What do you guys know (not think, not opine ) about the true risks of co-sleeping.
I co-slept with all of mine, and Dr. Sears (whom I greatly admire) recommends it, but I never hear anything but bad things about it. When my infant daughter was hospitalized the nurses didn't want me to sleep with her on my cot. I hear nurses warning new mothers against it. What confuses me is that in the anti-SIDS recommendations they advise against co-sleeping, though my understanding is that SIDS is, by definition, *not* suffocation.
Is co-sleeping dangerous because we westerners don't tend to sleep on mats on the floor? Can its dangers be mitigated in some way? Or is the danger a bit of hype.
Forgot to add that I too co-slept. But I also sleep very light and stay in one position unless I wake up and move. BUT I don't think it is for everyone. I can understand hospitals being weary about it due to lawsuits and not knowing a parent very well. I agree with the others that education is very important if parents are going to co-sleep.
Please don't take this the wrong way... BUT.. Why did you breastfeed sooo long???? 3 YEARS OLD??????? That seems a bit odd. Would you have kept him on a bottle that long? After 1 they can have WHOLE milk. Please respond I am very curious why you would breastfeed a toddler.
My thought is why would I rush my child off of human milk to put them on the milk of a cow. There is nothing wrong with breastfeeding a 3 year old. The breast is not a bottle. I am taking your comments as if you want more information and are not adamant that all babies need to be weaned at 1 year. Breastfeeding at 3 still offers immunological properties and bonding still occurs. There is nothing like watching your little one nurse. A sense of relaxation comes to both of you. Breastmilk is also thought to contain some pain relief. There has been no research done, that I know of, on extended nursing and brain development but my personal opinion is that breastmilk offers something to the still developing brain of a toddler. My almost 2 year old and I are still nursing because......we still enjoy nursing. That is the best answer I can give you.
Here is one of my favorite articles, written by an anthropologist.
Nothing wrong with breastfeeding a 3 year old as long as both mother and child want that. Another part of parenting that our culture has damaged. I bf my last child until she was almost three. Sorry but whole milk is not as complete as breast milk is, so I don't get your comparision???? We need to be a little more understanding of the choices that mothers make with regard to thier kids. We all have different circumstances and lives and we need to pick what works for our children. Each child is different and not everything works for every child. As a mother of five I can tell you that I did not raise each of my kids the same...I had to modify and change as needed. I think bfing is the best, but if you can't or don't want to, they formula works. Just love you kids and follow your heart - as long as it isn't harmful.
BTW please explain to me what is damaging about bfing a toddler? Why do you find it odd? Believe it or not I thought it was odd until I did it.
\I just find it odd that ANYONE would breastfeed or bottlefeed a toddler!! Why would you do that to a child? I have a 17 month old and took him off the bottle at 12 months. Simply because I did not want him to become dependent on a bottle for COMFORT OR SUPPORT!! I also took his pacifier away at 10 months old for the same reason. I believe it is more for your benefit than the babies to breastfeed beyond a year old. I believe they will get all the nutrients they need in food that you should feed them. As for the whole milk statement.. what I was trying to say is... that with whole milk and feeding the right foods your baby will get more than enough nutrients to help produce the right amount of growth and development!!
I think "normal" and "odd" are very loaded words when discussing child rearing. Is it common or typical to breastfeed toddlers in our culture? No. That doesn't mean it's bad though. Same would be said for weaning at a year in some countries. It may not be typical, but that doesn't make it bad.
My thought is why would I rush my child off of human milk to put them on the milk of a cow. There is nothing wrong with breastfeeding a 3 year old. The breast is not a bottle. I am taking your comments as if you want more information and are not adamant that all babies need to be weaned at 1 year. Breastfeeding at 3 still offers immunological properties and bonding still occurs. There is nothing like watching your little one nurse. A sense of relaxation comes to both of you. Breastmilk is also thought to contain some pain relief. There has been no research done, that I know of, on extended nursing and brain development but my personal opinion is that breastmilk offers something to the still developing brain of a toddler. My almost 2 year old and I are still nursing because......we still enjoy nursing. That is the best answer I can give you.
Here is one of my favorite articles, written by an anthropologist.
What more do you want people to say? It's normal, recommended and healthy for children to nurse beyond even 2 years. It does not cause them to be dependent, is actually shown to encourage independance and is in every way helpful and healthy for the child.
Are you just being willfully ignorant on the subject? Or are you projecting your own disturbed sexual issues onto others?
My thought is why would I rush my child off of human milk to put them on the milk of a cow. There is nothing wrong with breastfeeding a 3 year old. The breast is not a bottle. I am taking your comments as if you want more information and are not adamant that all babies need to be weaned at 1 year. Breastfeeding at 3 still offers immunological properties and bonding still occurs. There is nothing like watching your little one nurse. A sense of relaxation comes to both of you. Breastmilk is also thought to contain some pain relief. There has been no research done, that I know of, on extended nursing and brain development but my personal opinion is that breastmilk offers something to the still developing brain of a toddler. My almost 2 year old and I are still nursing because......we still enjoy nursing. That is the best answer I can give you.
Here is one of my favorite articles, written by an anthropologist.
Because pumping is a pain in the butt and they do not receive the same benefits if you are pumping. They aren't getting the physical contact and they are not maximizing their immunological benefits.
No, an ape. Apes have about 99% of our similar genetic makeup, can be taught to communicate with humans and use tools of their own invention. Like it or not, we are mammals and animals, simultaneous with being human.
What more do you want people to say? It's normal, recommended and healthy for children to nurse beyond even 2 years. It does not cause them to be dependent, is actually shown to encourage independance and is in every way helpful and healthy for the child.
Are you just being willfully ignorant on the subject? Or are you projecting your own disturbed sexual issues onto others?
Can you be a little more mature about this issue...
You are the one who is suggesting that nursing a child past one is "for the mother", which insinuates some sort of sexual connotation. Let me assure you, nursing my child is no more sexual than changing their diaper or giving them a bath. This is why I ask if you have disturbed sexual issues.
It is recommended by major physician and health organizations to breastfeed beyond one and two years, the benefits are absolutely proven, as are the lack of harm caused by extended nursing, and yet you act as though this is some sort of unusual or unheard of thing, even in the face of evidence to the contrary, which is why I ask if you are being willfully ignorant.
I just read the article.. and.. Are you trying to compare your baby with a MONKEY??
Why yes I am. Monkeys aren't told by others that bf a toddler is weird. From them we can determine how long breastfeeding would occur without societal influences.
I don't put it in a cup because 1) I don't own a pump, I don't like to pump and I certainly don't want to clean one 2) Why would I want to change the natural packaging of my milk. There is nothing wrong with a toddler nursing off a breast and nipple that was designed for him to use. My husband doesn't have a problem with it and neither do I. Also, any bf mother will tell you that the pleasure felt is an emotional, not physical, one and there is nothing sexual about it. And lastly because my breast, not a cup, was designed to nurse my baby. If God, mother nature or whoever you think designed us thought it was good enough then it is good enough for me. If I was meant to stop nursing a child at a certain time don't you think that either my milk would dry up or my child would not want to nurse.
) about the true risks of co-sleeping.
kathc
80 Posts
Forgot to add that I too co-slept. But I also sleep very light and stay in one position unless I wake up and move. BUT I don't think it is for everyone. I can understand hospitals being weary about it due to lawsuits and not knowing a parent very well. I agree with the others that education is very important if parents are going to co-sleep.