Co-Sleeping...It's Okay

Warning:  I am currently upset and thus my grammar, spelling, and likely my usual wit will suffer (I do hope I am witty, but can't utilize brain cells for that discussion right now).

First off, here is a link to the article that sparked my explosion of emotion (although I am calming as my head is working to return to its typical logical state) http://news.yahoo.com/milwaukee-runs-provocative-ads-wake-parents-dangers-co-213117311.html

Milwaukee has a high infant mortality rate, purported to be worse than third world countries in some portions of their population. While this is definitely alarming, I am concerned that their new ad campaign will simply serve to create a bad and ill conceived impression  that co-sleeping is inherently dangerous. I am here to bring this act out of the closet and tell you it is not dangerous.  Both, my child, husband, and I have all lived to tell the tale.  And we are all happy, well rested, and well fed, especially my son Mr. B, who enjoyed the cozy co-sleeping that allowed ease of breast feeding.  He has never had a drop of formula and I do believe that co-sleeping was helpful in achieving this aspiration that initially I was not sure we would complete (a year long goal is lofty for new parents, so often I would focus on one day or one hour at a time, when I was tired).  I have a good friend and mother to 4 wonderful and healthy and well adjusted children and guess what K co-slept with all her kids.  Amazing I know.  She is the inspiration and possible originator (I am a little foggy here) of the saying that as long as everyone in the family is fed, rested, and recently bathed then everything is okay.

By the way, my co-slept son who is soon to be 17 months old is currently sleeping in his crib alone for a long afternoon nap...and yes he is well fed and growing appropriately.  I do hope that Milwaukee does not next show a bottle of poison as an anti-vegetarian ad.  I can not predict my emotional response or the explosion that I will have on this blog.

If you are one of those people who likes to do research and not just let media spoon feed you, here are some interesting links.

U.S. infant mortality rate compared to the rest of the world  This is not a pretty thing...and co-sleeping of course when done correctly is not the reason. How about lack of quality pre-natal care or coverage for this care?

Dr. Sears, yes a real doctor, discusses co-sleeping, how to do it safely and the benefits


The Compromise: Co-Sleeping with your infant for the best interest of everyone in your family and other people not understanding.  Thus, feeling like you have to hide this.

The Sweet Reward:  The Milwaukee ad could get people to start talking about SAFE ways to do this (fingers crossed here).  My family is happy, well rested, fed, and yes my son sleeps well and on his own now.

I have never typed so fast and so emotionally....
Tracy  

PS my post title is not witty...I mentioned that though...

Baby Food is not for Hypocrits

I made almost all of Mr. B's food and I learned a great deal along the way.  I made this compromise in our lives because it fit a few of my aspirations including homemade food, nutritious food, cost effective, organic when possible, and green lifestyle.  In addition, I have seen what comes out of a jar...YUCK...the colors are unnatural and everything tastes like canned food.  This foodies definitely could not do that to my little sprout who has been used to a yummy variety of food while still in my womb, but that made me realize another problem. What if the food I make is not very good either? What if lack of salt leads to lack of flavor?  So, my golden rule was that I would not feed him anything that I would not eat myself.  So, yes, I taste everything.  This decision led to a turning point in my life. He began foods in winter time and I did not realize just how unavailable some foods are no matter where you shop.  No plums....well how about prunes.  But, I had never eaten a whole dried plum, just chopped up in stuff (btw, this is a cliffhanger).  So, my husband, D, gave me the necessary courage and we downed one together (no problem for D who had done this before).  Guess what I found out, I like them.  Now we buy them just to eat them and yet I still picture my grandmother eating them out of the bag with a fork because she didn't want to touch them.  That translated into my young brain as a disgusting food, so I am now surprised to find out I like them.

The Compromise:  Trying all baby food I give to my son, which includes prunes.

The Sweet Reward: I LIKE prunes...still sounds weird.

Well, this topic came up again this past weekend when Mr. B got Montezuma's Revenge on top of still getting over croup...pour guy right.  We picked up Pedialyte as that seemed the route to go. No matter what he would not drink it, I do not like it warm, I do not like it cold, I do not like it watered down, I do not like it in a sippy cup, I do not like it in a bottle, I do NOT like it Mr. B I am.  (Sorry Seuss).  So, I remembered my rule and decided to try it...We had Walgreen's brand fruit punch.  It actually wasn't as bad as I imagined.  Drinkable with a vitamin type aftertaste, but not overly sweet.  My guess is that because Mr. B has never had artificial flavors, it was just gross to him because he happily drank the honey water I made for him instead and later milk once he could hold his cookies...and dinner for that matter.

The Compromise:  Drinking Pedialyte

The Sweet Reward: A kiddo who prefers natural tastes...that's my boy


If anyone has a homemade recipe for a similar drink to treat little ones when it comes out both ends, please post the recipe or website link in the comments section. I would love to have a more natural remedy ready in a pinch because that's when these things occur, which explains a quick trip to buy the dreaded Pedialyte. Even in his dehydrated, puny, weak, pale state he found plenty of strength to push it away.