Hi All,
  Just had to add my .02 and MHO on the large toddler and weaning. To me
this points out this biggest problem and conflict parents and we who
work with parents face - one person's 'problem' (diagnosis, advice) is
usually the exact opposite of someone else's. Pat who stated having
small children who grew into 'normal' sized adults stated it best, 'it
has helped me in my work.' This is how I approach the situation too. If
the child is healthy, alert and active, have the MD do medical tests to
prove their concern rather than just weaning before something is
determined to be 'wrong.' Tell this mother that I have a 9 year old who
was just in yesterday and weighs a whopping 42 pounds - no grief or
guilt from the pediatrician as she has been off the bottom of the
'charts' since she was 12 months old and her growth has been consistent
and registers with the same patterns that her father and I had. They
know that if and when her 'growth spurt' hits - she will come back to a
fairly 'normal' range and in the meantime her health, activity, physical
development and brain development have all been normal  or above - so
why worry.
   On the solitary sleep, I spent the first three years of my life in
hospital situations, as I was being treated for very serious
(life-threatening) conditions, I was handled only when necessary and
only (usually) by medical personnel - I have many issues that continue
to this day because of this detachment that occur at the beginning of my
life. We as professionals know that this does occur - where do you think
that failure to thrive was first discovered to occur - among those
infants raised as I was. None of my children who I brought home slept
alone as infants, and as we added children, the younger ones slept with
siblings until way past the acceptable (in the US) time. Now with my
older two being 22 and 19, I do not see clingy, babyish, dependent
adults who are unable to form normal attachments and relationships or
who have developed abnormal attachments but rather two independent (both
do not live at home) adults who are in much, much better emotional shape
than I ever was.
   Physical contact is a biological necessity (MHO) to develop the
infant into both a cognitive and emotional human. Breastfeeding helps
contribute to this by making the contact regular and frequent.
Co-sleeping adds to this by letting the infant/child who has no real
concept of the abstract TIME, that their needs can be met when they
arise. To fulfill the needs means that the whole of the infant - mind,
body and soul, plus nutrition, health, development and love - can all be
fulfilled, maintained and given the chance for the best or highest
potential all at the breast. If it were anything else, or able to be
sold in a bottle - it would be the greatest product in the world, sought
out by all and recommended by all. Yet, breastfeeding just doesn't quite
reach that level of greatness. Makes one wonder why?!?
   I copied the WSJ article, it is from the Feb. 17 issue.

   I am stepping off my soapbox (again) to pack and get out of town for
a meeting.

Leslie Ward
Vine Grove, KY
"I do not do great things, I do small things with great love." Mother
Theresa