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This is a safety mechanism in the baby to know when you are near and it is being protected. We are still biologically the same animals that have survived in the wild. And, as stated by Jean Liedloff in the ‘Continuum Concept’, there are still places in the world where your baby would be eaten by a leopard if left alone. Our babies cannot know that we don’t live in the wilderness. The fact that our babies are more at threat from another human being than a wild animal is sad but means that we still need to be vigilant in protecting our young ones. When I had my first baby I felt uneasy about going out of the room without her. My neighbour expressed the same feeling in hospital and was laughed at. However since recent baby snatching incidents she feels that she has a right to be protective. All this is not to say that you should or should not do things a particular way, but in order that you might know what to expect and what is possible. Some babies do sleep in a room alone, some parents have the baby in the same room and some in a crib beside the bed. All of these can work, as can putting the baby down alone for the first part of the night then bringing it into your bed for the rest of the night. This solution can give you the best of both worlds. You only have to wake once, you get the privacy and relaxation of going to bed alone / with your partner, the baby sleeps most soundly for the first few hours as you do, breastfeeding can then continue for the rest of the night without you being woken. This or something similar can work, then it changes as the baby matures. Sometimes the new baby does need to be held all the time and you can try this once some weeks have passed. You have to be creative in finding ways to get the most sleep for everyone in the most acceptable manner. Some mothers have a single bed in the baby’s room that they go to after the baby wakes to save disturbing their partner and to give them more room. Some people get a bigger bed. I had a single bed by our double bed once my second baby was seven months old so she could crawl in with me when she needed to, I did not then have to wake at all. It all changes in time and children do move on to the next stage when ready. | ||
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CATHERINE HOLLAND Tel: 0701 7415310 Email: catherine@catherineholland.co.uk | |||
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