore, calls to mind other similarly dodgy epithets such as 'rabbit food' for vegetarians....

[Lonelymum]

Oh yes, so you did!

Been thinking about EM some more. I am also nt an EM because I would never have a voluntary home birth.

[Lonelymum]

What I meant about healthy food was, I don't like all those whole foods - brown rice, brown pasta etc. And all those grains and such like don't appeal either.

Veggies are fine - I love veggies - though not so keen on fruit. Sorry!

[moondog]

God,neither would I! Don't get the no drugs/home birth thing at all (while admiring those who take this route tremendously,I hasten to add!)

What is interesting is the fact that we can have wildly incongruous elements of EM as facets to our personality.

[Lonelymum]

Hey Moondog. Have you seen the thread, currently about half way down active convos called $*&?ing duvets?

[alexsmum]

think the faintly musty smell you are thinking of is patchouli!
i have a friend is a bit of an earth mother. her cupboards are full of organic lentils, she uses cloth nappies, she has chunky home thrown looking mugs for you to drink your herbal tea out of and she carried her babies around in a sling all the time( and a proper sling that goes across the body as opposed to a babybjorn type)she spent time living in india and goes down the tie dye clothes route- a bit. she NEVER wears makeup.
and do you know what? i don't know anyone who doesn't love her. her home although messy is a real haven .

[spidermama]

Good to hear about your friend managing to remain popular, whilst being an earth mother. I'm currently slightly failing in both and wondering which to pursue more avidly.

About placenta burials Moondog .... I had two babies at home in London and delivered the placentas into my favourite mixing bowl. (yum)
DH bought, in the first instance a Corkscrew Hazel, and in the second a Fatsia. Each time he dug a hole and we tipped in the placenta (SPLAT!) then planted the bushes above. Both did very well in soil which, I have to say, was particularly fertile for Brixton.

My next two babies were born in Brighton and we did the same thing, but with two Eucaplyptus trees. Both continue to thrive.

A real hardcore Earth Mother would surely make her placentas into pate and have a placenta party for family and friends (God help them!).

I heard somewhere, and would be interested in corroboration of this, that the hospital sell placentas to cosmetics companies who extract some stuff for their products. Bluerck!

LM have you tried the mooncup? I find it absolutely brilliant and so much less yucky than tampons or, even worse, sanitary towels. Even my sister, who is by no means an earth mother, loves her mooncup. It's the way forwards.

[Cristina7]

"Oh and I wouldn't be seen dead with a mooncup (whatever it may be, it sounds disgusting)"

... you'd need to be pretty exposed to be seen wearing one, Lonelymum.

I should tell my DH he'd qualify for a part-role of Earth Father. He'll be so grateful.

[serenity]

Can we not come up with a new term for those of us who lean towards EM, but are semi yummy too?

[moondog]

alexsmum....you sound surprised to hear that one can be an EM and still loveable!
Spidermama,interesting to hear about the placenta thing. I asked to see mine,but in retrospect too drugged up to do a proper examination. What do you mean re popularity and EM status I wonder?

Lm,I'm on the hunt for that thread.

[moondog]

serenity....earthy mummy?

[Lonelymum]

I'll bump it for you Moondog as it seems to have died a death.

[moondog]

Cheers lm. (Hey you haven't been here since this morning have you? ) Just back from taking my dd and nephew (14,over from France) out horseriding. They loved it. I sat on a log and read the 'Telegraph'.

[snafu]

What about those of us who are neither earthy nor yummy?

[Lonelymum]

No Moondog, I have not been here all day! Dh has gone to China for the week and I am in sole charge of my four. I took them to the library and enrolled them in the summer holiday reading game. Then let them spend their pocket money on tatt. Only just back online myself.

[moondog]

scummy mummy???

Crikey,dealing with four kids alone-!
Wonder what your dh is up to in China?