Hi All,
  I was going to pass this little piece by for 2 reasons, 1) we have had
this on the list before and 2) it appeared to be just a little bit. For
some reason I read it and once again got fired up.
  I really hate excuses. That is all that book is about. Excuses not to
parent a child. On this list we occasionally run some of the excues not
to breastfeed. All of life can be an excuse, if we are just creative
enough.
  When I was pregnant with my last child, I knew from the moment I had a
confirmed pregnancy that I would do this no more. I also knew that this
would be the child I did my best to do it all, 'right,' since she was
going to be the last.
  You know what, breastfeeding worked - no problems, no stresses and she
weaned herself as a toddler.
  You know what, the family bed worked and she is out of it and content
and there was no screaming or crying from any family members at all.
  Sleep problems are no sleep problems unless someone perceives them to
be or the individual is showing signs of sleep deprivation. A new mother
will have signs of sleep deprivation as she changes her life to
accomodate the new addition. When I had my last child, my oldest was 13
and there were two other in between. So I did not have the 'luxury' of
laying in bed all day, especially since my husband was gone 280+ days
that year. One must learn to sleep if and when they can, even if that
means changing former patterns for a short period of time.
  What is wrong? Our foremothers breastfed and co-slept while making all
their own meals, after harvesting most of the food, making their own
clothes and cleaning them too. All without a microwave, local grocery or
electric washer to help. Come on, we can all say I have it so tough.
  It is time to examine why some parents have resentments against
parenting and then deal with that, rather than jeparodizing
breastfeeding or the emotional well being of the child for the sake of
an excuse.

  I now step down off my soapbox for the weekend. . . buried in snow and
obviously not enough to do.

Leslie Ward
Vine Grove, KY
"Every mother is like Moses. She does not enter the promised land. She
prepares a world she will never see." Pope Paul VI