So, this post is not about products, but still about natural baby raising. We subscribe to all the natural baby rearing ways, but we do not get much support from my family, which sometimes makes it hard for me to know that I am making the right choices. My son is 6 months old and still wakes up every 2-3 hours and I nurse him back to sleep. He does this a couple times while he's in his crib and then ends up in bed with me as I nurse him off and on throughout the night. This doesn't bother me, but I get so many comments like "What? He's not sleeping through the nigh?" "You need to let him cry?" Am I doing him a disservice?
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Nursing Through the Night
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Great Bonding Time!!
My son is almost 5 months and sleeps in bed with my husband & I sometimes, or with grandma. This has nothing to do with nursing. I wanted so bad for him to learn to sleep on his own in his crib and bassinet, that when he did all I wanted was for him to be closer to me. He moves around in the crib so much I got concerned about SIDS. Besides that it is a great bonding experience to have him in bed with me/us.
Mama does know best!
Listen to your heart & do what you feel is best for your baby & family. Our first child slept in his crib from day 1 with no problem. I got up & nursed as much as he needed & then back to bed he went. We now have an 8 month old little girl who does much better as a co-sleeper. Each child is different, each family is different. For us, the decision to do what is best for us whether or not it may be what is popular or what our friends/family agree with, is to do what is best for us & follow our hearts. You can always say something like " Wow, thanks for letting me know what worked best for you." :)
What feels right usually is
My son is almost 7 months and we co-sleep because it feels right to me to respond immediately to his needs. Just like Erin, it is not something I planned until I held him in my arms and realized it was my job to care for him. This period in our lives is finite and the effort made today will pay off in his future. I am learning to ignore invasive comments of misinformed people who for some strange reason think that babies should be left alone and hungry to cry.
-Nicole
You are doing the right thing!
I have an eight-month old baby girl who I feed on- demand. Every night varies, but she wakes up up around 2 to 3 times a night to nurse. My husband and I also have chosen to co-sleep with her. I have had quite a few people judge these decisions rather harshly. Telling me that it is the wrong thing to do, that she will never leave our bed, even that we are harming her (which is ridiculous), and so on and so forth.
The truth is, that we have the happiest, most amazing little girl. Penny is totally at ease, and a really loving child. I think that her easy- going nature is a direct result of our decision to fulfill her needs lovingly and immediately.
Choosing this route of parenting was not something that we ever planned. I think we just did what seemed like the right thing to do for Penny and for us. People will tell you lots of different things, but always do what feels right for you and your baby.
Keep strong and follow your heart - Erin
Follow your mommy instinct!
You are doing the right thing!!! I gave into the pressures of others with my first child and then had to deal with the guilt of not doing what my mommy instincts were telling me! She is now 6 and I changed the way I parented when she was 1 right after I had my second child. I stopped scheduling and all that junk and started demand feeding and responding to their emotional needs. What made me change my ways was a book called The Power of Motherhood: What the Bible Says About Mothers and a magazine called Above Rubies. Wonderful encouragement. You can find them both online.
I now have 4 children, the youngest is 8 months and he nurses a LOT and is also a rather needy kid emotionally so I carry him around almost everywhere. I started a blog called theonearmedchef.wordpress.com because I am doing everything with one arm free and one arm with my baby in it! :) The bottom line is they grow up really FAST!!! I look at my 6 year old and I REGRET hugely the way I parented her the first year. What wonderful moments I missed out on! Thankful Jesus redeems ALL things and has healed us both!
I've been told that I'm starting a terrible habbit.
I have a 6 week old and I also nurse on demand. I've been told that I'm starting a terrible habbit...by everyone. Especially if they know I nurse on demand at night. What most people don't understand...especially those who haven't nursed, which unfortunately is too many, is that it is incredibly difficult to get up and down in the night to nurse. This isn't bottle feeding...it doesn't last 10 minutes and then the baby has their 6 ounces or what have you down, its longer and more frequent. I keep my daughter in bed with me too and I feel like it's the best for her and building her trust with me knowing that I will give her what she needs when she needs it. I just can't get others to see that this is what works for ME.
I just mostly wanted to reply to this to thank you for the question. I also have been told to let my baby cry it out in her crib while I 'cry in the other room until I get over it'. It's not natural and just because the majority of society wants to be un-natural, I can't bring myself to it and I'm not going to try. It's so wnderful to know other mothers have followed the approach I have JUST started and it worked for them.
Thank you again. I also read the resonses on this question and appreciate those greatly as well.
they don't have to sleep through the night at this age
i just wanted to add that i have a 13 month old who is up several times a night to nurse. have you been over to kellymom.com? they are awesome, and could offer you support in your breastfeeding relationship. it's absolutely not uncommon that your lo is up often to nurse at night.
Love your baby!
Your instincts are right on! Let your baby nurse on demand :) day or night. Humans are a 'carry-mammal', which means our milk was made for on-demand feeding/we need to be with our baby quite often throughout the day and night. 'Crying-it-out' releases too much of the wrong hormones (in mother and baby) and actually destroys the brain and natural/normal functions.
Some of my favorite sites on Natural Parenting is:
www.thecowgoddess.com
and
www.mama-is.com
Also check out Mothering magazine for natural parenting advice and support! They have an online forum as well :)
You might also want to check for a local BirthNetwork in your area or Holistic Moms group. These helped me when my own family or friends weren't helping.
Hope this helps!
Mama Eva
mamaevausa.blogspot.com
Co-sleeping & Bed sharing
My wife & I are both chiropractors. The research we did before we had our first son (now 2.5) led us to an astonishing fact, only 2 mammals separate mothers from newborns/infants: humans and badgers.
Our first son bed shared with us for the first two years of life. He was almost 9 months old before he averaged only one nursing per night. Typically it was two or three feedings. He is able to sleep in his own bed in his own room now, with very few exceptions.
For our second son (just turned 9 months yesterday) we have done more "co-sleeping," his crib is in our room. My wife nurses him when he wakes up and acts (sounds) hungry. This was especially rough on her during the last 3 weeks when he had three top teeth come through. But now he is back to sleeping for longer stretches.
Every child (& parent) is different. It is not easy to raise your kids different from the "norm" but how & where your infant & toddler sleeps is much easier than the food issue.
A great line when people tell you how to raise your kids (or how to do anything) is, "Where did you read that?" and if necessary, "Can I have a copy?" Decisions based on research, and often intuition, regularly conflict with mass marketing.
You are the one in control of the health of your child. Stay strong and stay healthy.
Dr. Tom
Nursing on Demand worke dout fine for us
Our boy is now 5 years old and sleeps like a dream alone in his bed all night long, has a strong sense of self and self confidence. I nursed all night from birth for 2.25 years and then he kept an ice bucket by the bed side, still in our bed, filled with 3 milk sippy cups, until he was three years old. We told himhe coudl only have two cups at night, then said one, then said only one before bed and one just after. He was potty trianed by 3.5 years and never wet the bed. By the time he was out of the diaper he was only having one cup before bed, and occassionally wakes up at night to go to the washroom then he right bacc to sleep. As young kids, they know best what they need to eat, and can then trust themselves when older if we trust them now.