Well, I've not read so much rubbish in a long time.

Article here

Well she continues to stand up for her methods doens;t she with the same reasons she has told us on the show. IS it a fact that most babies die in parents beds? I didn;t think so - I can;t rememeber there I read this - may be it was here nand maybe the figures were relating to the USA but it said that approx 60 babies a year die in adult beds but 900 die alone in their cots. There is some interesting reading on SIDS being related to chemicals they use in making mattresses fire retardent - look it up on the internet. Also, from an alternative view, I don;t know the figures on this but I have also read that SIDS can be at its worst after a child has had it's jabs - they don;t tend to correlate the two, but in all the alternative press it is widely documented. They say don;t they that the risk of SIDS decreases after 5 months - after they have had their initial jabs. ANyway, that will be controversial I am sure and i have gone off at a tangent sorry.

Claire Verity obviously believes in what she is doing from that - I am sure though if she had her own baby she would feel differently.

She has that lovely little dog - she compares animals to raising babies! Claire, if you look at how animals do it they never leave their young unattended at the beginning. They sleep with them all the time.

Anyway, I think she should have realised that going onto national TV and doing what she has done was bound to cause controversy, particularly as her methods as she has said are against what the DOH recommends.

RIght I had better go and do some work!

Have a good day all

xx

I honestly can't understand how she defend herself and compare animals to babies, animals don't leave there young crying for hours unattended, nor do they put them in a room away from them, those methods shouldn't be used they are out dated they were probably used in a 1950's orphanage

I meant to say - do they say that dog owners tend to look like thei pets? THis is not meant as nasty in any way - I think that little dog is lovely!

It has been scientifically proven that breastfeeding and sleeping in the same room as the baby reduces SIDS. A baby that is put in safe position with his parents in the same bed (if the parents are aware of the dangers of smoking, drinking and drugs) is far less likely to die of SIDS than a baby put into a separte room, esp. in the first 6 months.

Far more formula fed babies than bf ones die of SIDS. In fact far more formula fed babies put into separate rooms/beds die than those who are in the same bed as the parents and bf at the same time.

I read a report a whil ago (sorry, I can;t remember where or I'd link/reference it) that stated that 40% of SIDS deaths happen in the parental bed, which means that 60% happen in seperate sleeping situations. 60%, so, almost twice as many babies succumb to SIDS if they are sleeping alone in cots than if they are sleeping in the bed with thier mother.

It wasn't called "Cot Death" for nothing....

I can't believe CV "defence" it's pathetic. Just because she has been doing it for 24 years doesn't make it right!!

Sorry, forgot to add, if you want to co-sleep/bedshare safely try one of these; http://www.mothercare.com/gp/product/B000IYQ0XO/sr=1-7/...&n=42825041&mcb=core baby has it's own space but is right next to Mum for easy night feeds. Everyone has enough room and no-one is relegated to the spare room or made to sleep alone. I know it is perfect because my 16 month old is still in hers, I love waking up to see her sleeping/sleepy face, all pink cheeked and warm, next to mine, and as she doesn't disturb us we see no need to move her in with her big sister any time soon!

One of my posts has been removed as I put a weblink on it I think - if you haven't got room to put a cot beside your bed look up 'bednest' on the internet - this looks a great little thing.

They romve posts because they have links in?? Really??

OK, in that case;

Sorry, forgot to add, if you want to co-sleep/bedshare safely try a bedside cot, you can get them from many outlets, including the biggest baby/mother highstreet chain in the UK. One side drops down totally so you can pull the cot right up to the side of the parental bed, this way baby has it's own space but is right next to Mum for easy night feeds. Everyone has enough room and no-one is relegated to the spare room or made to sleep alone. I know it is perfect because my 16 month old is still in hers, I love waking up to see her sleeping/sleepy face, all pink cheeked and warm, next to mine, and as she doesn't disturb us we see no need to move her in with her big sister any time soon!

Continuum Momma - I know but it is the only reason O can think they removed it - I thought they might have removed my other post about the pet dog before that one....! Anyway, another thing to try is have a look at Blooming Marvellous - they do something called a snugglenest which is also very cute - fits inbetween your pillows - how lovely!

I have just started albeit a little late try ing to do the continuum concept to my 7 month old baby - we now have a funky sling - he is getting probably a bit big for it - either that or I need a new neck back and shoulders set but he loves it - I so wish I had known about this when he was tiny! That's why It hink this programme will do a lot of good because so many more people are getting to know about the COntinuum concept. I have also had him in with me for the past three nights - loving that too!! I did have him in with me for a few months when he as tiny but again I wish I had know about the co-sleeping thing too. Do you think he will still get benefits from starting it properly now? He seems a happy chap!

quote:

Originally posted by Lou A:
One of my posts has been removed as I put a weblink on it I think - if you haven't got room to put a cot beside your bed look up 'bednest' on the internet - this looks a great little thing.

It's cute, true, but "little" is the operative word!! The one I have (which I actually got from ebay but is from a High Street chain of Mother/Baby equipment and clothes) is much bigger, my "baby" is 16 months and still has room in it, and it costs about a third of that one, even if you buy it brand new from the shop, you know, the one that you buy things for babies, and Mother, that Cares.... I'm sure there are other baby shops selling them as well though!

I know someone has really tried to cash in but the idea is nice eh?!

I know some people have trouble fitting a double bed in their rooms let alone a cot so I guess it would be good in that situation. Would probably only last a few months though I guess so if you wanted to continue with the co-sleeping you would probably need something else anyway - or a bigger house!

Hi Lou A,

I think we are posting at the same time here and criss-srossing!!

A good ring sling will last from birth to the age of 4 years or so, I can (and do, but only sometimes) still carry my our year old in a sling. Try ebay for bargains, especially a lady who sells under the name Freedom slings.

I didn't start really "continuuming" my eldest until she was at least as old as your baby. Up til then we tried (and failed) to do things the conventional "western" way, as a result wehad a baby that wouldn't sleep and a mum that was a walking zombie. I read "Three in a Bed" by Deborah Jackson and haven't looked back. It was a true turning point in my life. It lead me to read the COntinuum Concept and I suddenly realised that they way I had been wanting to do it was legitimate after all, and whilst it does require some adaptation to make it work in a modern/western setting it is perfectly possible to be an attached/continuum family and still go to work and be "normal".

If you feel your little boy would benefit from being closer to you at night then try him either in a bedside cot or put him between you and his dad. A bigger baby like this is fine between the parents, it's only really risky when the baby is small. It's never too late to adopt some of the continuum concept principles, you can take on as much or as little of them as you feel able. Be it part time carrying, with some sling use and some pram/stroller use (which is what I do) or part-time co-sleeping or just by reacting to his needs rather than trying to make him conform to western expecations of baby behaviour. Let him sleep when he's tired, not at specific nap/bed times, let him eat when he's hungry, and let him feed himself; rather than spoon feeding him mush, give him finger food and let him decide how hungry he is. It's essenta=ially a different way of viewing things, treating your baby as an individual with his own individual needs and feelings. Baboes aren't manipulitive and demanding, they are little people and deserve to be treated with respect, not trained into a routine and made to conform to the wants and desireso of thier carers. This is all the continuum concept is really saying.

Thank you CM - I have been doing most things on instinct anyway and the CC book just re-enforced it. Like you I have been doing part carrying part pushchair, have never got cross with him and have been trying to get on with my stuff whilst he watches and learns, but i have had lots of playtime too - as I should think you have. THe sppon feeding thing is interesting though - I have been feeding him 'mush' - although it is nice mush - have also done elimination communication which is great -have you done that? He has been poo-ing in his potty since he was three months old and we have hardly had a poo-ey nappy since. It is great - he sits there and is really pleased with himself! I need to get him a newspaper to read though and sit him there for about 1/2 an hour to be totally realistic!!

The CC concept is amazing - probably like you I am trying not to put ideas into his mind - like 'be careful you don;t hurt yourself' etc - but you are fighting a big battle when grandparents do it all the time eh?! We need a big shift for this to become more the understood and accepted, but I guess small steps lead to bigger ones.

I have a ring sling - the one from BUB actually - it is very comfortable but for now I can;t see me still carrying him when he is 4 - maybe he will carry me!!

Anyway nice chatting to you.

xx

Hi LouA

We don't EC as such, we use cloth nappies and start sitting them on the potty at nappy changes once they could sit unaided. My eldest was out of nappies (in the day) when she was 21 months. She did it all by herself, with no prompting, and I think that if we had encouraged her she could've done it earlier. My 16 month old knows what the potty is for and will wee and poo in it quite happily.

As for food, this article was in the Telegraph earlier this year;

FEEDING babies on pureed food is unnecessary and could even be harmful to their health, a leading childcare expert has warned.

Instead, infants should be fed exclusively on breast or formula milk for their first six months, then weaned straight on to solids.

If not, it is feared they could lose out on vital nutrients derived from breast milk, which protect against common infections and allergies.

Spoon-feeding babies with pureed products could also delay development of the ability to chew, cause them to become fussy eaters later in life and increase the likelihood of constipation.

The warning from Gill Rapley, deputy director of Unicef UK's Baby Friendly Initiative, comes after research backed by the World Health Organisation showed that feeding babies pureed food was unnatural and unnecessary.

Mrs Rapley said: 'Parents often think that their babies need something more than milk when they get to four months or so.

'But scientists and Government advisers now agree this isn't the case.'

Four out of five children aged four to 20 months are fed with tins or jars of pureed food.

But Mrs Rapley said: 'In 2002, the World Health Organisation backed up research that found breast or formula milk provided all the nutrition a baby needs up to the age of six months. Any other food during their first six months dilutes the nutritional value of the milk and might even be harmful to the baby's health.

'After six months, babies should still be breast-fed but they should also be given solids: proper pieces of meat and veg that they can chew and suck. There is no need for pureed food at all.'

While working as a health visitor for 25 years, Mrs Rapley also undertook her own UK-based research.

She found that babies over the age of six months who were fed on solids developed better chewing skills and better hand control, as they were more likely to feed themselves than be spoon-fed by parents. Infants who had been fed pureed food before six months often found it harder to take to solids and were more likely to become fussy eaters, as they were used to individual tastes and textures being disguised.

Those fed pureed food were also more likely to suffer constipation because they had little control of how much food they ate or how long they chewed it.

Mrs Rapley has now made a DVD Baby-Led-Weaning which advises parents to let children over six months feed themselves with solids.

She said: 'Provided a child is sitting up straight and is supervised by an adult, he or she can feed themselves-a variety of healthy finger foods with their hands.'

Like you say, small steps and middle ground, you don't have to live like Stone Age people to practice the ideas in the book!

Oh, and slings, I use basic ring slings, once baby is 6 months plus they sit on your hip and all the sling really does is hold them on you securely, so no weight on your neck or shouldbers really. I'm not a fan of complicated multi-wrap around slings, mine just go over your head and one shoulder. Easy!! My favoutite is my Huggababy, I use it daily.

When I had my son I read up on different parenting methods as I felt so lost. I didn't feel a bond with my son and I suffered from postnatal depression, but even with that, routine methods such as those advocated by CV and Gina Ford struck me with horror! Every instinct in me went more towards the attachment type parenting. Unfortunately I have been unable to follow it to the letter. I have struggled to find a sling that doesn't agitage the RSI that I have in my shoulder! I never fathomed how to breast feed in one! (is it harder if you have larger breasts?) My husband can't get a good night's sleep if Sam co-sleeps as he finds himself clinging to the edge of the bed
Sam is now 7 and a half months I am now back to work and so I am only able to breast feed for his first and last feed ;o( But I feed him all booby at weekends which I think annoys the nursery staff as he is then reluctant to take the bottle and he tries to get their booby if he's feeling down or tired. hehehe

I'm still pursuing the perfect sling though, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! (I'm not sure what can be posted here tho due to 'advertising' etc)

quote:

Originally posted by olivegreen:
It has been scientifically proven that breastfeeding and sleeping in the same room as the baby reduces SIDS. A baby that is put in safe position with his parents in the same bed (if the parents are aware of the dangers of smoking, drinking and drugs) is far less likely to die of SIDS than a baby put into a separte room, esp. in the first 6 months.

Far more formula fed babies than bf ones die of SIDS. In fact far more formula fed babies put into separate rooms/beds die than those who are in the same bed as the parents and bf at the same time.

It's extraordinary how when challenged CV just refuses to engage and just makes up statistics. "It's a fact that the biggest cause of baby deaths occurs when babies sleep in their parents' beds". Just not true CV.

Doh advice (not exactly alternative) is unequivocal:

[LIST]

Similarly there is good strong scientific evidence to back up current weaning advice, but she simply chooses to ignore it saying a baby born at 10 lb will need feed by 17w. No they don't, and there are risks associated with ealt weaning.(see this telegraph article)

"In 2002, the World Health Organisation backed research that found breast or formula milk provided all the nutrition a baby needs up to the age of six months.

"That research said feeding a baby any other food during their first six months would dilute the nutritional value of the milk and might even be harmful to the baby's health. The WHO was so impressed by the research that it rewrote its recommendations on baby feeding. A year later, the Department of Health for England and Wales followed suit."

And dn't get me started on her 4 hourly feeds . This definitely undermines breastfeeding. Of my 3 exclusively demand breast fed babies, one fed all the time, one fed every 4 hours exactly for 10 mins and slep through at 8 weeks, and one was somewhere in between. What can I say, they are all (wonderfully healthy) indiviuals.

HalfAngel,

I would be glad to go through all the different types of slings, if you google La Leche League and join the forum there you can either discuss slings on the boards there or contact me direct, I am Epiphany when I am there!

For what it's worth, it sounds to me like you are doing a wonderful job with your son. It's not easy to breastfeed after you have returned to work (are you not getting expressing breaks?) and at the end of the day, the continuum concept is a state of mind, not a hard and fast set of rules, so as long as you have the "attitude" you are doing fine!!

Sorry lost the DoH advice about cot death:

Place your baby on the back to sleep

Cut smoking in pregnancy - fathers too!

Do not let anyone smoke in the same room as your baby

Do not let your baby get too hot (or too cold)

Keep baby's head uncovered - place your baby with their feet to the foot of the cot, to prevent wriggling down under the covers

The safest place for your baby to sleep is in a cot in a room with you for the first six months

Do not share a bed with your baby if you have been drinking alcohol, take drugs or if you are a smoker

If your baby is unwell, seek medical advice promptly

And CV, the most common cause of cot death is SMOKING (eight times more likely if parents smoke) BMJ 2000;321:1019.

And this article BMJ 1999;319:1457-1462 found

Cosleeping with an infant on a sofa was associated with a particularly high risk of sudden infant death syndrome

Sharing a room with the parents was associated with a lower risk

There was no increased risk associated with bed sharing when the infant was placed back in his or her cot

Among parents who do not smoke or infants older than 14 weeks there was no association between infants being found in the parental bed and an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome

The risk linked with bed sharing among younger infants seems to be associated with recent parental consumption of alcohol, overcrowded housing conditions, extreme parental tiredness, and the infant being under a duvet

The one case of overlying I have come across professionally, involved a family in a single hostel room with mum, dad and baby sharing a single bed, and toddler on a mattress on the floor. In the night, it was freezing with no heating, the toddler came into the bed and lay on top of the baby. An awful awful case but opne linked to poverty and overcrowding not co-sleeping.

"I have been involved with the business of birth itself for as long as I can remember. I grew up on a farm in the Yorkshire Dales, surrounded by baby pets.

I bottle-fed the new-born lambs and piglets to keep them alive.

I used to put my kittens and lambs into a pram and walk them through the village. "

... oh praise the lord.. she can look after my baby now i understand her great relationships with pigs and lambs HAHAHAHAHA!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by emiky:
"I have been involved with the business of birth itself for as long as I can remember. I grew up on a farm in the Yorkshire Dales, surrounded by baby pets.

I bottle-fed the new-born lambs and piglets to keep them alive.

I used to put my kittens and lambs into a pram and walk them through the village. "

QUOTE]

yeah cos now I'm reassured!