I have missed several days of discussion, but wanted to let you all know
that if you ever have an oportunity to hear Jim McKenna (PhD, now at Notre
Dame) speak on how babies are BORN to sleep, please do so.  In essence, his
research supports the notion that babies and mothers (and other family
members) are meant to co-sleep.  HOW that is defined varies tremendously
from one family to the next, but the point is the baby is not expected to
do what the parents themselves do not: specifically, sleep alone!

He also contends that breastfeeding and sleeping go together so completely
that when one is supported and encouraged, the other tends to follow.  Many
of us who found (the hard way, sometimes) that it was a whole lot easier to
meet baby's nighttime needs (for food as well as touch and comfort) by
simply tucking them in with us would probably agree wholeheartedly.

     mailto:[log in to unmask]

"We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly
disguised as impossible situations."
Kathleen G. Auerbach,PhD, IBCLC (Ferndale, WA USA) [log in to unmask]
WEB PAGE: http://www.telcomplus.net/kga/lactation.htm
LACTNET archives http://library.ummed.edu/lsv/archives/lactnet.html