It's absolutely crazy how much G-Man has grown the past 2 weeks. Not only is he a total crawler, but he is a FAST crawler! He can also crawl up one step into our kitchen (from the living room). Two or three times he has pulled himself up on furniture to stand! He signed his first word: "Milk" or "Nurse" and he uses it at daycare too! He can stretch out while sitting and reach toys without falling or tipping and he rolls all over and sits up on his own. It is amazing watching him develop and grow! He has also started sleeping in his room, in his crib, across the hall from us.
ya, everyone gets all excited about that one and says, "Oh that's great!" or "Well, good, it's certainly time." Really, why? Why is 9 months of co-sleeping wrong or weird? Why is it not right for me to not want to sleep next to my still nursing baby? I don't like that he is across the hall from us. I don't like hearing that it's great, it's not. I am only doing this because he doesn't get much sleep at daycare the 2 days a week he is there. That lack of sleep is so hard on him! I want him to be able to sleep there, so we are doing this arrangement here. I don't like it. It doesn't feel right to me.
Many of my parenting philosophies have changed (and I am sure will continue to over the months and years) but for now, I find that many of the things I believe in are rooted in Attachment Parenting. (You can learn more about it here.) I belive that my emotions and experiece of labor and birth affect my child. I am not surprised that I loved being pregnant, being in labor or birthing my son. I knew I would. I am saddened by people who talk about them as if they are a burden, or scary or fearful. They are not! It's a beautiful gift! I think that babies should be nursed, and nursed on demand never on a schedule! I think that skin to skin is essential for babies and for mommies too. I am heartbroken when I see babies carried in those car seats. They must just hunger for touch! I wear my son. He has a sling he just snuggles down into and off we go! He has never sat in the seat of a grocery cart, never been carried around in the car seat from place to place. I think that closeness is essential. I have slept next to or with my baby for the past nine months, following all safety precautions and guidelines. I can smell if my baby is too hot, I can sense him at night just before he wakes to nurse. At least, I could. Now he is across the hall. In a crib. It stinks. I don't like it. Don't bother telling me it's for his own good. At this age, it's not.
2 comments:
9 months is nothing. T is still crawling in with us at 5 years old. Those who say "about time!" are ignorant of the sleeping practices of humanity over the centuries and the family sleeping arrangements around the world. Only in "developed" society do we think that it is important to isolate our children during sleep. Animal instinct is to sleep in a pack. Being solitary is vulnerable.
If you hate it, you've got to rework it. It is going against your mommy instinct! Trust it! Is it the crib thing or the being alone thing?
2 days out of the week? Yes, the lack of sleep is hard on him, but is he doing better sleeping in his crib at night, or is he getting worse sleep than when he was next to you? When he was next to you, he probably didn't have to fully rouse out of sleep to let you know he needed to nurse, as opposed to being across the hall and needing to really WAKE YOU UP.
Just some thoughts. 2 days out of 7 is less than 30%. Is it good to torture yourself nearly 75% of the time?
*hug*
I really dont know what to say about the sleeping arrangements. Just *hug*
And, the word verification, is my middle name...what about that?! :)
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