Carseat Nazis

Yes, today is another 2 posts in one day type of day. I have really been struggling with if I want to do this post or not. I'm going for it. I never heard the term "carseat nazi" until I was out for a mom's night out (MNO) about a month ago. We are a group of 4 moms...all our birthdays are in March and we are besties:) Anywho....one mom was talking about how one of her videos on youtube had gone viral (awesome!) but all these mom's slammed her for putting her kiddo forward facing (not so awesome...the slamming that is). Then another mom said something about "carseat nazis." I was confused. I never heard that term. Then I realized.....ummmmm......I am a carseat nazi and maybe that's why.

First I would like to say that I would NEVER say anything to another mom about her choice to flip her carseat, but I have been known to post something on my facebook about how kiddos should rear-face until at least 2. I have also been known to give my Mom hell about twisted carseat straps. Sooooooo...here we go.

V was not 20 lbs. until she was 18 months. I did flip her at that point (1 year and 20 lbs. = you kiddo can forward face). I didn't so much flip her because of "Oh yeah! She's reached this milestone!"...no, I flipped her because kiddo HATES LOATHES the carseat. I thought she may not distract me (and break my heart so much with all the screaming) if I flipped her. It didn't really help so I flipped her back again. We did this dance for a bit. Around 2 I gave up and just left her forward facing. Recently (early February), I took her shopping for a new carseat. She kept complaining about how the one she had hurt her back. We tried them out and settled on the Graco Nautilus. I would have liked to try out the Britax Frontier 85 but they didn't have it in my local Toys R' Us and I was not buying a carseat she couldn't sit in a try out. She loves her Nautilus. She brags about it to everybody. "I got a new carseat! It's pink! AND it has a cupholder!!!!" She still brags about it sometimes and she's had it for almost 3 months. She doesn't scream the whole time in there anymore either which totally rocks my world. It rocks my world even more that I can say "Take a little, tiny nappy." and she lays her head over and goes to sleep! Hellz yeah!!!

Okay...that all said. I *plan* on getting Emily either a Britax Roundabout OR a Graco MyRide 65 next Feb. I also plan on her being rear facing until she outgrows said carseat either height or weight wise. Apparently there is supposed to be like a 1 inch gap between their head and the top of the carseat if they are rear-facing. She would probably hit that before weight since at 3 Victoria is 35 lbs. and therefore can still ride rear-facing based on weight in the carseat she screams in (rear-facing up to 40 lbs.) The new carseat goes to 65 lbs. with the 5-point harness and so she will be in that 5-pt. harness until she is a) 65 lbs. or more likely b) 52".

I think one of the major reasons people forward face their kiddos is they are simply not aware. They are told they can flip their kiddo at 1 (most don't even know they have to also be 20 lbs.) so that's what they do. Honestly it's safer for everyone to be rear-facing but since I can't drive my car rear-facing......

Here's a video link since I can't figure out how to embed videos...



oh wait...I did it! (Oh snap guys....you're about to experience many, MANY more videos!!!!!!)

Anywho....now, the voice is kinda creepy...but didn't that break your heart! Rear face your kiddos peeps!!! Then keep them in a 5-pt. harness for as long as possible! I don't want to really tell you how to parent and all but.....REAR-FACE your child! I would rear-face V if I could (at 3) but she's too dang big so now she is in the harness and as previously stated....she will be until she reaches the max of the carseat....then she'll be in a booter until that max (100 lbs. or 57"). In my state they don't even allow highback boosters until 4 yet many peeps I know put kiddos under 3 in them!!!! I could just die!

On top of this you really need to keep those straps untwisted for a better fit, keep the chest clip between the armpits, keep the straps tight so only 2 fingers can fit between straps and kiddo, keep straps at or just below shoulder height, AND for goodness sakes fold your infant carrier's handle back (so it can collapse as it should into the seat and not break the handle in your child's face).

Done. This "carseat nazi" is stepping off the soapbox...and in my defense...I would NEVER comment on someone's youtube video and tell them they are a horrible mom. Jeezzzz peeps!!!! You're not perfect either ya' know!

My slow growers

Warning...this is long. This is my day to day though so I'm sharing.

My babies grow super slow....snail speed slow....3 oz. in one month slow. Of course all months aren't 3 oz. months and I'm about to throw a lot of numbers at you to show you that but my babies grow slow. They are average weight at birth (which surprised me since hubs was an 8 lber and I was a 9 lber at birth) but they quickly fall off the charts. They don't have so much of a curve as an almost line. LOL!

I would worry about this...I actually still do from time to time....but Victoria is amazing! There was nothing ever wrong with her. Kiddo could fit in 6 month clothes at 1 and was in 3t (yes you read that right) when she turned 2. Jeez! She grew the most in her second year of life. She's in a solid 4t now at 3 so I think she's slowed down finally. Hopefully these pictures will work for you.....

These are Victoria's Charts. I LOVE birthcare.com for this chart BTW! Oh....and I was going to do a side by side but photobucket must have changed things so sorry. First is weight and second is length.

As I mentioned in my breastfeeding post here the first pediatrician we went to told me that if I didn't start getting more fat into her diet then her brain would not develop. Stupid effer. Anyway...she was peeing, poopin, playing, all around happy. She was obviously fine then and she is now. The did all kinds of tests on her. I cannot tell you how many times I was sent over to Children's Hospital to get tests done. She had a metabolic panel done, she had a celiac test, she had another test for other common allergies, she was tested for cystic fibrosis....and on and on. It was great....not really. Did you know that when they test for cystic fibrosis when they are born it's with a heel prick but when they test when the are older (V was 6 months) they have these metal plates connected to a battery and they make the skin wet with something and they put those metal plates with a test strip on and wrap it with plastic and leave it on there for about 30 minutes while they turn on the battery? It stings them a little and can leave burn marks if they don't get the skin and such wet enough. Definitely what I wanted to be doing with my 6 month old baby. All her tests came back perfect. There was nothing wrong with her. She started gaining at least a lb. a month after she was 9 months (sometimes 2) and so now she is a 34.5 lbs. and 39.5" 3 year old.

In case that chart up there is not doing it for you, here's the numbers:

Birth: 7.2
1 month: 7.13
2 months: 9.4
3 months: 9.10
4 months: 10.15
5 months: 11.15
6 months: 12.5
7 months: 13.2
8 months: 13.9
9 months: 14.1
1 year: 17.3
15 months: 20.3
18 months: 24
2 years: 27.1

As you can see that whole babies grow on average 2 lbs. per month was not happening. I like kellymom.com for this breastfeeding growth chart info....but my babies grow even slower than that. Oh well.

So far this is what Miss Emily is looking like. Once again..weight on top and length on bottom.

And here's her number so far.....we go on 5/1 for another weight and vaccine visit.

Birth: 7.15
1 month: 8.12
2 months: 10
3 months: 10.9
4 months: 10.12

I'm pretty sure she has gained around a lb. this time.

You know what sucks the most though? I HATE hearing people say "You are starving that baby!" "They're so hungry!" "How old is she?......Oh really, she's just so tiny!" I don't mind the "She's so petite." And actually I don't mind the "She's so tiny!" so much...I just mind when it's said to imply she's not growing well. It's hard when you don't have the typical growing baby....not going to lie about that. With that being said...I just love how petite my girls have been. They fit in their clothes and cloth diapers for so long and it's easier to carry them around:)

Bet you loved that book! Tomorrow I'm going to try to put up some pics of my littlest from birth to now. Today is her 5 month birthday:)

No 2 babies are the same

I've heard that about a million times. Still....I had no clue exactly how different 2 kiddos could be. I think V is pretty fantastic:) She started rolling at 2 weeks. She was sitting on her own at 4 months and then immediately started getting on her hands and knees and started rocking to crawl....but she didn't actually crawl until 6 months. She started walking at 9 months. She was a very physical child. She was also crazy serious. She didn't crack a smile for a while...she didn't laugh for even longer....let's not even talk about cooing. She did it but she was very serious about it. Don't believe me? Here she is "talking" with her cousin (not pictured since the picture is zoomed) Her cousin is a month older. Just look at those eyes. Jeez...relax kiddo.

Anywho...she was kinda slow to talk actual words and such too. She can talk now though.....I'm not so sure can NOT talk for 2 seconds.

Then there was Emily. She came out smiling. Swear she did. I know babies aren't supposed to smile until like 6 weeks or something. Whatever. People would smile at her in the hospital and she'd smile back. She started laughing at 3 months. She started rolling at 4 months. She is getting better but she is still like holding a "limp dishrag" (stole that says from my Granny....I really have no better way to describe it). She will smile and laugh and coo and squeal all. day. long. So apparently she's my little carefree social butterfly and Victoria is my serious over achiever. Loves them both with all my heart!

Ugh....I wanted to put a precious smiley picture here of Emily....apparently I need to take more pictures. I'm going to blog about her in 2 days though and I'll have some pics ready then:) She is almost 5 months!!! I'm not sure how that is possible since I JUST had her:/ She's all kinds of fun though! You know what's not fun? Getting a billion tests ran because kiddo refuses to grow. That's another blog post for another day though....maybe tomorrow. Sounds good to me.

Children in Church

I'm a little....ummm...possesive of my babies...especially when they are under 6 months. I don't like to hand them over to anyone to care for....not even my Mom. She makes fun of me. Oh well. That being said I have a real disliking for anyone that comes up to me during or before church to tell me they have nursery. I really enjoy church. I particullary enjoy things such as Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve and the Good Friday service before Easter. These are quiet services. There is even a sign up on the Good Friday service that says to enter and leave in silence. I took my kiddos to these services. My children learning about God and being apart of the service means a lot to me. While I may have taken V to childcare there was no way E was going. She was sleepy and if you dare try to take her from her Mommy at bedtime then you are a brave soul. Anywho...my kiddos were great! V kinda had some issues laying in the pew and such BUT she was quiet and not too distracting. E started singing when everyone else was singing......but she didn't really want to stop. So enter man that tells me that they have childcare. Well dude sorry but I want to be at this service and if I put my kiddo in childcare then I'm just going to get paged to come and get her so leave me alone. I boobed her to sleep (and no I don't have a problem nursing in church).

Next, time someone says this we were just sitting down at a different church to watch my little niece get baptized when an older lady comes and tells me they offer childcare. Thank you....I can see that printed on the 2 pamphlets I am holding in my hand. I'm not turning my kiddos over in a church where I know no one for sure! Ugh! When did it become the norm to send your kiddos off during church? Now, to be fair V does go to childcare during normal church and E generally ends up there (she's chatty and loves to "sing"). I just think I should be able to take my children to church with me and it not be a problem. It was never a problem when I just had V....not sure why it is now. I'm going to try to continue to not tell someone to mind their own business but it does seriously drive me crazy!

God and Jesus love the babies so leave me alone. Anybody out there still read this blog? Any advice? Do you have to go through this? I was going to vent on facebook and thought better of it....that's what my blog's for right?

Sleep training....or lack thereof

Did you sleep train your babies? I can't do it. There are a couple out there. Cry it out. Pick up/Put down. I don't know. All I know is that my baby likes to be boobed to sleep and if she isn't tightly swaddled she'll wake up and want the boob to go back to sleep. I have made it way worse with Emily than it ever was with Victoria. I didn't really let V sleep with me and my gosh you can tell. E sleeps with me quite a bit....she has to kinda arch herself so she can cuddle and get her booby. Well, when she is sleeping in her bed and I try to get her to lay there and go to sleep she arches into cuddle/booby position...then screams her little head off when she can't find anything.

She will make herself sick she gets so upset. The same was true for V. Difference between the two is 1) I didn't have to swaddle V this long and 2) She was in the crib sooner and I never brought her back to bed with me.

It's not even me wanting to cuddle with my little baby....it's just me being lazy. I have to nip this in the bud but....here's the big problem.....my babies don't cry. I never let them cry. I hate it. I'm better with letting V throw fits now because she's just acting out but E just wants love and comfort. I just don't let a baby less than one cry. It absolutely, 100% breaks my heart. I am trying to get E to do better though since I am going to be student teaching in August. My sister will be watching her but I know that she can't hold her 24/7. Actually ideal situation for me would be someone that could come watch Emily and hold her and cuddle her all day. I just don't trust anyone:/ Well, I trust my sister to love on her but she runs an in home childcare facility so she has other kids to watch.

Ugh...this is why I stay home with my babies. I'm not the mommy that incorporates children into my life....I'm the mommy who changes my life to work around my kiddos. Neither way is wrong or right...I'm just the one that's so obsessed with my kiddos I do everything for them. Dance, AWANAs, wee ball for V and I hold Emily during all her naps. S-P-O-I-L-E-D.

Pre-chewing and Elimination Communication

So.....do you do these? I don't really do these 2 things so I can't give a ton of info.

First: Pre-Chewing
So, I'm not even going to pretend that this doesn't gross me out a little. It does....but that's my own hang-ups. I don't care if other parents do this I just can't. It is supposed to have some great benefits though. So the saliva has enzymes in it that helps break down food....so for a little developing digestive system that is just trying to learn to process food it's helpful. Also, the kiddo gets some more immunity through the saliva.

Now....I regularly would bite something off and give my daughter the piece I bit off....I can't think of an example right here....for lack of an actual example I will say something like steak....I know, I know. I'm saying like for some reason if I didn't have a knife, I would not hesitate to bite off a little piece of steak for my 3 year old...I would take a bite, take that bite out of my mouth and give it to her. Now....I wouldn't chew it first and transfer it through "kiss feeding." A lot of other cultures do.....as did your ancestors at one time....we didn't always have blenders and such ya' know. Oh....and this is a bit gross sounding too...I used to totally lick stuff off my older girl's face....like chocolate or something. Anyway...worked for us.

So there's a little a pre-chewing so next is elimination communication. I guesss I did a *little* elimination communication (EC) with my older girl. I wanted to start potty training her early and I have heard that some children are quite scared of the toliet. My answer to this was I just started sitting her on the potty when she was 9 months old while I was getting her bath ready. One night she decided to take me by complete surprise and peed in there!!!!! Holy stinkin' cow! Well, I did this every night and she peed in the potty every night. Then I started noticing she didn't pee during naps but she peed as soon as she woke up so I started taking her then too and she would always go on the potty. It was greatness!!! Then I went back to work....then I quit to stay home again and started trying to get her potty trained. She wasn't day time trained until 20 months and night time trained recently....like 4-5 months ago (so right around 3 but I really don't remember). I didn't push that one. Whenever she started asking to wear panties to bed and would throw a fit about wearing a dipe I explained it to her. So she then started having dry diapers and as long as she doesn't drink a ton, AND I take her before I go to bed, then we're good for the most part.

So...I got off on a bit of a tangent there....EC is reading your kiddos cues....learning how they can before they go and what triggers them.....like drinking a lot. Like with V...I noticed she never peed while sleeping and went directly after. Thing is, some amazing Mommas and Daddies out there start this from like birth or a very young age. They learn to read their baby. Cultures all around the world practice this but I believe that as a whole we've gotten a bit lazy. Me too so don't get pissy with that comment. I use diapers. Don't make fun of people that choose EC though because that is, in my opinion, a hard route to take. You have to be completely in tune with your baby and always on your toes. You develop a bond and language between you that those of us that use diapers don't have. Oh...and those babies wouldn't be getting diaper rash! LOL! Couldn't resist.

So, my little parenting topics tangent is not quite over. I will be going over foods next time but that will be a couple days away...like Thurs. night maybe. I have a busy week coming up.

Pick your pediatrician wisely

I didn't interview peds. I was stupid. If you plan on doing everything your pediatrician tells you and all it's probably not as important. Not sure. I never had a problem with my first ped. with vaccines. He said they don't always do the RV shot and they weren't doing it at the time so no issues. What we did run into though was....a very slow growing baby. V was 7 lbs. 2 oz. at birth......she was 10 lbs. 15 oz. at 4 months....she didn't grow more than a lb. per month after that until she was 9 months (then she didn't slow down). V could wear 6 month clothes when she turned 1...she was wearing 3T when she turned 2. She's finally slowed down some....I think.

Anyway, I asked the ped. to do some testing at 6 months because I was concerned. She was hitting her milestones, she was happy, she was peeing and pooping......she just wasn't really growing a whole heck of a lot. They did a ton...everything looked normal. They had told me if everything came back normal she was fine. The next month they wanted to do a lot more tests so my red flag came up. I started looking for a new ped. I interviewed this time and was happy with the first doctor I met (he even gave me his pager # and personal home # and his direct office #). The doctor my gut had told me to go with the first time around but instead I chose the closest doctor.

Now...here's my horror story (at least to a mom). Before V's first appt. (well visit) with her new doctor she got sick so I called the original doctor and they got me in right away (they were always very good at that). She had a little fever and just seemed off. They did a blood test and said if some count was ok then she was fine. The came back and said it was fine but that wanted me to take her to get a blood test and get catherized for a urine sample. They wanted to check for a UTI but they were *sure* she had blood posioning. When I made it clear I didn't really want to do all that I was told that if I didn't then she could die in 24-48 hours from blood posioning. She was 8 months. I was not loving this. I had all kinds of red flags popping up. I called the new doctors office. They said come right in. I drove straight there. They did a nose swab....that's it. She had the flu. The common flu....not even swine flu. I guess most parents would freak out about their 8 month old baby having the flu but I had just heard she was going to die so it was great news in my eyes. She was had a high enough temp. for me to rotate Tylenol and Motrin for 3 days...then she was just on Motrin for another day and then she was fine. I loathe my first ped. because of the crap I went through with him. I was going to put despise or hate there but decided they weren't strong enough words. Doctors fear-mongering in a real thing and it's horrible.

Now....we're to E. She's growing slower!!! How the heck?!?! I told hubs when we have another kiddo I'm going to need a line backer. I can't handle someone poking and prodding at my babies. She was 7 lbs. 15 oz. at birth and now at 4 months weighs in at a whopping 10 lbs. 12 oz. So they did some tests. Everything was normal. They are happy and they aren't making me come back in for growth checks and so on. He said she is hitting her milestones and seems happy and healthy so we just wanted to be careful and that was that. He did ask if she gets bottles and I said sometimes but it's very rare. He suggested adding 1/2 a scoop of formula (which is fine by me) and some rice (which is so not happening because I am so against adding rice to bottles....heck...I'm against rice period).

Now, if you plan to do selective vaccinating or staggered vaccinating then you definitely need to interview your choices because they can drop you if you don't follow their schedule. Make sure your doctor wants what you want. Make sure your doctor understands too that breastfed babies tend to be slimmer. If you have a doctor that expects your BF baby to grow as fast a formula fed baby then that's no good.

Hmm...I need a break from the long posts (I'm sure you do too) so next I'll talk about elimination communication and pre-chewing food....things I don't really know jack about...but I'll look into it. I know a wee little bit on the elimination communication.

ETA: Up there is said RV Shot....it's an oral vax....sorry about that! Also...they thought V had a blood *infection* not posioning....my brain doesn't work sometimes.

Vaccines

Before I start in on this one let me say two things....1) Sorry I have typos out the wazoo and 2) this is not to say I'm right or wrong or talk you into my choice. This is just what I do and I am sharing that and why I do it. This is a very heated topic of debate so I am going to try to be respectful and just share what I do and why (like I said before).

I do vaccinate. I do selective vaccinating. If we have another kiddo then they will recieve less than E and E has gotten less than V.

First I will tell you what I did with V. She got Vitamin K and Hep B in the hospital. She got her shots as normal after that for the most part. She did not get varicella (chicken pox), she did not get RV, and she did not get any sort of flu vaccine. She has yet to recieve her MMR.

Next is E....she did not get Vitamin K or Hep B in the hospital. She got DTaP at 2 and 4 months and she will get Pertussis at 6 months. She got Hib and PCV at 3 months and she will get it again at 5 and 7 months. She will get polio starting at 9 months.

Next baby if God blesses us will be the same as E minus the DT part of the DTaP (so she'll only get the Pertusis).

Pertusis scares the crap out of me. DTaP has many documented negative side effects on infants as well as adults. SIDS reports are higher after this combo shot for up to a month. This shot can cause brain damage and seizures. Once again, Pertusis scares the crap out of me....I won't risk that.

The flu does not scare me. I always got the flu when I had the vaccine and haven't had it since stopping. When I start teaching I will start getting it again. V had the flu when she was 8 months old. It was not fun. She had a fever for 3 days that required alternating Tylenol and Motrin. It was worse at night. After 3 days she was almost back to her normal self. She has not had it since. For me personally it is not worth the risks involved with giving it to her. It does have mercury. It is not much. It is around the amount of a tuna fish sandwich. In my opinion that's too much for my infants....as well as older kiddos.

My children will get Hep B after they are 11. I don't really see them sharing needles are having unprotected sex before leaving the hospital so it's not necessary in my opinion.

Rotovirus is a live virus. No thank you. Live viruses can definitely give your kiddo the actual virus.

MMR....hmmmm....do I even want to go there. For me personally, the possible side effects associated with this vaccine outweigh the risks of the diseases themselves so I will be skipping this one. Yes, the studies done by whatever English doctor have be overturned because he did not do them ethically or correctly. However, there is a court case that has been won that states that the MMR vaccine triggered a little girl's predisposed genetics and let to her Autism. Scouts honor.....here's the link.

Varicella.....really? What are they going to come up with next?! Here's what I am going to do. I am going to let my kiddos decide if they want it (after they have had blood tests to see if they are not immune naturally) after they are like 15 or older. I'll do the same with the MMR actually. Chicken pox can be super dangerous but it's more dangerous the older you are.

Does that cover them? Here's another link with more info and personal stories but it can be super scary and so I just want to warn you with that and you can venture at your own descretion.

My unvaxed kiddos are not going to kill your vaxed kiddos. Please do not attack my choice to vax or not. Yes, my children can even go to public schools. In most states this just requires a trip to the health dept. for a form. I feel like it is best for my child to develop their own immune system.

I feel like this is a very personal decision. Really, all parenting choices are. I do everything I do thinking it is the best choice I can make for my children. Everyone can do as they please. I just do what I want and everyone needs to respect each other. I hate getting attacked or getting speeches about why I need to vax my kiddos for whatever. I have a super understanding ped and he has never once fought me. He always says this is what is on the schedule....what do you want to do? It's never an argument.

ETA: somewhere up there I said RV shot.....RV is an oral vax.....just thought I should correct that so I didn't look completely stupid.

Breastfeeding

It really grind my gears that anyone thinks they get a say as to how, when, and/or for how long I nurse my babies. I will not nurse in a bathroom. Do you want to eat in a bathroom? There are a ton of germs in those things.....and they just fly around all over the place. I generally cover up with a blanket, but not always, and I DARE someone to say something! Ugh. I don't just flop my boob out and go to town. I am a discreet as possible. I will flop it out on here tough:)

I'm sorry....but that's just sweet. That's a bond and precious moment with my baby. She will not breastfeed for much more of her life than she will so I'm going to cherish it. This is a time that my baby gets everything she needs from my body. She caresses her booby and smiles and goes to sleep happy with a full belly. She gets all the nutrients she needs from me. My body knows her and changes to fullfill her needs. When she was born it was extra fatty but now that she is 4 months it's not as fatty. Yes, there is less iron than in formula but it's easier for her to digest so she gets what she needs. As my baby grows I know she will be like my older girl and run to me when she gets a boo boo or is scared and climb up on my lap and want to comfort nurse. I kind of let my older self wean. I was out of town for 2 days and when I got back she wasn't interested. She asked a couple of months later but I did tell her no at that point. I had decided it was time for my older one to wean which is why I was gone for 2 days. I felt she would stop if she didn't see me for a couple of days and I was right. She was 20 months when she weaned. She was asking for booby and pausing during nursing to say thank you and well......that was a bit odd for me. Plus, I was trying to get pregs again (unsucessfully) so I felt I should stop nursing to help that out.

Breastfed babies are healthier and they have less chance of becoming obese later in life. The AAP recommends breastfeeding....this is what they have to say:

"Breastfeeding and human milk are the normative standards for infant feeding and nutrition. Given the documented short- and long-term medical and neurodevelopmental advantages of breastfeeding, infant nutrition should be considered a public health issue and not only a lifestyle choice. The American Academy of Pediatrics reaffirms its recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding for about 6 months, followed by continued breastfeeding as complementary foods are introduced, with continuation of breastfeeding for 1 year or longer as mutually desired by mother and infant."

This is what WHO says about it:

"Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to 6 months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond."

If you choose not to breastfeed that is your choice. Everyone should be able to make their own parenting choices (as long as it doesn't endanger the child). I will say that people that don't even attempt breastfeeding really annoy me though. I mean even if you do just once.....just that first attempt and your baby gets colostrom goodness....everyone should at least *try*.

So, I will not feel like I have to hide somewhere to nurse, I will not feel like just because I don't have a cover (or my baby is not wanting the cover) that I don't nurse, I will not pump to give a bottle when I am out just to make some perv feel better about my choice. My boobs are not there for sexual thoughts (which is the only reason someone can't stand to see nursing)....my God put them there for feeding my babies. I will nurse while I'm walking (mall, zoo, grocery store), I will nurse when I'm eating, I will nurse anywhere I danged well please and there are laws to protect that right. I am giving my baby what is the best for her and I just can't believe that anyone would have a problem with me doing what is best for my baby.

Ok, I will climb down for the day.....next up is vaccines.

Co-sleeping

So, I had decided to write a blog on co-sleeping this morning. There has been a lot of hype about it lately. Then I heard on the radio (locally Star 102.1) a lot of bashing about natural parenting methods and so now I want to kind of doing a series of posts. It just really irritates me when people decide to bash other's parenting choices....espically when the person they are bashing is for the most part choosing a more complicated path. Some of the things they discussed was breastfeeding, co-sleeping, elimination communication, and pre-chewing your child's food. So, let me just say......I don't do elimantion communication or pre-chew (but I have bit a piece off of something and given my kiddo the piece I bit off). I'm not going to knock these practices though. Anywho....off the soap box....onto co-sleeping.

I NEVER thought I'd be for co-sleeping. When I was pregnant with my first I was very adament about the fact that my child would never sleep in my bed. I feel that my husband and I's relationship is very important....that is my marital bed and there is no room for children. Well, then every once and awhile I would go so sleep nursing little V (sitting up). Then I started laying down with her beside me to nurse. I got that nipped in the bud pretty quick and I don't remember really what happened but somewhere down the road she started sleeping with us a lot. I think it was after we put her in a toddler bed. She had a hard time going to sleep so I would let her go to sleep in our bed and then move her. And then she started waking up at night and coming in there and we wouldn't even notice. Then I got pregnant with E and I was exhausted so I would go to sleep putting her to sleep so then she slept with us more than she didn't. Well, now V goes to sleep and sleeps by herself. E does not! LOL! From the time she was was born I have cuddled and slept with her more than not. I do put her in her bed at 7 but when she wakes up she is with me. She generally wakes up at 4:30....last night she woke up a 12:30 and so she was with me after that. It hurts my back.....I will say that. LOL!

I think cuddling in bed with your baby is one of the sweetest things you can do. So, I am not a full on co-sleeper but I think it is horrible the stigma co-sleeping is getting. 1) If practiced safely it is not dangerous. Don't drink and/or do drugs and then sleep with your baby. Don't let an older childer and your infant sleep with you. While as a Mom you have an instict to not roll on your baby (my hubs says I don't move at all when sleeping with E), a toddler or small child does not have that same instinct. There are a lot of guidelines to make is super safe and no I do not follow all of them but I feel good about our sleeping arragements. 2) Just because you don't agree with it doesn't make you right and co-sleepers wrong. Period. And that goes for all parenting choices.

Many cultures across the world co-sleep and having a lower infant mortality rate so in my personal opinion I wish everyone would just get over it. A lot of people do it to some degree even if they don't want to admit it.

Next topic will be breastfeeding. Happy parenting!