I've never fancied myself a granola mom who nurses every 30 minutes during the day or sleeps with her kids. But Maria has aroused something new in me. At night, I approach our bed carrying a sleeping baby, a tiny little person whose stomach moves rhythmically against me with her breathing. Usually I have to bring her to bed with me to nurse her to sleep but even when she's already asleep or has fallen asleep, I can't bring myself to put her into the bassinet! She comes to bed with me. It's good that my husband enjoys having her in bed, too, with all of her little squeaks, growls, and noises.
It's not that I oppose the family bed or ecological breastfeeding, I just never felt that they were for me. If my child was in bed with us, I couldn't sleep. And since I couldn't sleep with a child in bed with me, I couldn't participate in the part of ecological breastfeeding which calls for nursing all night (basically). For the record, I don't feel strongly one way or the other. If you sleep with your kids, good for you! If you put your kids in their own beds, good for you! If you do a combination of the two, good for you ... as long as you're getting some rest!
So with a crook in my neck, I've got a month old baby who still sleeps with me more than in her bassinet. I wake every couple of hours and offer to nurse her. I enjoy the rise and fall of her tummy pressed against my tummy. I rearrange myself slowly--roll onto my back or onto my side--without smothering her. She sleeps so much better when she sleeps with me.
The best part? I get to smell her all night long. Oh, her wonderful smell makes me weak in the knees.
How do you do it?
*And no one should get their panties all in a bunch because I said granola mom. It's not an insult. It's a compliment. You know who you are (even though I might not)!
8 comments:
hehe. I am not really a "granola" mom either but yeah for the most part I have co-slept. not a person who feels strongly either way also but I just do what works per child.
I am not what is typically considered a "crunchy" - but, I nurse on demand and sleep whenever and wherever I can!!
Each kid has been different for me, actually! Bud slept in his own bed until he was 10 months old. Then, I was pregnant with Branch and didn't have the energy to walk down the hall to pick up my Michelin tire baby!! So, he joined us in our bed so that I could make sure to get LOTS of sleep. When Branch arrived, she spent her first night sleeping on my chest because she had a low temp and that was how I kept her warm. We still enjoy a good snuggle together!! She was born with a club foot and spent many weeks and months with a cast on her leg... so, she was not a very good candidate for co-sleeping - as she tossed and turned and kicked and flailed at night, I didn't particularly appreciate a hard swift kick from a cast!! So, she spent most of her nights in her own bed, but was an on demand nurser! I didn't sleep much when she was little as I had a relatively uncomfortable rocker glider to sit and nurse in. Next up, Blossom. I had a baby cradle that was right next to my bed. She mostly slept in her own bed, although there were many nights that I nursed her in my bed and we fell asleep together. Bump, however has been a WHOLE different story! He has a baby bed at the foot of my bed. I have a VERY comfortable rocker/recliner in my room, as well. In his early days, he seemed to nurse FOREVER and ALL THE TIME! So, I'd sit in my rocker with my boppy and start nursing... only to fall asleep. I would wake hours later with a crook in my neck and a hungry baby already in my arms! I tried to stay awake for this feeding, but often could not as I hadn't had any "real sleep" yet! Oh, it was a terrible sleep cycle for me, but the time spent nuzzling my babe was still wonderful. Now, he sleeps so much longer that it isn't an issue. He does fairly well sleeping in his own bed. Last night, he fell asleep at 12:15 and didn't wake until 7:15. I slept all that time, too! I say that was a successful night! I enjoy a good baby snuggle in my bed when it feels right but don't want a habit to form as I am not a "good" sleeper myself and noises and movement can bother me right out of sleep.
Whatever the case... plenty of sleep is key to happy motherhood!!
After that corndog post, I don't think anyone could accuse you of being a granola mom! ;)
My last baby was the 'crunchiest'. He was a co-sleeper, I nursed him until he was 2 1/2 and he was my first cloth diaper baby.
I put our newest little girl to bed in her crib next to our bed, but she ends up next to me after a few hours when she wakes up to nurse. We both sleep better together after that but I know what you mean about waking up with a crook in the neck!
Good for you for doing what works best for this baby (and yourself) without apology. It took me 5 kids to get there...
You know I loooove co-sleeping. But one of the reasons that I love it is because then I don't have to nurse all night...for me at least, having the babies right next to us seemed to keep them asleep for longer stretches of time between feedings.
Hope you and all are well!
Can I be a granola mom if I have a box of fruit loops in my pantry? ;o) We've done it all and every way in every possible combination --- You're totally right; there's no right or wrong, just what works at a particular time with a particular mom. But, I gotta say like the previous comment, I liked co-sleeping best for the same reason. I miss that sweet baby next to me and that heavenly baby scent. You lucky mom!
I think I may be a bit of a granola mom, although I have never nursed past 17 months (Beatrix will beat Keats' record for sure) nor do I love co sleeping. We do it when we feel like it is what's right for our kids and when it leads to more sleep for us. That being said, I haven't slept well in so long! Beatrix nurses a lot at night still, and now Larkspur is having sleep issues as well. I pretty much dread going to bed. But I know it's just for a short time and I want to do what's best for my kids.
I would love love love to just sleep cuddled up with Beatrix if she didn't have to nurse. The whole arm over my head thing just isn't great. And if Larkspur actually slept all night without waking because she's scared, thirsty, etc. I would like co sleeping with her too.
For now, I have a new coffee addiction :)
i am a schedule feeder (though i dont like nursing and the longest i've made it with any child is 8 months) and from the night they are born they are in their own crib. with sarah we bought a basinet because we didnt have the room for her to be in a room by herself so at night she slept in the basinet in the living room. at around a month i switched her to the crib sharing a room with her brother. the same will likely happen with the new baby. i dont think i have ever slept in the same bed with a new baby.
stay rested :)
r
The more kids I have the more desperate I am for sleep! I will get it anyway I can and that usually means them sleeping with me in my bed. This didn't really start until Buttercup was born. But Buttercup and Buckaroo have slept with us otherwise I never would have gotten any sleep!
It will likely be the same with this one, lol.
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