On sleep, or the lack thereof

I have read a dozen or two books on parenting, breastfeeding, newborn care, etc. And it seems that without fail, every one of them that talks about overnight feedings will feel it necessary to throw in a comment about how really, that overnight time is a very special time for mom/baby bonding, and we'll miss it when it's gone, so we should really treasure it while we have it.

I think that those parts of the books were written by the authors when they were past that stage.

Oh yeah, and while I'm at it: for the authors who wrote books that say that cosleeping is great for breastfeeding because you get so much more rest since you don't have to get out of bed... come over and babysit overnight. I will give you a bed to sleep in. You'll see.

Do they make baby ambien?

Comments

[jo(e)]

See, what the books really mean is that 15 years from now, when you are lying awake at night waiting to hear if your teenagers have all come home safely, then you will look back at having a baby who wants to nurse during the night and it will seem like it was special bonding time. You need teenagers to put it all in perspective.

[landismom]

Good to know (about the teens). I agree--those who are stumbling around like drunks due to sleep deprivation are not the ones feeling all glowy inside about 'bonding.'

[Cynical Mom]

Joe(e) - that makes sense :-) I was a fairly good teenager in the grand scheme of things, no drugs, good grades, etc... but even I was hell for my parents.

[Suzanne]

The co-sleeping argument that you're talking about is crazy. When I was debating the issue on Opinionated Parenting a couple of weeks ago, I found some pro-co-sleeping article that said, "Co-sleeping babies wake more frequently, nurse 'almost twice as often, and three times as long per bout," as babies who sleeps alone. Twice as often! Three times as long! Who exactly is this easier for? Certainly not Mom'." It's nutty. But I do have to say that once Toddler in Chief was only getting up once a night to nurse, I actually did cherish that time... while it was happening. And I was bummed when I was offically gone, although I do enjoy the extra, un-interrupted sleep.

[Cynical Mom]

Suzanne - I couldn't agree more. And the attitude of those books just drives me NUTS. It's true that I don't have to get up out of bed to nurse her, but I also wake up when she makes the slightest sound. We're starting to get into a rhythm of it (last night she spent the entire night in bed with me instead of the cosleeper and I slept pretty well overall) and maybe it'll work out OK with Audrey whereas I was *not* able to cosleep with Jared... but time will tell.

[Kira]

those books do make good kindling.