I would second all the suggestions already given for the mother  
feeling "all touched out" while caring for her 6 week old son.

To Phyllis' list of helpful books for her niece, I would add "Helping  
Baby Sleep: The Science and Practice of Gentle Bedtiome Parentiing"  
by Anni Gethin, PhD and Beth Macgregor (2009).  First published in  
Australia in 2007 with the title of "Helping Your Baby to Sleep."   
The authors thank Sue Cox for encouraging them to write this book,  
and also credit our own Karleen Gribble in the introductory  
acknowledgements.  It's a lovely book.

Anne Altshuler, RN, MS, IBCLC, LLLL
Madison, WI


> Date:    Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:28:49 -0700
> From:    Phyllis Adamson IBCLC <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Anthropology and human infants
>
> My niece, Earth Mother that she is to her 6 wk old son, is feeling  
> "all touched out". She has great family help for holding the Little  
> Guy, but the intensity of the attachment parenting lifestyle is  
> closing in on her. She is reading the blogs that extol the virtures  
> of letting the baby "exercise his lungs". It feels wrong to her,  
> but she is teetering on the edge of letting people - strangers on  
> the 'net - "should" on her.
>
> What I want to explain to her is the natural needs of human babies.  
> What I am thinking of is the natural needs for different milks for  
> clutch babies, follow-along babies, holding babies, etc. And the  
> info on why human babies are "born early" compared to other mammals  
> - like 9 months early when compared to the skills and abilities of  
> other mammal babies to walk, hang on to mom, find the teat without  
> assistance, and all that. I know these things, but I'm looking for  
> where they are written.
>
> I do have some books to offer for her to select from: No Cry Sleep  
> Solution, Crying Baby Sleepless Nights, Attachment Parenting,  
> Infant Massage, and McKenna's Sleeping With Your Baby (which she  
> has done well and safely from the start).
> Baby is growing very well, good color, normal development, great  
> supply of milk, OAMER is an issue, & she's thinking of Eats on  
> Feets donation.
>
> This is not a colic problem. Just the usual attached baby or  
> "velcro baby". He tends to migrate from a few inches away from mom  
> on her bed, right over to her, settles in against mom's body and  
> goes happily to sleep. Mom is looking for a little breathing room.  
> It's a hard balance as you all know.
>
> Thoughts?
> Phyllis
>
> --
> Phyllis Adamson, BA, IBCLC, RLC
> Glendale, AZ.
> [log in to unmask]

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