Green Options » cosleeping

“Restfull” Infant Formula is Full of Something

Cate Nelson — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:45:22 +0000

Can’t get that baby to sleep through the night?

Want those full 9 hours of sleep you remember?

Pump your baby full of Enfamil’s “Restfull” formula! It’s,

Specially designed to help babies feel full longer and sleep better…[It] thickens gently in baby’s tummy and digests slowly.

Because didn’t you hear? Formula-feeding is apparently,

A natural way to help keep your baby feeling satisfied.

Ri-ight. Because as a natural parent, when you’re not forcing your baby to sleep through the cry-it-out method, certainly you’re hoping to find something that will stick in their bellies. Or even better, something that will magically “thicken” in their bellies.

What Babies Want

Cate Nelson — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:21:00 +0000

Maybe it’s not just babywearing. Maybe it’s not gentle parenting. Maybe it’s not cosleeping and breastfeeding. Maybe attachment starts at birth.

I had two natural hospital births. The first was empowering, a group of women cheering me on while I pushed. For the second, in the 10 whole minutes I was pushing, I was instructed to stop so they could get a read on his heart and prep the room. I can only imagine what fun we would have had if I’d been there longer.

For both, I thought I could run a marathon afterward, if I didn’t have to breastfeed immediately! I was strong and able.

But I’m one of the lucky ones. I was given a good birth legacy, a “Your body is capable. It can do this!” (Thanks, Mom.) Many are not so lucky. They are told that labor and delivery will be scary, painful, unmanageable without medications.

I think for most people birth is a nightmare
It hasn’t been what a baby would want.

In our births, is it only about us? When are we going to start asking, “What does baby want?”

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Where Attachment Parents Lose Ground

Cate Nelson — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:00:10 +0000

Guilt. Augh, the guilt.

Many of us practice some form of natural parenting. Many of us choose breastmilk, cosleeping, babywearing, and whole foods for our babies and families.

But lately, I’ve noticed that something is lacking with a few vocal members of the attachment parenting community. Empathy. Yep, that’s putting yourself in another’s shoes.

You don’t have to agree. You don’t have to sanction. But it’d be nice if some APs would understand that it’s not as easy as popping a baby on a breast or in your bed. Life is not the same for everyone out there. Our experiences are different. Our reactions are different.

And until the Attachment Parenting community isolates the elitists, it will be hard to gain ground.

Media Misrepresentation: Cosleeping Blamed for Infant’s Death

Jennifer Lance — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 19:02:00 +0000

Every parent’s worse nightmare is to find their infant dead after putting them to sleep, and often, cosleeping is portrayed by the media as dangerous practice. While watching the news at my father’s house, such a tragic death was discussed, and cosleeping was blamed. A child became trapped between the adult bed and the wall, and he lost his young life. The crying parents were featured on the news begging parents not to sleep with their children. As an avid cosleeping parent, I found the report misleading. It stated that 60 children a year die from cosleeping, but the real cause may lay elsewhere.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is also known as “crib death”, and 1 in 1000 children die from it, according to a SIDS Foundation of Washington. The causes vary, and one researcher in New Zealand claims toxic nerve gases in crib mattresses are to blame. Other studies claim an abnormality in the brains of children that prevent oxygen release is to blame. No matter what the cause, it is definitely advisable to place babies on their backs and to remove bedding, pillows, etc. that can cause suffocation.

Cosleeping is not to blame for children’s deaths, but unsafe bedding practices, whether in cribs or adult beds pose a threat. In fact according to Healthy Child, “The benefits of co-sleeping are enormous as co-sleeping positively affects a baby’s emotional and physical health. When safe co-sleeping guidelines are followed, SIDS rates for co-sleeping infants are actually lower than for crib-sleeping infants. Breastfeeding is known to reduce the risk of SIDS, and co-sleeping definitely allows for more frequent breastfeeding. Some doctors and researchers believe that during co-sleeping, the physiological regulation of the baby’s breathing and heartbeat with the mother’s makes co-sleeping safer regarding SIDS. Mothers who sleep directly next to their babies can sense the proximity of their babies in order to avoid smothering them. The sleep studies done in the laboratory of James J. McKenna, Ph.D. of cosleeping/bed-sharing mother and infant pairs (2 to 4 month olds) reveal that both breastfeeding mothers and their infants are extremely sensitive throughout the night - across all sleep stages - to the movements and physical condition of the other. Mothers who sleep with their babies can readily respond to changes in the baby’s status - such as if it were choking or struggling to breathe.” They also provide Guidelines for Sleeping Safely With Your Baby.

I cannot imagine the tragedy of losing a child to a preventable situation families experience; however, I believe that the media should not place blame where blame is not due. Cosleeping does not cause death. Unsafe conditions that may exist in adult beds and cribs can cause death, especially if the child is prone to lack of oxygen release.

Cosleeping

Jennifer Lance — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 03:21:00 +0000

I am a big advocate for cosleeping with your infant and toddler. I love this snuggle time and cherish it as a way to reconnect physically with my child after a busy day. I cannot imagine placing my newborn baby in a crib and having to get up every time the child needed to breastfeed. Cosleeping, for me, means a better nights sleep for both my child and me. That being said, cosleeping is not right for everyone, and I respect the choices parents make.

The Natural Child Project featured a wonderful parenting site this month called Tribal Baby. Tribal Baby asks the question, “‘How would we raise our baby if we were in a tribe?’ This is the question we asked ourselves when deciding the best way to raise our baby. Our research tells us that many of the things that our ancestors did through necessity, are still the most beneficial things for our baby today.” Sleep sharing is a topic featured on this great parenting site. Tribal Baby lists many natural consequences for “Night Nesting”:
*’thermal synchrony’ in which I regulate baby’s temperature with the temperature of my own body.
*’sleep synchrony’ in which our sleep patterns begin to match so nightly arousals are far less disturbing, are not even noticed a lot of the time.
*regulation of baby’s arousal patterns
*regulation of baby’s body temperature
*regulation of baby’s metabolic rate
*regulation of baby’s hormone levels
*regulation of baby’s enzyme production (which improves antibody levels and thus ability to fight bugs.)
*regulation of baby’s heart rate
*regulation of baby’s breathing (baby has lower oxygen levels when alone)
*regulation of baby’s immune system (the skin to skin contact releases oxytocin to boost baby’s immune system)
*bonding continues through the night as well as during the day

Of course, cosleeping is not appropriate for an intoxicated parent and you do have to adapt your habits with pillows and covers to ensure the child’s safety. We have followed Dr. Sears’ advice and placed our crib beside our bed as a sidecar, with one crib wall removed. This has extended our queen sized bed to accomodate the extra little one.

Many parents worry that if they cosleep with their child, that they will have trouble ending the family bed tradition. In my experience, children can be eased into their own beds by transitioning first to a futon or mattress on the floor beside the parents’ bed, to eventually their own bed. My daughter handled the move to her own bed without tears or struggle. Of course, we still spend a lot of time snuggling in both of our beds.