Teresa wrote:

>There are many people who breastfeed for longer than the "typical" three to
>six months and there are many people who cosleep with their children. But if
>we don't talk about it, health care professionals and other people who work
>with mothers and families will continue to think it's something weird or
>abnormal. After all, nobody THEY know does it!

Just thought I'd add some anecdotal information.  Some people do not
consider it co-sleeping/family bed if the child starts the night off
in their own bed and crawls into bed with mom and dad sometime during
the night.  I had a big discussion with someone who thought it was OK
for young babies to be in bed for breastfeeding, but, when they got
older they should be in their own beds.  If they came into their
parent's bed sometime in the middle of the night that was OK though.
Food for thought.

On the topic of "coming out of the closet" with non-traditional
parenting practices.  I try to counsel the moms I work with to tell
their health care providers what they are doing, but, suggest they
wait till they are feeling strong emotionally.  It make such a
difference if you have the attitude that this is what we do and we
are happy with our decisions.  I feel that I have personally made
quite a few health care providers rethink what's OK in regards to
parenting and breastfeeding by just informing them of what we are
doing and letting them see the fruits of our labor - my two children
(8 & 4) who at this point seem to be able to charm quite a few
people.  I make no promises of what they'll be like when they are
older though ;->

Alicia Rudin, LLLL in the Bluegrass (Lexington, KY)
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