In a message dated 7/26/99 12:23:58 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
<< The sister told me family bed would not have been an option because she
was so hyperaware of her babes prescence that she would not have been able to
sleep if they had been in the same bed. What do fellow lactnetters with the
family bed experience think of this comment ? >>
Well, we're off topic, but not far off, I guess. So I will say that I am
indeed hyperaware of my toddler's presence in the bed, and I do indeed toss
and turn when she is sleeping with me. But I have become resigned to that.
For the first few weeks it seemed as if I would just plain die from lack of
sleep; but I didn't die. And after not as long a while as you would think, I
just got used to it. I am still tireder than I used to be in the day, and
still very grateful for the occasional weekend nap. But -- like the other
childcare challenges we all take on semi-voluntarily -- it's survivable.
And I will say that (sample of one child here) it seems to be connected with
other patterns which make me *less* tired. In particular, it is very
striking how much my toddler, who often wanders in and out of my bed all
night when she "needs a little Ima," is much more relaxed about separating in
the daytime -- quick hugs and kisses and then a cheerful wave bye bye, it's
quite astonishing to me. Her older sister, who has always slept in her own
bed at night and no wandering either, at this age clung to me like she was
fighting the Devil, with extensive weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth if
I so much as went into the other room. So that very tiring struggle (if you
are one of us moms who is not committed to being with her children 24-7) is
less, and the result is that my overall stress is MUCH less.
For what its worth.
Elisheva Urbas
NYC
***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html
|
