Jun
4
2010
There has been lots of media coverage recently on the “crying it out” technique – giving the impression that there are two camps: one of Mean
Mummies who leave their babies squealing in darkened rooms until they fall asleep, exhausted (parents and baby, I expect) and a second of distinctly crunchy Earth-Mamas who gather their little ones to their ample bosoms at the slightest squeak.
Let’s face it; most of us pitch our tents somewhere between these two. But the “research” is casting confusing light on the whole crying thing – does it harm our babies if we want to try and let them “self-settle” if it means they cry for a bit? Are we risking brain damaged offspring if we need to nip to the loo and have to leave our bundle of joy wailing in the next room?
4 comments | tags: attachment, cortisol, cry it out, Crying, Evidence based, ferber, Sleep, stress | posted in Crying, Sleep
Feb
17
2010
My first blog! I decided to write a little about co-sleeping, the research for and against, and our own choices. What started out as a little blog quickly turned into a 4000 word thesis. So, I’ve put a few extracts here and a link to the larger article, which gives much more information. I think this may be the way it is for many topics on here!
3 in the bed and the little one said…..
Co-sleeping and bed sharing: This was one of the first “controversial” areas we ventured into. There is a lot of misinformation about co-sleeping in books, on the net, and from professionals. It is very very difficult to make an evidence-based decision about bed sharing – if it is what you think you may want to do.
When pregnant I was adamant that I would never put X in bed with us. What if I rolled onto him? Don’t all the guidelines say never sleep with your baby? But I developed Bursitis in my shoulder from lifting X in and out of his Moses basket to feed him. I was knackered from trying to feed sitting up as I worried about falling asleep if I fed lying on my side. I even had raw elbows from propping myself up in bed on my elbow to check on him in the night… is he still breathing??
So, we had to make a call – do we put the baby in bed with us or not?
8 comments | tags: Attachment parenting, Co-sleeping, Evidence based, Research, Sleep | posted in Sleep